NCAA Second Round: Gophers v Kentucky (12-5-24)

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This Kentucky team is not the same one in the past just sweeping through the SEC, they can be beat. We really need to assert our dominance early and limit the errors, if we can do this then we might have some hope for a deep run.
 


Too many bad sets last few pts to wucherer with no shot for a kill
 

Tough loss. They were overwhelmed by the occasion and a hot team in the first set. But, they fought hard the rest of the match. Close but no cigar. Interesting season with ups and downs. It will be interesting to see if the Gophers can pick up and develop players and have a better season next year. Go Gophers!
 


rowdaboat said:
Too many bad sets last few pts to wucherer with no shot for a kill
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Way too many bad passes at the end. Many of them never got to the ten foot line. Hard to make a good set when you're chasing down passes.
 

We've seen these mistakes all season long. Not surprised at the score. I wonder what we'll see next year, a bright future or more of the same only time will tell.
 

15 sets to the middle in 4 sets. Good thing they fixed that problem this season. And THAT is the most frustrating thing to me. They have the same problems they had in 2023. Some different players but the same problems.
 


The Gophers volleyball team's NCAA Tournament run has come to an end.

The sixth-seeded Gophers fell in four sets — 11-25, 25-23, 22-25, 24-26 — to third-seeded Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night in Lexington, Ky. Minnesota's impressive season concludes with the loss.

The Gophers battled admirably. After a disastrous first set, they found themselves down 16-11 in the second set after an 11-0 run from the Wildcats. Instead of letting it snowball, Minnesota fought back to tie it at 19-19. Alex Acevedo had back-to-back aces for a 21-19 lead. Lydia Grote and Julia Hanson each had kills as the U was able to pull it out from there.

Minnesota made it neck-and-neck in the third set despite falling behind 10-5 early. And the Gophers were able to extend the fourth set, with Mckenna Wucherer's kill knotting it at 23-23 and Grote knotting it again at 24-24 with a kill. But Erin Lamb put the Wildcats up with a kill, and Hanson's last attempt was off the mark as Kentucky closed it out in four.

Hanson led the Gophers with 15 kills and posted a double-double with 10 digs, and she also had four blocks. Grote had 13 kills and Wucherer posted 11 kills and four blocks. Melani Shaffmaster finished with 32 assists, eight digs and five kills.

The Wildcats opened the first set on a 4-0, and the Gophers were never truly able to find their footing. A 5-0 run made it 15-5 and another 4-0 run made it 20-7. Kentucky was easily able to pull away to claim the opening frame.

Brooklyn Deleye led the Wildcats with a match-high 22 kills and 11 digs.
 



DeLeye was far and away the best player on the floor. We need a beast like that to take the next step. Maybe if Hanson takes another step in her development she can be that player.
 

Hoolio said:
DeLeye was far and away the best player on the floor. We need a beast like that to take the next step. Maybe if Hanson takes another step in her development she can be that player.
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I will be happy with Hanson playing next year like she did this year. We need some other players to step their games up like Hanson did. We also need some great recruits or transfer players.
 

New blood next year at least. Good to move on from schaff
 

Both hockey teams with huge shutout wins, Wolves dominated the Warriors late and the Wild had cooked duck for dinner the only team that didn't fulfill their obligations was the volleyball team. In years past I've would've hung this disappointment on anyone else, now we can finally let the 2023-2024 season slip into the frozen waters of the Mississippi never to be seen again.
 



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