For Gophers volleyball, quest for third consecutive Final Four starts Friday

The Gophers volleyball team begins its season this weekend in Madison, Wis., with matches against No. 11 North Carolina and Louisville at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. After reaching the Final Four in each of the past two seasons, coach Hugh McCutcheon said he is still "figuring some things out" with a roster that lost three of its top four scorers from last season, but a deep well of young talent gives him plenty of options. Here's what's ahead for the fourth-ranked team in the nation:

Friday, 4:30 p.m.: No. 4 Gophers vs No. 11 North Carolina

Saturday, 4 p.m.: Gophers vs. Louisville

Where: UW Field House, Madison, Wis.

Video: Matches will be streamed on BTN Plus.

Preview: North Carolina returns most of the roster from a team that went 29-4 last season, including a 19-1 ACC mark. Taylor Leath was the league's player of the year and a second-team All-America. Julia Scoles was the ACC freshman of the year, and Taylor Fricano joins them as a preseason all-ACC pick. The Tar Heels' 2016 season ended with a loss to UCLA in an NCAA tournament regional at the Sports Pavilion. The Gophers are 5-1 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, including victories over North Carolina and Louisville last year.

Louisville features a new head coach, former Nebraska assistant Dani Busboom Kelly, and finished 12-18 last season.

After Madison, the Gophers host the Diet Coke Classic tournament on Sept. 1 for their home opener.

All-Americans Sarah Wilhite, Paige Tapp and Hannah Tapp completed their eligibility last year and have moved on to the U.S. national team, leaving a substantial void. Still, the Gophers have a strong core in their 11 returning letterwinners, as well as an intriguing group of newcomers.

Sophomore outside hitter Alexis Hart is the top returning scorer and was second to Wilhite — the 2016 national player of the year — with 359 kills. She was named to the preseason all-Big Ten team, along with junior setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson and senior middle blocker Molly Lohman. Senior libero/defensive specialist Dalianliz Rosado led the team with 511 digs last season.

Redshirt freshman Regan Pittman is a hard-hitting, 6-5 middle blocker who played for the U.S. under-20 junior national team last summer. The team's six freshmen, ranked the fourth-best recruiting class in the nation, give the Gophers impressive depth. First-team All-America Stephanie Samedy was the nation's No. 5 recruit, and Jasmyn Martin was a prep standout at Hopkins.

The Gophers' 11-match nonconference schedule also includes a match at Texas, ranked No. 1 in the preseason national poll, on Sept. 8 as part of the American Campus Classic. McCutcheon is a proponent of playing a tough nonconference schedule to prepare for the unrelenting challenge of the Big Ten season. Even in a year of major roster turnover, he's happy to open Friday against a highly ranked opponent.