A sold-out crowd filled the Sports Pavilion on Saturday as the Gophers took on the No. 1 team in the country and made a resounding statement.
No. 4 Minnesota swept Penn State in straight sets, sweeping the Nittany Lions at home for the first time since 2002.
“You can’t deny the storied history of Penn State’s program,” head coach Hugh McCutcheon said. “They’ve been the benchmark for seemingly forever. I’m proud that our
athletes got to play the volleyball they’re capable of playing in a big match and a big environment and get it done.”
The victory was quick, but it wasn’t easy. The teams were back-and-forth from the start, and the score was tied 10 times in the first set.
Minnesota (23-3, 15-1 Big Ten) grabbed an 11-10 lead on a Penn State service error and went on a six-point run to make the score 16-10.
The Nittany Lions (24-3, 13-3 Big Ten) remained close but were behind until they scored four points to tie the score at 21.
Minnesota burned a timeout, and though Penn State added on two points, sophomore middle blocker Molly Lohman ended the set with a kill to give the Gophers the 25-23 lead and a 1-0 advantage on the match.
The Gophers were outhit in the first set .263 to .222 but had three service aces while Penn State had none.
The second set started out in a familiar fashion, with both teams exchanging points early on.
A kill from Lohman gave the Gophers a 6-5 lead, and from there they kept adding on the points.
The team later added a five-point run capped off with a service ace from junior middle blocker Paige Tapp to take an 18-8 lead.
Penn State was able to get a couple of rallies of its own but couldn’t make up for lost time by the end of the set.
Junior outside hitter Sarah Wilhite had the kill for set point, and Minnesota took the second 25-20 and went up 2-0 on the match heading into the break.
The Gophers added two more aces for five total in the second set, and the Gophers outhit the Nittany Lions .189 to .146.
Junior middle blocker Hannah Tapp had eight kills in the second set.
“We knew they were going to battle, so it was about sustaining our hard work and knowing that it could be a long night,” Hannah Tapp said.
Penn State attempted to lengthen the night in the third set.
The score was tied 11 times until Minnesota scored three straight points to get an 18-15 lead.
Penn State answered with three points to tie, but Minnesota quickly regained the lead.
Wilhite again closed the set and match with a kill at 25-21, and the Gophers upset the No. 1 team in the country 3-0.
Minnesota hit a match-high .417 in the final set to Penn State’s .295.
Wilhite led the team in kills with 12 and had a team-high hitting percentage of .579.
The victory kept the Gophers in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten and extended their winning streak to 14 matches.
Despite the high-pressure situation in front of a sold-out crowd, Minnesota stayed composed throughout the match to pick up the victory.
“Every point is a new point,” Wilhite said. “So we learn from or celebrate the last point, but when the whistle blows, we’re in that point.”
Junior outside hitter Sarah Wilhite had the kill for set point, and Minnesota took the second 25-20 and went up 2-0 on the match heading into the break.
The Gophers added two more aces for five total in the second set, and the Gophers outhit the Nittany Lions .189 to .146.
Junior middle blocker Hannah Tapp had eight kills in the second set.
“We knew they were going to battle, so it was about sustaining our hard work and knowing that it could be a long night,” Hannah Tapp said.
Penn State attempted to lengthen the night in the third set.
The score was tied 11 times until Minnesota scored three straight points to get an 18-15 lead.
Penn State answered with three points to tie, but Minnesota quickly regained the lead.
Wilhite again closed the set and match with a kill at 25-21, and the Gophers upset the No. 1 team in the country 3-0.
Minnesota hit a match-high .417 in the final set to Penn State’s .295.
Wilhite led the team in kills with 12 and had a team-high hitting percentage of .579.
The victory kept the Gophers in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten and extended their winning streak to 14 matches.
Despite the high-pressure situation in front of a sold-out crowd, Minnesota stayed composed throughout the match to pick up the victory.
“Every point is a new point,” Wilhite said. “So we learn from or celebrate the last point, but when the whistle blows, we’re in that point.”
