University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, August 26
Minneapolis, MN
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
2-0,0-0Big Ten
3
vs
0
Baylor
0-2,0-0Big 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor | 20 | 21 | 11 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Team Stats
Baylor
MINN
Kills
27
36
Errors
27
11
Attempts
102
85
Hitting %
.000
.294
Points
39.0
53.0
Assists
26
34
Aces
7
5
Blocks
5
12
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
3
Aces
0
Blocks
10
Kills
3
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ VolleyballOpposite
/ Volleyball
Outside/Opposite
/ Volleyball
Libero
/ VolleyballSetter
/ VolleyballOutside
/ Volleyball
'U' Sweeps No. 15 Baylor to Start 2-0
8/26/2023 7:09:00 PM | Volleyball
Mckenna Wucherer was named Tournament MVP
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 7 Minnesota Golden Gophers volleyball team took down No. 15 Baylor on Saturday night at the Pav to complete the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. The Gophers won in straight sets, 25-20, 25-21, 25-11.
Mckenna Wucherer led the Gophers with 14 kills while Melani Shaffmaster went for 21 assists, four blocks and 13 digs. Phoebe Awoleye paced the defense with 10 blocks as the Gophers held Baylor to a .000 team hitting percentage.
Wucherer took home Big Ten/Big 12 Tournament Challenge MVP honors while Awoleye, Murr and Shaffmaster made the all-tournament team. Wucherer totaled 30 kills combined and hit nearly .500 for the tournament.
"I feel like people didn't see the real me last year," Wucherer said. "I was kind of on and off, wasn't feeling my best. This year, the team's really helped me, and I've been building on my serve receive and serving. Obviously everything is still a work in progress, but we're just excited to be here."
As a team, Minnesota (2-0) hit .294 with 36 kills, 12 team blocks, 45 digs and five aces. Baylor (0-2) hit .000 with 27 kills, five team blocks, 33 digs and seven aces.
Kyndal Stowers led the Bears with 10 kills, two aces and five digs.
Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge All-Tournament Team:
Kyndal Stowers, OH, Baylor
Mckenna Wucherer, OH, Minnesota (MVP)
Melani Shaffmaster, S, Minnesota - Best Setter
Phoebe Awoleye, MB, Minnesota - Top Blocker
Kylie Murr, L, Minnesota
Melanie Parra, OH, TCU
Devyn Robinson, RS, Wisconsin
Carter Booth, MB, Wisconsin
Set Breakdown:
Set 1: The Gophers took set one, 25-20. Mckenna Wucherer paced the 'U' with six kills on .545 hitting with three digs and an ace to boot. Melani Shaffmaster led the offense with 10 assists while chipping in four digs and a block as the home team hit .296 in the first set. The Bears were held to .114 hitting in the first frame as Phoebe Awoleye anchored the defense with four blocks. The 'U' finished the set on a 7-4 run to win it.
Set 2: The Golden Gophers kept the momentum going, winnings set two, 25-21. Minnesota hit .206 in the set and held Baylor to .000. Wucherer had four more kills to lead the offense while Lauren Crowl and Melani Shaffmaster posted three each. Shaffmaster and Murr anchored the defense with six digs apiece.
Set 3: Minnesota cleaned up nicely in the final set, exploding to a statement 25-11 victory. Minnesota took a 5-0 lead and never looked back. The 'U' finished the match on a 9-0 run after leading 16-11. Two kills from Lydia Grote, two from Wucherer and a block and a kill from Awoleye paced the rally.
UP NEXT: Minnesota (2-0) takes on No. 1 Texas on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Maturi Pavilion will play host.
Notable:
-Keegan Cook earned his 200th career win on Saturday night.
-Minnesota earned its second straight Big Ten/Big 12 Tournament Challenge Title (shared with Wisconsin in 2023). The Gophers have gone 5-1 in the last three seasons in the tournament.
-Phoebe Awoleye set a new career-high with 10 blocks on Saturday night.
-Melani Shaffmaster posted 21 assists and 13 digs for her second double double of the year. She led all Big Ten players with 14 a season ago.
