The No. 2 Gophers volleyball team improved to 5-0 Saturday by winning the Diet Coke Classic at the newly renamed Maturi Pavilion, beating Tennessee 25-22, 25-15, 25-20 in the evening after an earlier 25-12, 25-17, 25-14 victory over Texas San Antonio.
The Gophers have won their past 39 matches at home, dating to the 2014 season.
Stephanie Samedy was named tournament Most Valuable Player after she accumulated 43 kills, averaged 4.78 kills per set and hit .363 in three matches for the Gophers. Samantha Seliger-Swenson added 126 sets, and Molly Lohman hit .625.
The Gophers hit .396 against Tennessee's .264, with Samedy finishing with 17 kills while hitting .371. Regan Pittman had 15 kills and hit .684 to go along with five blocks.
Against UTSA, the Gophers hit .382 to the Roadrunners' .121, with Samedy recording 11 kills. Jasmyn Martin had nine kills while hitting .421 and Pittman hit .571 with eight kills.
The Gophers held a ceremony Saturday honoring former athletic director Joel Maturi with the arena name change from Sports Pavilion.
Second for cross-country ×2
Both Gophers cross-country teams opened the season finishing second at the Indiana Open, with three Gophers women finishing in the top seven and three Gophers men finishing in the top 10 in Bloomington, Ind.
The Gophers women had 51 points to host Indiana's 40. Sophomore Bethany Hasz was Minnesota's top runner, finishing fourth in 17 minutes, 46.5 seconds, with twin sister Megan Hasz taking fifth in 17:48.9 and Madeline Strandemo seventh in 17:49.5.
