Gopher volleyball takes down No. 1-ranked Texas in thrilling 5-set match
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — For the first time in five years, Gopher women's volleyball took down the No. 1-ranked team in the country.
It was a thrilling upset against the back-to-back national champion Texas, who struggled to stay in rhythm for the five-set match (22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 13-25, 15-7).
Minnesota had just come off a tough five-set loss against Stanford the day before. The No. 18 Gophers made too many errors in the service game and were unable to close out sets, even when they had the advantage. But against Texas, they came out ready to fight, making gutsy plays and cleaning up their defense and serve receive.
The two teams battled in the first set, with Texas' Madi Skinner coming up with six kills to give the Longhorns a 22-25 lead. But the Gophers took over the second and third sets, forcing Texas to make changes at the setting position.
Gopher setter Melani Shaffmaster asserted her presence in the front row by doubling her number of attacks compared to the Stanford game, and she also worked to get her middles more involved. Slide attacks from Calissa Minatee proved to be especially effective; the sophomore middle blocker had a career-high nine kills with a .571 clip, along with six blocks.
While last year teams took advantage of the Gopher block, this year they're working to be dominant at the net. Their blocking, along with their back-row defense helped shut down Skinner's back row attack, which the three-time national champion typically relies on.
The Gophers fell behind in the fourth set as they struggled to terminate, largely due to Emma Halter's back row defense for the Longhorns. Then in the fifth, Shaffmaster served two aces, giving the team a 5-0 run. From then on, the Gophers never let up.
"I don't think I really have words," Shaffmaster said on FS1 after the game. "We finally proved ourselves that we're not the same team we were last year. We have a lot of really great people here with us."
Gophers were led by Julia Hanson, a junior outside hitter from Prior Lake who took over the spot after the departure of Taylor Landfair. She's proved to have a strong arm and make aggressive swings even in out-of-system plays. She led the team with 19 kills and 13 digs.
The Gophers will see if they keep up their momentum against No. 23 Baylor on Friday.