Gopher volleyball falls in season opener against No. 5 Stanford

**MILWAUKEE, Wis.** — The Gopher women's volleyball team opened their season on a tough note, falling 3-2 to No. 5 Stanford on Sunday afternoon. Despite the loss, the Gophers displayed resilience and progress compared to the end of last season.

In a match held at the Fiserv Forum, the No. 18-ranked Gophers battled hard but were edged out by Stanford with set scores of 28-26, 23-25, 25-16, 13-25, 13-25. The Gophers out-hit the Cardinal .302 to .222, but serving errors proved costly. Minnesota committed 23 service errors and had nine aces, while Stanford had 12 errors and matched that with 12 aces.

Mckenna Wucherer led the Gophers with a .250 attack percentage, taking 44 swings in front of a home crowd. Her increased range and composure from the offseason were evident, as she assumed more responsibility in serve receive and out-of-system attacks compared to last year.

The Gophers showed notable improvement at the net, out-blocking Stanford 14-4. This performance highlights a key focus for head coach Keegan Cook, who aims to strengthen blocking this season. The 14 blocks matched the team’s best effort from last year against Michigan.

Cook is also working to involve the middles more in the offense. Although Phoebe Awoleye and Melani Shaffmaster each had double-digit attempts with hitting percentages of at least .300, they collectively accounted for only about 16% of the team’s total attempts.

Closing out sets remains a challenge for the Gophers. They were up 24-19 in the first set but allowed Stanford to go on a 6-0 service run before finally winning 28-26. In the decisive fifth set, the Gophers led early but made errors late, which allowed Stanford to seize the set and the match.

Minnesota will need to quickly regroup as they face their next opponent on Monday: the back-to-back national champion and No. 1-ranked Texas. The Longhorns, who defeated No. 3 Wisconsin decisively on Sunday, will present a formidable challenge with their balanced offense and strong defense.

Head coach Keegan Cook continues to schedule tough opponents early in the season to prepare the team for high-stakes matches, aiming to challenge them against national championship-caliber teams in front of large crowds.

The match against the Longhorns begins at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.