Special to espnW
MINNEAPOLIS -- The happiest of the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday night had to be freshman volleyball star Stephanie Samedy. Easily.
Seventh-seeded Minnesota dispatched Northern Iowa in four sets to advance to a regional in Gainesville, Florida, and Samedy was beaming about what's ahead. Gainesville isn't home for Samedy -- she grew up in Clermont, Florida, about 90 miles away -- but it cuts roughly 19 1/2 hours off her family's driving commute to see her play.
"A lot more family will be able to come because it's less of a distance, as opposed to a 20-whatever hour drive," Samedy said.