The No. 3 Gophers defeated North Dakota 3-1 in the Diet Coke
Classic opener Friday night at the Sports Pavilion.  

The first set was all Minnesota, with senior outside hitter
Sarah Wilhite getting six kills in a 25-12 set win. Senior middle blocker
Hannah Tapp and junior middle blocker Molly Lohman also tallied three kills
each in the set.

North Dakota rallied back in the second set with a 25-21
win. Minnesota struggled with errors throughout the set, as North Dakota only
had 13 kills. Tapp and Lohman both added four more kills.

“We were pretty loose in that second set,” Tapp said. “We
did some things that were very uncharacteristic.”

Minnesota found their composure in the third set, getting a
solid 25-20 set win. Wilhite battled back from a rough second set with no kills
by tallying five in the third set. Tapp continued a strong performance, getting
four more kills.

The Gophers shut down the Fighting Hawks with a 25-18 win in
the fourth set, finishing the match with a 3-1 score.

Tapp finished with an impressive 20 kills, followed by
Wilhite with 14. Sophomore setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson carried the assist
load with 59.

Minnesota is set to continue the Diet Coke Classic at the
Sports Pavilion against Toledo Saturday morning at 10 a.m.