No. 18 Gophers Head West to Oregon, Washington

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 18 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-3, 4-2 B1G) will take their now annual trip out to the West Coast as they get set to take on Oregon (11-5, 2-4 B1G) and Washington (8-8, 3-3 B1G). Friday's match is set for 6 p.m. PT (8 p.m. CT) while Saturday's will be 7 p.m. PT (9 p.m. CT). Both will be streamed on B1G+.

GAME INFORMATION
No. 18 Minnesota at Oregon
Friday, Oct. 17
8 p.m. CT
Eugene, Ore. (Matthew Knight Arena)
TV: B1G+ Isaac Dubey (Play-By-Play), Dylan De Cesare (Analyst)
Live Stats

GAME INFORMATION
No. 18 Minnesota at Washington
Saturday, Oct. 18
9 p.m. CT
Seattle, Wash. (Alaska Airlines Arena)
TV: B1G+ Scot Gladstone (Play-By-Play), Lauren Rogan, (Analyst), Malie Chamberland (Sideline)
Live Stats

NOTES TO KNOW
Minnesota is 7-5 vs. Oregon and 2-3 vs. Washington
First Meeting: 1988 (Oregon) and 1996 (Washington)
Last Meeting: 2024 (Both)

HEADING INTO THE MATCH
250 -- Keegan Cook won his 250th career match as a head coach on Sunday against Ohio St.
95 -- Minnesota ranks 95th nationally and eighth in the Big Ten with 13.14 kills per set.
82 -- Minnesota ranks 82nd nationally and fifth in the Big Ten with 1.67 aces per set.
56 -- Julia Hanson is 56th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten with 4.02 kills per set.
35 -- Stella Swenson comes in at No. 34 nationally and eighth in the Big Ten with 9.95 assists per set.
27 -- Julia Hanson had 27 10+ kill matches in 2024 (87%). She's 13 for 16 so far this season (missed Loyola Chicago match).
25 -- The 'U' ranks 25th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten with 2.61 blocks per set.
18 -- The Gophers rank 18th nationally in hitting percentage (.281). They place sixth in the Big Ten.
16 -- Times last season Minnesota posted 10+ blocks as a team. They've had 10+ blocks in six matches this season, including a season-best 17.5 Sept. 14 vs. SDSU.
10 -- Last year was Minnesota's 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. They've made 25 of the last 26 (missed 2014). They've made three Final Fours, four Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight since 2015.
10 -- Sweeps in 17 matches for the Golden Gophers. They've won four matches in four sets (0-0 in five).
8 -- Minnesota has made eight Sweet 16's in the last 10 years.
7 -- Minnesota ranks seventh in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage, allowing teams to hit .200.
7 -- Minnesota ranks 7th nationally in attendance at 4,400 (avg.).
7 -- During league play, Julia Hanson ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 0.47 aces per set.
7 -- During Big Ten matches, McKenna Garr ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 3.38 digs per set.
4 -- The Gophers are 11-1 with McKenna Garr as the starting libero and she has registered over 4.35 digs per set during those matches. She's had 10 10+ dig matches since becoming the starter.
4 -- Gophers head coach Keegan Cook is 4-21 against AVCA Top-25 ranked opponents in three seasons.
4 -- Minnesota has lost four starters to season-ending injuries in outsides Alex Acevedo and Mckenna Wucherer, middle Calissa Minatee and libero Zeynep Palabiyik.
3 -- Julia Hanson took home her third career Big Ten Player of the Week award Sept. 1. She was named the Golden Gopher Invitational Tournament MVP and to the all-tournament team.
2 -- During league play, the Gophers rank first with 2.05 aces per set. They hold 41 aces (2nd in B1G).
2 -- The Gophers come in at No. 4 in the Big Ten with 13.70 digs per set.
2 -- Minnesota has won its last two matches against UCLA (2024 at UCLA, 2016 Elite 8 at Minnesota).
2 -- Julia Hanson and Stella Swenson were named to the 47-player AVCA Player of the Year Watch List.
1 -- Redshirt sophomore outside Alex Acevedo won her first all-tournament award Sept. 14 at the Diet Coke Classic. She smashed 3.40 kills per set in three wins for the Gophers, being named MVP.
1 -- Hanson was named as one of the 30 players to the AVCA Preseason Player of the Year Watch List.
1 -- Minnesota has played just one ranked opponent this season, with that being No. 9 Texas A&M.

