Gophers volleyball team earns NCAA bid, will face Utah State Friday
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It wasn’t the most direct path the Gophers have ever had, but the University of Minnesota volleyball team is headed to its 28th NCAA Tournament.
The Gophers earned an at-large bid on Sunday and will play in a regional hosted by Creighton. Minnesota will face No. 6-seeded Utah State on Friday. The winner advances to face the Creighton/Colgate winner Saturday night. Creighton is the No. 3 seed.
Minnesota enters the NCAA Tournament 16-12 overall after finishing 12-8 in Big Ten play under first-year coach Keegan Cook. If the Gophers are able to get out of the Creighton Regional, they would head to Pittsburgh Dec. 7-9. The Gophers have now made the NCAA Tournament nine straight seasons, and 24 of the last 25.
Minnesota had hosted a regional in eight straight years and 12 of the past 13. The Gophers haven’t missed the NCAA Tournament since 2014. They’re one of five Big Ten teams in the tournament, including No. 1 overall seed Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn State and Purdue.
The Gophers have faced 14 teams that made the NCAA Tournament field. The list includes Baylor, Creighton, Florida, Oregon, Stanford, Texas and TCU. The Gophers went 3-4 against those teams.
Minnesota ended the regular season winning four of its last five matches.