Quick first step as U volleyball wins opener

In preparation for its first-round match in the NCAA volleyball tournament, Gophers coach Mike Hebert stressed all week one straight-and-to-the-point theme.

Nobody else exists besides North Dakota State.

"We were not going to get caught looking past anybody," Hebert said. "And my feelings were vindicated."

The Bison came to the Sports Pavilion on Friday night a different, more poised team than the one that was outmatched two years ago in this same spot.

This time, NDSU opened up 8-4 leads in each of the first two sets before the Gophers ground out 25-21 victories in each. Minnesota, the No. 10 seed in this year's 64-team field, then took over in a 25-12 third set to complete the sweep.

"I was impressed," Hebert said of the Bison (20-11), who he admitted at times made the Gophers uncomfortable. "They played two terrific sets. They ran a very fast offense. I'm very happy to be moving on to the next round."

The victory pushes the Gophers -- making their 12th consecutive NCAA tournament apperancce -- to 15-1 all-time in first-round NCAA tournament matches. Minnesota takes on tournament first-timer Creighton at 6 p.m. Saturday in the second round. The Bluejays (21-11) outlasted Iowa State (20-9) in a five-set upset earlier Friday, a match that afterward caused Creighton coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth to gush, "This is the most proud I've been of the team in my eight years."

Hebert, in his 15th year at Minnesota and 35th overall season of coaching college men's and women's volleyball, certainly has seen better out of his teams over the years than what the Gophers (25-8) showed early on Friday.

A sloppy start put the U in a first-set hole, but middle blocker Tori Dixon -- one of three freshmen to start for the Gophers along with outside hitter Ashley Wittman and defensive specialist Steffi Sooter -- took over with four consecutive colossal kills as a part of an 8-0 run.

"I just went out and said, 'I'm going to go after it,'" said Dixon, who finished with eight kills and served for 10 consecutive points in the third set.

Hebert said Dixon always has been sound at controlling the ball but that this season she has turned into a "kill artist."

"We wanted to get the ball to our middles early in the match to establish that, so we could open up the outside a little bit," Hebert said. "We have a setter [Mia Tabberson] who can handle that and a hitter who can handle it, too. When we established the middle it was a very critical part of the match."

Wittman had a match-high 14 kills, nine coming in the third set. "When she gets going as a hitter she's pretty tough to stop," Hebert said.