LAST TIME OUT
• The No. 18 Minnesota volleyball team bounced back with a sweep over Ohio State, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22. Julia Hanson had 16 kills to lead Minnesota while Stella Swenson had 32 assists. Jordan Taylor went for six blocks and McKenna Garr had eight digs. The Gophers responded well after being swept by UCLA Wednesday.

GOPHERS IN THE RANKINGS
• The Gophers entered the 2025 season with a No. 11 overall ranking in the Preseason AVCA poll.
• After week seven, the 'U' moved down four spots to No. 18 after being ranked 14th last week.
• Minnesota finished 18th in the final AVCA poll last season.
• Minnesota was ranked as high as 12 last year (Sept. 30) and as low as 19 (Sept. 9).

SCOUTING OREGON
• Oregon (11-5, 2-4 B1G) is led by first year head coach Trent Kersten. He took over for former head coach Matt Ulmer, who departed to Kansas in the offseason. So far in 2025, UO holds notable wins over Oregon State, Iowa and Ohio State. They've fallen in league play to Illinois, Northwestern, USC and Washington.
• Oregon was picked to finish 12th in the Big Ten Preseason poll. Statistically, they're led by opposite Valentina Vaulet, who averages a team-best 3.44 kills per set. Defensively, Iva Sucurovic goes for 1.27 blocks per set.

SCOUTING WASHINGTON
• Washington (8-8, 3-3 B1G) is led by third-year head coach Leslie Gabriel. UW had an up and down start to the season, falling in preseason matches to Northern Colorado, Colgate, SMU, San Diego and Kentucky. In Big Ten play, they've defeated Ohio State, Iowa and Oregon but have fallen to Purdue, Indiana and Nebraska.
• Washington, who was picked to finish eighth in the Big Ten Preseason Poll, had one player make the preseason all-league team in sophomore middle Julia Hunt. Outside Kierstyn Barton paces the team with 3.86 kills per set while Alexa Markley goes for 3.24. Hunt averaged 0.95 blocks per set while Katy Wessels goes for 1.32.

MINNESOTA'S HISTORY VS. OREGON AND WASHINGTON
• All-time against Oregon, Minnesota is 7-5. The Gophers had defeated Oregon four straight times, including the 2022 Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge matchup at the Pav and in 2021 in Eugene. The Ducks won last year's matchup in Minneapolis in a sweep, the two teams' first ever matchup as Big Ten foes.
• The 'U' is 2-3 all-time vs. UW. UW defeated Minnesota last year at Maturi Pavilion in four sets in their first matchup in B1G play. They have played in two preseason tournaments (1996 and 2009), with the Huskies earning 3-1 and 3-0 victories in each, respectively. Twice, the teams have played in the NCAA Tournament, with Minnesota taking both the 2003 Elite Eight matchup in Long Beach, Calif. (3-2) and the 2011 Round of 32 match at the Pav (3-2).

ACES GALORE IN CONFERENCE PLAY
• In six conference matches thus far, the Gophers have totaled 41 aces for a league-best 2.05 aces per set in Big Ten play. Their 41 aces are second to only Maryland's, who have totaled 42 in seven league games. The 'U' is the only Big Ten team to average over two aces per set in conference competition.

STREAKS TO WATCH
• Julia Hanson tallied 10+ kills in 15 consecutive matches to end last year. She's 13-for-16 this year.
• McKenna Garr has totaled 10+ digs in 11 of her 16 matches, including 10 of 12 as starting libero.
• Lourdes Myers has multiple blocks in 14 of her 17 matches, including eight matches with four-or-more.
• Stella Swenson has hit 30+ assists in 11 of 17 matches on the year. She also has four double-doubles after tallying 41 assists with a 14 digs Sunday at Northwestern.
• Jordan Taylor has hit five-or-more blocks in six of nine matches since becoming a starter. She tied her career-best with eight last Sunday at Northwestern.

