Gophers Volleyball Stuns No. 1 Texas in Five-Set Thriller
Historic Victory for Minnesota
The University of Minnesota women's volleyball team made history on Saturday, October 15, by upsetting the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns in a thrilling five-set match at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis. The win marks the first time Minnesota has ever defeated a No. 1-ranked team in program history and is the first time Texas has lost a match all season.
Key Stats
* Minnesota won by set scores of 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 21-25, 15-10. * Junior outside hitter Stephanie Samedy led the Gophers with 18 kills. * Senior libero CC McGraw had a match-high 21 digs. * Texas outhit Minnesota .254 to .237, but the Gophers had nine more blocks (12-3) and eight more aces (12-4).
Game Recap
The first set was tightly contested, but Texas pulled away late to win 25-19. Minnesota bounced back in the second set, hitting .400 and holding the Longhorns to a .125 hitting percentage to win 25-17. The third set was another close one, but the Gophers were able to pull out a 25-22 win, giving them a 2-1 lead in the match. Texas forced a fifth set with a 25-21 win in the fourth set, but Minnesota dominated the fifth set, winning 15-10 to secure the upset victory.
Reaction
"This is an incredible win for our program," said Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon. "Texas is a great team, and to be able to beat them in five sets is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our players." "This is a huge win for us," said Samedy. "We knew that we could compete with Texas, and we came out tonight and proved it." The Gophers improve to 16-3 on the season with the win, while Texas falls to 19-1. Minnesota will be back in action on Wednesday, October 19, when they host No. 4 Wisconsin in a Big Ten Conference match.
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