University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Wisconsin
Gophers Defeat Badgers on Senior Night
11/27/2013 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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Nov. 27, 2013
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
The No. 11 University of Minnesota volleyball team erased a first set deficit to win in four and defeat the Wisconsin Badgers, tonight in front of 4,431 fans. The Golden Gophers improve to 26-6 this year and 14-5 in the Big Ten.
On senior night, Tori Dixon led the Gophers with 15 kills and a match-best eight blocks, while Ashley Wittman had seven kills and 20 digs. Alexandra Palmer had 26 assists and three kills. All three were honored on the court following the win.
Daly Santana recorded a double-double when she had 10 kills and 11 digs, as Adrianna Nora had 11 kills in 27 attempts to hit. 370. Karlie Hauer had seven blocks, while Lindsey Lawmaster had a match-best digs.
Although Wisconsin led in kills (62-55) and digs (78-69), the Gophers had 14 blocks to the Badgers' nine and had three aces and three errors to Wisconsin's one ace and nine service errors. The Badgers also committed 31 attack errors to the Gophers' 13.
Minnesota closes out the Big Ten regular season, Saturday as they travel to No. 18 Illinois.
Notables:
-With Dixon's 15 kills, the match marks the 17th time Dixon has led the Gophers in kills this season
-The three kills by Palmer tied a best in her Minnesota career and 2013 season best
-Lawmaster had 21 digs, which was a career-best
-Hauer added seven blocks, also a career-best and has now had 19 in the past three matches
Set Breakdown:
First Set: The two teams tied 22 times and exchanged seven lead changes before the Badgers took the first set, 26-24. Neither team held more than a two-point lead until Wisconsin jumped up two at 20-18 when the Badgers had a kill and Minnesota committed an attack error. Minnesota tied the match at 21 on a solo block from Hannah Tapp. Minnesota would push to set point on a block from Hauer and Dixon, which forced Wisconsin to take a timeout. The Badgers, however, finished off the set with three-straight points on two kills and a block to take a 1-0 lead.
Second Set: The Gophers hit .384 in the second set and had seven kills from Nora to win 25-14. Minnesota jumped out to an 8-2 lead before Wisconsin came back and tied the set at 10-10. Minnesota, however, had back-to-back kills from Nora to go up, 12-10. Nora added another back-to-back kills to put the Gophers up, 18-12. After a Gopher attack error at the 18-13 mark, Minnesota rattled off another three kills from Nora, Dixon and Santana before Wisconsin responded with a kill. After two Wisconsin attack errors to put the Gophers up, 22-14, Minnesota closed out the set with a kill from Wittman and a Santana ace.
Third Set: Minnesota went up, 2-1 on a 25-18 third set win. As the Gophers hit .298 and had five blocks, Wisconsin was held to a .125 hitting clip and one block. Although Wisconsin led early, 5-3, Minnesota added back-to-back blocks to tie the set and took the lead on another block. After the two teams tied at 12, Minnesota produced three-straight points on a Wisconsin attack error a block by Dixon/Wittman and a kill from Hauer. The three points forced Wisconsin to use a timeout. Minnesota, however, pushed the score to 17-13 on another block from Dixon and Wittman, while Wittman had a kill. Minnesota went up 20-15 on a kill from Santana, while Dixon produced kills for the Gophers 23rd and 24th point as Wisconsin ended the set on an attack error.
Fourth Set: Despite The Gophers put away the match with a 25-23 fourth set win. Minnesota had four kills from Dixon and three from Tapp as the Gophers won, 3-1. Despite Wisconsin having 19 kills, the Badgers also committed 10 errors to Minnesota's three. Minnesota led 15-12 before Wisconsin came back to tie the set at 15-15. As the two teams traded points, Minnesota would go up, 21-19 on back-to-back Dixon kills. She and Hauer added a block for a 23-20, while Dixon provided another kill for set point. The Badgers, however, came back and produced three-straight points and close the Gopher lead to 24-23. Dixon responded with the final kill of the match, her 15th of the night and a team-high.
