University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, September 25
Minneapolis, MN
7:30 PM
University of Minnesota
11-1,1-0Big Ten
3
vs
0
Michigan State
10-1,0-1Big Ten
1
2
3
F
Michigan St.
16
24
18
0
Minnesota
25
26
25
3
Team Stats
MSU
MINN
Kills
45
40
Errors
21
5
Attempts
114
90
Hitting %
.211
.389
Points
49.0
52.0
Assists
44
38
Aces
3
4
Blocks
1
8
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
11
Aces
3
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
Outside
/ Volleyball
Libero/DS
/ Volleyball
Outside
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Libero/DS
/ Volleyball
No. 12 'U' Sweeps Spartans in B1G Opener
9/25/2025 9:40:00 PM | Volleyball
Minnesota has won its last 14 Big Ten home openers
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 12 Minnesota volleyball team took down the Michigan State Spartans on Thursday evening to open Big Ten play. The scores were 25-16, 26-24, 25-18.
"I loved the challenge that Michigan State presented for us tonight," said head coach Keegan Cook. "We're a team that fights and can chase people down. We're never out of a set, we've shown that a couple times and it's starting to become a part of our identity."
The Gophers have won 11 straight matches since dropping their opener, marking the program's longest winning streak since 2019.
Julia Hanson led Minnesota with 11 kills while Stella Swenson went for 32 assists, leading the offense to nearly .400 hitting. McKenna Garr tallied her eighth straight 10+ dig match with 13 while Lourdes Myers paced the defense with six blocks.
The Gophers (11-1, 1-0 Big Ten) outhit the Spartans (10-1, 0-1 Big Ten) .389 to .211. MSU led the way in kills (45 to 40), digs (39 to 37) and assists (44 to 38). Minnesota had more aces (4 to 3) and blocks (8 to 1).
With the win, Minnesota has now won 14 straight Big Ten home openers. They've won 11 straight versus the Spartans. Former Gophers associate head coach Kristen Kelsay is in her first season as head coach at MSU. She spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at the 'U'.
"I just told Kristen that was one of my prouder moments," said head coach Keegan Cook. "She has worked in this conference for 10 years and she's earned this. I know she'll have great success at MSU."
Evie Doezema paced MSU with 13 kills while Malayah Long went for 35 assists and 11 digs.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Minnesota came out firing, scoring six of the first nine. Kills from Hanson, Kinney and Myers combined with a Hanson ace started them off. MSU cut the lead to 6-5 before a 6-2 Gophers spurt gave the home team a set-high five point lead. Minnesota would go into the media timeout up 15-8 after a solo block and kill from Myers. After the break, the 'U' kept the momentum going, capping off a 10-3 run to go up 18-9 after two more kills from Hanson. The Spartans would call their first timeout of the frame training 20-10. MSU went on a mini run, tallying four of the next six to cut the deficit to 22-14, leading to a Minnesota timeout. The 'U' would eventually close out the set with a 25-15 victory. Minnesota hit .458 in set one, led by Hanson with five kills on .500.
SET 2 | Frame two was back and forth to begin with the two teams splitting the first 18 points, with no one leading by more than two. With the score tied 9-9, MSU went on a 6-0 run to take a 15-9 lead that was finally halted with a kill from Acevedo. Two more Spartans points gave the visitors a set-high seven point lead at 17-10. Minnesota would respond with kills from Hanson and Gilk before an MSU hitting error made it 17-13, forcing a timeout. A block from Gilk and Myers plus a kill from Hanson capped a 5-0 run, cutting the lead to just two at 17-15. MSU would score three of the next four to go up 20-16. An MSU attacking error, ace from Hanson and a bad set made it 20-19, leading to timeout two from the Spartans. Minnesota would tie it up at 20-20 after a slide kill from Myers, the first tie since 9-9. The Gophers would take a lead at 22-21 after a kill from Acevedo, but two straight after that from MSU made it 23-22, leading to Minnesota's final timeout of the frame. MSU had a chance to close it out at set point up 24-23 before an Acevedo kill tied it up. A solo block from Taylor and a kill from Hanson gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead, winning 26-24.
SET 3 | Frame three was just as competitive as the second at first, with neither team leading by more than a pair until a 4-0 Gophers spurt put the 'U' up 11-8, forcing an MSU timeout. Hanson and Myers tallied kills in the spurt. A trio of errors led to the Gophers going up 13-10 before an MSU kill and ace cut the lead to just one at 13-12. The 'U' would respond, scoring eight of the next 12 to take a commanding 21-16 lead. Acevedo had multiple kills in the spurt along with a pair from Hanson and one each from Gilk and Taylor. Myers and Swenson combined for a big stuff to make it 21-16, forcing an MSU timeout. An ace from Hanson, kill from Myers and two Spartans errors ended the set and the match with a 25-18 score.
Game Notes
» Minnesota leads the all-time series Michigan State, 64-19. The Gophers have won 11 straight in the series.
» The Gophers have now won their last 14 Big Ten home openers.
» Julia Hanson had 11 kills to lead Minnesota. She hit double figures for the 10th time in 11 matches she's played this year. She also had a season-best three aces.
» Alex Acevedo had 10 kills, her sixth match this year with 10+.
