Minnesota is making a comeback after a season of ups and downs, as shown in the last four Big Ten wins over Penn State, University of Iowa, University of Maryland and Rutgers University. After sweeping Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers, they have turned late-season pressure into opportunity.
On Nov. 14, the Gophers defeated No. 24 Penn State in a three-set sweep, ending the Nittany Lions’ three-match winning streak against Minnesota. It was the Gophers’ first win over Penn State since 2021 and their first sweep of the program since 2018.
In the win over Penn State, senior Julia Hanson, freshmen Carly Gilk, Jordan Taylor and McKenna Garr showed fans what they are capable of on the court.
An impressive Big Ten road trip followed. Though Minnesota could not sweep their series against Iowa, they won 3-2 regardless.
Minnesota carried an impressive momentum for the rest of their trip, sweeping Maryland this weekend. Hanson stood out, along with redshirt freshman Stella Swenson, with 31 assists and eight digs.
Their final sweep came over Rutgers, with the Gophers out-hitting the Scarlet Knights, .373 to .170 and controlling the match at the net with 14 total blocks.
After the Rutgers win, Head Coach Keegan Cook reflected on the improvement the players had.
“It was a big deal for us to have a better defensive performance tonight,” Cook said.
Freshman Kelly Kinney contributed to the win with 10 kills and a career-high six blocks, proving once more that Minnesota’s middle attack is among the best in the conference.
Gilk contributed with eight kills and seven digs, while graduate student Lourdès Myers and Taylor both got seven blocks.
Swenson maintained her strong leadership and offensive skills. Cook said she has a great command of the offense this season.
Following a previous matchup against Rutgers in September, Gilk’s words remained true to the way the team played on Sunday.
“We all want to see big things from this season,” Gilk said.
Looking ahead, the Gophers are set to play in two more Big Ten matchups against both No. 11 Purdue University and No. 10 University of Wisconsin. For the Gophers, these last challenging games give them an opportunity to maintain their momentum.
As Minnesota heads into the postseason, their recent games prove that Gilk’s comments were not just hopeful — they were a glimpse of the team’s potential.
