University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
12-2 (4-1Big Ten)
Penn State
13-3 (5-0Big Ten)
No. 1 Minnesota falls to No. 15 Penn State
10/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The No. 1 University of Minnesota volleyball team fell to No.15 Penn State on Wednesday night, 27-29, 25-21, 25-23, 14-25, 15-10, snapping an 11-match win streak. With the loss, the Golden Gophers fall to 12-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten.
As a team, the Gophers hit .237 to Penn State's .308. Minnesota had five blocks to Penn State's three. The Gophers also added six aces. Minnesota was led by Sarah Wilhite with 16 kills and 16 digs, and Hannah Tapp/Alexis Hart had 13 kills. Molly Lohman followed with ten kills, hitting a team best .450, adding eight blocks. Dalianliz Rosado added a team-best 17 digs, while Samantha Seliger-Swenson had 50 assists.
Set breakdown:
Set 1: The Gophers hit .179 to Penn State's .261 to fall in the first set 29-27. Minnesota opened the match on a 4-0 run on Wilhite's service rotation. Penn State took their first timeout at 6-2. Lohman would go on her own run, serving three straight causing another Penn State timeout at 11-3. The Nittany Lions rallied back with a 4-0 run, shrinking the lead to three at 17-14, causing a Minnesota timeout. After back and forth rallies, the Gophers called another timeout, still leading at 20-18. Schau advanced the Gophers' lead with an ace at 22-19, but Penn State tied the set up at 22, 24 and 25. Minnesota tied the set at 26 and 27, but a Penn State kill ended the set.
Set 2: Minnesota hit .367 to Penn State's .250 to tie up the match, 25-21. Both teams went back and forth to start the set until Minnesota pulled ahead for a 13-9 lead. Penn State shrunk the lead to 13-12, forcing the Gophers to take a timeout. Minnesota responded to Penn State's 4-0 run with a 4-0 run of their own on Lohman's service rotation, causing the Nittany Lions to take a timeout at 17-13. Minnesota held the lead to force another Penn State timeout at 21-17. Wilhite put the Gophers at set point, and Hart ended the set.
Set 3: Penn State out hit Minnesota .317 to .300, but the Gophers took the set 25-23 to go 2-1 on the match. Both teams would remain tied, trading the lead throughout most of the set until Minnesota took a four-point lead at 19-15, causing Penn State to take the first timeout of the set. The Nittany Lions responded with two points, forcing Minnesota to take a timeout at 19-17. Penn State continued the run, taking the lead at 20-19 and causing another Gopher timeout. A Lohman ace gave Minnesota the lead, and forced a Penn State timeout at 22-21. The Gophers tied up the set at 23, and Wilhite ended the set with a kill.
Set 4: Minnesota hit .057 to Penn State's .294 to fall in the fourth set, 25-14. The Gophers opened up the set on a 5-0 run with an ace from Rosado to lead to a Penn State timeout at 7-2. The Nittany Lions answered with a 9-2 run to tie the set 9-9 and take over the lead, causing a Minnesota timeout at 11-9. Penn State increased its lead to four, forcing a second Gopher timeout at 16-12. Penn State continued its run, going 7-0 with two service aces before H Tapp ended the streak at 20-13. Penn State would win the match 25-14.
Set 5: The Gophers hit .375 to Penn State's .588 to fall 15-10 and lose the match. Both teams were neck and neck to open the final set, swapping leads until Penn State took a 10-7 lead, forcing a Minnesota timeout. The Gophers would take another timeout at 13-9, but Penn State would take the match.
