The No. 13 Minnesota volleyball team took down Northwestern Friday night in straight sets by scores of 25-19, 25-20 and 25-21.

Leading the way for the Gophers was Lauren Gibbemeyer and Tabitha Love, both finishing the night with 13 kills.  Hailey Cowles finished the night with eight kills and Katherine Harms chipped in with seven kills.  Taylor Carico set up the offense superbly with 31 assists.

With select few lapses, the Gophers looked like a well-oiled maching against the Wildcats, building, and then finishing significant leads in each set. Minnesota outhit Northwestern .220 to .053 and outblocked them 12-7.  The win continues to boost Minnesota’s chances at a top-16 seed for the NCAA Tournament, while also effectively eliminating Northwestern’s chances of reaching the post-season.

The Gophers will finish up their regular season on Saturday as they host No. 5 Illinois at the Sports Pavilion at 7 p.m.