Gopher Volleyball Splits Opening Pair Against Ranked Opponents

The Minnesota Golden Gophers volleyball team faced a challenging opening pair of games against ranked opponents in Sioux Falls, losing 3-0 to #13 Arizona State in the first match. They then swept #12 Creighton 3-0 in their return match. In their opener against Arizona State, the Gophers were shorthanded with only four starters, including two who returned from injuries.

The Sun Devils had previously upset #2 Texas 3-1. The first set was tightly contested, with 11 ties and five lead changes before ASU took control. Minnesota led the second set 22-20, but ASU dominated the rest of the match, including a 6-1 run. The Gophers showed signs of improvement in the third set, but fell short with a 26-24 loss.

Wucherer led in kills for the Gophers with 18, while Kinney had 10. The team bounced back the next day with a 3-0 win over Creighton, with Wucherer again leading in kills and Hoecke making her first career start with five blocks. Minnesota now sits at #1 in the latest AVCA poll and will head to Madison for the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge, facing Florida and Auburn.