SCHEDULE SET TO HEAT UP IN OCTOBER
nesota opened the 2025 season against No. 9 Texas A&M, falling in four sets in Sioux Falls, S.D. Since then, the Gophers have won 13 of their 14 matches, albeit against no ranked opponents in that time.
• After playing RV UCLA and Ohio State last week and Oregon and Washington this week, Minnesota will play ranked opponents in six of their next seven matches from Oct. 24 through Nov. 14.
• They'll play No. 22 Indiana, No. 12 Purdue, No. 25 USC, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 1 Nebraska and No. 17 Penn St during that stretch. Minnesota finishes the season with two matches at home vs. Purdue and Wisconsin as well. Of their 14 remaining matches, eight are against top-25 opponents.

FRESHMEN FIVE MAKING AN EARLY IMPACT
• The Golden Gophers are relying on a lot of youth this year, including five freshmen who are currently either starting or playing significant time in the rotation. Redshirt freshman setter Stella Swenson is the only non-true freshman of the group, and she leads the team with 10.00 assists per set.
• Pin hitters Kelly Kinney (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Carly Gilk (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) have been playing key roles at outside and opposite, ranking third and fourth on the team, respectively, with 2.15 and 2.09 kps.
• Libero McKenna Garr (Rush City, Minn.) moved into the starting lineup after the loss of Zeynep Palabiyik and has registered nine 10+ dig matches. She leads the team with 3.55 digs per set.
• Middle blocker Jordan Taylor (Houston, Texas) moved into the starting group at the end of non-conference play after the Gophers lost Calissa Minatee for the season. She leads the 'U' with 1.29 bps.

TAYLOR TAKING STEPS
• Jordan Taylor made her mark since entering the starting lineup Sept. 21.
• Since becoming a starter, Taylor is averaging over 1.60 kills and 1.50 blocks per set.
• She followed that up by hitting .667 with six kills and a career-high eight blocks in a sweep over Marquette. In her last eight matches, she's tallied 37 kills and 33 blocks. Taylor went for a career-best seven kills Sept. 28 vs. Rutgers on .667.
• Taylor tied her career-best with eight blocks last Sunday at Northwestern, helping the team to a four-set win. She's got five-or-more blocks in five of the last seven matches, including two with eight blocks.

HANSON'S PATIENCE PAYING OFF
• Minnesota senior outside Julia Hanson is off to a red-hot start in 2025. The unanimous 2024 All-Big Ten First Team selection was an AVCA All-America (HM) as well. Before last Saturday, she totaled 22 straight 10+ kill matches, including seven straight to begin this year. She's hitting .299 for the year with 11 10+ kill matches.
• She had a season-high 21 kills on Aug. 29 vs. Cal Poly. She's got six 15+ kill matches thus far in 2025.
• Hanson ranks fifth in the B1G in kills (4.02) and fifth in points (4.61) per set. She has 13 10+ kill matches.

INJURIES AFFECTING MINNESOTA
• Minnesota is down four starters this season after the losses of outside Alex Acevedo, middle blocker Calissa Minatee, outside Mckenna Wucherer and libero Zeynep Palabiyik. Acevedo and Minatee are out with lower body injuries and Wucherer is out with a back injury while Palabiyik tore her ACL on Aug. 31. All plan on being back for Minnesota during the 2026 season.
• Combined, the four have played in 225 matches during their careers at the 'U.' Wucherer has been in the top three on the team in kills per set the last three years while Palabiyik has led the team in digs last year and this year. Minatee was the team's most efficient hitter in 2025, hitting .421 in nine matches. Acevedo ranked second on the team with 2.64 kills per set and was the team's most efficient server at 0.35 aces per set.

UP NEXT
Minnesota will play at No. 22 Indiana on Friday, Oct. 24 and No. 12 Purdue on Sunday, Oct. 26.

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Players Mentioned

Alex Acevedo

McKenna Garr

Carly Gilk

Julia Hanson

Kelly Kinney

Calissa Minatee

Zeynep Palabiyik

Stella Swenson

Jordan Taylor

Mckenna Wucherer