By Andy Greder

Pioneer Press

The Gophers volleyball team was ranked third in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll released Tuesday. This is the fourth consecutive year Minnesota has been ranked in the top five.

The Gophers were ranked No. 1 last December when they lost 3-1 to Oregon in an NCAA regional semifinal at Maturi Pavilion.

Minnesota has six returning starters from last year’s Big Ten championship team that went 27-4, but the U has to replace Big Ten Player of the Year and setter Sam Seliger-Swenson.

The Gophers will face 11 programs that are ranked or received votes in the coaches’ preseason poll. The Big Ten has six other ranked teams: No. 2 Nebraska, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 6 Illinois, No. 8 Penn State, No. 15 Michigan and No. 17 Purdue.

The Gophers open the season with the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C. They will face North Carolina on Aug. 30 and Florida State on Aug. 31.