-Mckenna Wucherer earned her 12th career 10+ kill match and second straight to start 2023.
-Kylie Murr posted 13 digs to lead the backcourt. She tallied 40 digs total through the first two matches.
-The Gophers won their 10th straight home match, the longest home streak in the Big Ten.
-It's the first time since Sept. 16, 2021 that Minnesota held a team to .000 or worse hitting.
Mckenna Wucherer led the Gophers with 14 kills while Melani Shaffmaster went for 21 assists, four blocks and 13 digs. Phoebe Awoleye paced the defense with 10 blocks as the Gophers held Baylor to a .000 team hitting percentage.
Wucherer took home Big Ten/Big 12 Tournament Challenge MVP honors while Awoleye, Murr and Shaffmaster made the all-tournament team. Wucherer totaled 30 kills combined and hit nearly .500 for the tournament.
"I feel like people didn't see the real me last year," Wucherer said. "I was kind of on and off, wasn't feeling my best. This year, the team's really helped me, and I've been building on my serve receive and serving. Obviously everything is still a work in progress, but we're just excited to be here."
As a team, Minnesota (2-0) hit .294 with 36 kills, 12 team blocks, 45 digs and five aces. Baylor (0-2) hit .000 with 27 kills, five team blocks, 33 digs and seven aces.
Kyndal Stowers led the Bears with 10 kills, two aces and five digs.
Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge All-Tournament Team:
Kyndal Stowers, OH, Baylor
Mckenna Wucherer, OH, Minnesota (MVP)
Melani Shaffmaster, S, Minnesota - Best Setter
Phoebe Awoleye, MB, Minnesota - Top Blocker
Kylie Murr, L, Minnesota
Melanie Parra, OH, TCU
Devyn Robinson, RS, Wisconsin
Carter Booth, MB, Wisconsin
Set Breakdown:
Set 1: The Gophers took set one, 25-20. Mckenna Wucherer paced the 'U' with six kills on .545 hitting with three digs and an ace to boot. Melani Shaffmaster led the offense with 10 assists while chipping in four digs and a block as the home team hit .296 in the first set. The Bears were held to .114 hitting in the first frame as Phoebe Awoleye anchored the defense with four blocks. The 'U' finished the set on a 7-4 run to win it.
Set 2: The Golden Gophers kept the momentum going, winnings set two, 25-21. Minnesota hit .206 in the set and held Baylor to .000. Wucherer had four more kills to lead the offense while Lauren Crowl and Melani Shaffmaster posted three each. Shaffmaster and Murr anchored the defense with six digs apiece.
Set 3: Minnesota cleaned up nicely in the final set, exploding to a statement 25-11 victory. Minnesota took a 5-0 lead and never looked back. The 'U' finished the match on a 9-0 run after leading 16-11. Two kills from Lydia Grote, two from Wucherer and a block and a kill from Awoleye paced the rally.
UP NEXT: Minnesota (2-0) takes on No. 1 Texas on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Maturi Pavilion will play host.
Notable:
-Keegan Cook earned his 200th career win on Saturday night.
-Minnesota earned its second straight Big Ten/Big 12 Tournament Challenge Title (shared with Wisconsin in 2023). The Gophers have gone 5-1 in the last three seasons in the tournament.
-Phoebe Awoleye set a new career-high with 10 blocks on Saturday night.
-Melani Shaffmaster posted 21 assists and 13 digs for her second double double of the year. She led all Big Ten players with 14 a season ago.
-Mckenna Wucherer earned her 12th career 10+ kill match and second straight to start 2023.
-Kylie Murr posted 13 digs to lead the backcourt. She tallied 40 digs total through the first two matches.
-The Gophers won their 10th straight home match, the longest home streak in the Big Ten.
-It's the first time since Sept. 16, 2021 that Minnesota held a team to .000 or worse hitting.
Highlights: Spring Exhibition
Monday, April 27
2025 Season Recap
Tuesday, January 27
Best of Julia Hanson
Monday, December 22
Gophers Preview NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Tuesday, December 09