Gopher volleyball team looks to build on back-to-back Final Four appearances

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - The Gophers' volleyball team starts the preseason ranked No. 4 in the country after two straight trips to the NCAA Final Four, but Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon and his team say none of that matters now.

“In the end these rankings don’t mean much," McCutcheon said. "Only that people approve of what we’re trying to do."

With a lot of talent graduating at the end of the season, the program is hoping for this year's crop of freshmen to step up quickly and fill the holes, picking up right where the team left off last year.

It's an uphill battle, however, with the Gophers playing nine NCAA preseason ranked teams--with seven of those teams in the Big Ten. 

Minnesota's first game is next Friday against No. 11 North Carolina.