» Lourdes Myers went for six blocks, her eighth match of the year with four-or-more.
» McKenna Garr had 13 digs, her ninth match of the season and eighth straight with 10+ digs.
» Kate Thibault had 10 digs, her sixth match this season with 10-or-more.
Up Next
Minnesota hosts Rutgers (9-3, 0-0 B1G) on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. on B1G+.
"I loved the challenge that Michigan State presented for us tonight," said head coach Keegan Cook. "We're a team that fights and can chase people down. We're never out of a set, we've shown that a couple times and it's starting to become a part of our identity."
The Gophers have won 11 straight matches since dropping their opener, marking the program's longest winning streak since 2019.
Julia Hanson led Minnesota with 11 kills while Stella Swenson went for 32 assists, leading the offense to nearly .400 hitting. McKenna Garr tallied her eighth straight 10+ dig match with 13 while Lourdes Myers paced the defense with six blocks.
The Gophers (11-1, 1-0 Big Ten) outhit the Spartans (10-1, 0-1 Big Ten) .389 to .211. MSU led the way in kills (45 to 40), digs (39 to 37) and assists (44 to 38). Minnesota had more aces (4 to 3) and blocks (8 to 1).
With the win, Minnesota has now won 14 straight Big Ten home openers. They've won 11 straight versus the Spartans. Former Gophers associate head coach Kristen Kelsay is in her first season as head coach at MSU. She spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at the 'U'.
"I just told Kristen that was one of my prouder moments," said head coach Keegan Cook. "She has worked in this conference for 10 years and she's earned this. I know she'll have great success at MSU."
Evie Doezema paced MSU with 13 kills while Malayah Long went for 35 assists and 11 digs.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Minnesota came out firing, scoring six of the first nine. Kills from Hanson, Kinney and Myers combined with a Hanson ace started them off. MSU cut the lead to 6-5 before a 6-2 Gophers spurt gave the home team a set-high five point lead. Minnesota would go into the media timeout up 15-8 after a solo block and kill from Myers. After the break, the 'U' kept the momentum going, capping off a 10-3 run to go up 18-9 after two more kills from Hanson. The Spartans would call their first timeout of the frame training 20-10. MSU went on a mini run, tallying four of the next six to cut the deficit to 22-14, leading to a Minnesota timeout. The 'U' would eventually close out the set with a 25-15 victory. Minnesota hit .458 in set one, led by Hanson with five kills on .500.
SET 2 | Frame two was back and forth to begin with the two teams splitting the first 18 points, with no one leading by more than two. With the score tied 9-9, MSU went on a 6-0 run to take a 15-9 lead that was finally halted with a kill from Acevedo. Two more Spartans points gave the visitors a set-high seven point lead at 17-10. Minnesota would respond with kills from Hanson and Gilk before an MSU hitting error made it 17-13, forcing a timeout. A block from Gilk and Myers plus a kill from Hanson capped a 5-0 run, cutting the lead to just two at 17-15. MSU would score three of the next four to go up 20-16. An MSU attacking error, ace from Hanson and a bad set made it 20-19, leading to timeout two from the Spartans. Minnesota would tie it up at 20-20 after a slide kill from Myers, the first tie since 9-9. The Gophers would take a lead at 22-21 after a kill from Acevedo, but two straight after that from MSU made it 23-22, leading to Minnesota's final timeout of the frame. MSU had a chance to close it out at set point up 24-23 before an Acevedo kill tied it up. A solo block from Taylor and a kill from Hanson gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead, winning 26-24.
SET 3 | Frame three was just as competitive as the second at first, with neither team leading by more than a pair until a 4-0 Gophers spurt put the 'U' up 11-8, forcing an MSU timeout. Hanson and Myers tallied kills in the spurt. A trio of errors led to the Gophers going up 13-10 before an MSU kill and ace cut the lead to just one at 13-12. The 'U' would respond, scoring eight of the next 12 to take a commanding 21-16 lead. Acevedo had multiple kills in the spurt along with a pair from Hanson and one each from Gilk and Taylor. Myers and Swenson combined for a big stuff to make it 21-16, forcing an MSU timeout. An ace from Hanson, kill from Myers and two Spartans errors ended the set and the match with a 25-18 score.
Game Notes
» Minnesota leads the all-time series Michigan State, 64-19. The Gophers have won 11 straight in the series.
» The Gophers have now won their last 14 Big Ten home openers.
» Julia Hanson had 11 kills to lead Minnesota. She hit double figures for the 10th time in 11 matches she's played this year. She also had a season-best three aces.
» Alex Acevedo had 10 kills, her sixth match this year with 10+.
» Lourdes Myers went for six blocks, her eighth match of the year with four-or-more.
» McKenna Garr had 13 digs, her ninth match of the season and eighth straight with 10+ digs.
» Kate Thibault had 10 digs, her sixth match this season with 10-or-more.
Up Next
Minnesota hosts Rutgers (9-3, 0-0 B1G) on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. on B1G+.
Highlights: Gophers 3, Michigan State 0
Thursday, September 25
Highlights: Gophers 3, Marquette 0
Sunday, September 21
Highlights: Gophers 3, Loyola Chicago 0
Friday, September 19
Cinematic Recap: Diet Coke Classic
Wednesday, September 17