Minnesota Gophers: Non-Rev Review

The Minnesota Gophers fall sports season in is full swing as competition has begun for all of Minnesota’s fall sports teams. We will try and take a weekly look and let you know how the Minnesota teams are fairing as their season progresses, and how you as a fan can get out and support these teams.

Volleyball:

The Gopher volleyball team hosted the Diet Coke Classic at the Pav last week to wind down their non-conference schedule. Minnesota had been a perfect 22-0 in the DCC under Hugh McCutcheon until Thursday night when the Gophers were upset by #22 Pepperdine 3-1. Minnesota took the first set in a battle winning 28-26, but that would be the high point of the match. Minnesota dropped the next three sets 25-20, 25-18, and 25-22. The Gophers were not crisp hitting just .204 as a team. Taylor Landfair led the Gophers with 16 kills and 10 digs and freshman McKenna Wucherer made her Gopher debut after recovering from an injury and recorded 13 kills.

The Gophers closed out the Classic on Saturday night hosting Washington State. Minnesota got back into their winning ways and picked up a 3-1 win over the Cougars. The Gophers jumped out early using a pair of 5-0 runs to take control of the first set and never give it back. Middle blocker Carter Booth had her best game as a Gopher recording four of her career high 12 kills in the opening set. Set two was much of the same as Minnesota hit a season best .565 to cruise to a 25-13 win. Washington State came back when they were against the wall and took an early lead in set 3. Minnesota battled back to close the gap, but the Cougars hung on for a 26-24 win. The Gophers would close out the match in set 4 with a 25-20 win. Wucherer set a new career high in her second match with 15 kills and three blocks while Landfair again led the team with 16 kills.

Minnesota dropped to #8 in the nation in the new AVCA poll this week and starts off the Big Ten schedule with a bang. Minnesota opens conference play Friday night at #11 Purdue at 7 PM in a match that will air live on BTN. They return home to open the home Big Ten schedule two days later with arch rival and three-time defending Big Ten Champion #6 Wisconsin coming to The Pav. That match will begin at 7 PM Sunday and will also air on BTN.

Soccer:

The Gopher soccer team kicked off Big Ten play last Friday in Lincoln against Nebraska and played a great 88 minutes. The problem is that matches are 90 minutes long. Nebraska scored the lone goal in the contest in the 88th minute as Sarah Weber headed a ball past Gopher goalie Megan Plachko to give the Cornhuskers the 1-0 victory. Plaschko made four saves on the night while Nebraska goalkeeper Samantha Hauk needed just one save to keep her clean sheet.

Minnesota returns home to Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium for a pair of matches this week. The Gophers host Indiana at 6 PM Thursday night and then hosts Northwestern at 1PM on Sunday in the annual Rock The Robbie match. All tickets are $5 on Sunday and it will be a maroon out. Both matches will stream on BTN+ as well.

Men’s Golf:

The Gopher men kicked off the fall portion of their season on September 11th and 12th by hosting the Gopher Invitational at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Maple Plain, MN. The Gophers hosted 14 other teams from across the nation in the tournament and led by a seven under par final round the Gophers vaulted themselves into the top five of the tournament finishing in a tie for fourth place as a team with a three round total of -11. Georgia Southern won the tournament with a score of -20, with Kansas and Kent State five shots back at -15, and the Gophers and Michigan State at -11.

Senior Jacob Peterson was the best individual for the Gophers finishing in a toe for 18th place with a score of -3. Ben Warian was one shot back in a tie for 25th place at -2 capped by a career best round of a 65, which was -6 in Monday’s final round.

The Gophers are back in action this weekend at the MacDonald Cup hosted by Yale on Sunday and Monday in New Haven, Connecticut. Live stats are available HERE.

Women’s Golf:

The Gophers opened their fall season by hosting one of the strongest fields in women’s college golf at the Annika Intercollegiate Tournament at The Royal Club in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. The Gophers finished last in the 12-team field with a team score of +44, 50 shots back of Champion Wake Forest at -6. Freshman Isabella McCauley led the Gophers individually with a tie for 41st place at +7. Emma Carpenter couldn’t keep pace after a great first two rounds and closed with a +9 80 to finish in a tie for 49th place at +11.

The Gophers return to action this weekend at The Lady Paladin Invitational hosted by Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. The first round tees off on Friday morning and will continue through Sunday. Live Stats are available HERE.

Tennis:

The Gopher tennis team opened up their fall schedule by hosting the Gopher Invitational at the Baseline Tennis Center Friday through Sunday. Minnesota hosted teams from Marquette, North Dakota, South Dakota, Northern Iowa and St. Thomas over the three-day tournament. it was a great success for Minnesota who went a perfect 22-0 in singles matches over the weekend and recorded a 16-6 record in doubles play.

Minnesota had a trio of returners go 3-0 on the weekend in singles action including Lucy Lu, Vasia Karvouni, and Zeyneb Sarioglan. Making their Gophers debuts were Zoey Weil Anet Koskel, Sofia Pizzoni and Aiva Schmitz who also went a perfect 3-0 on the weekend in singles play.

Minnesota is next in action at the All-American Championships held in Cary, North Carolina between October 1st and October 9th.

Cross Country

The Gophers cross-country teams host their annual Roy Griak Invitational this Friday at the Les Bolstad Golf Course. It will be a stacked field as Minnesota welcomes teams from Cal Baptist, Colorado State, Wichita State, Iowa State, Michigan State, Santa Clara, Wyoming, Ohio State, Delaware, Utah, Minnesota, Idaho, UNLV, St. Thomas, Temple, Miami (FL), Wisconsin, NDSU, Nevada, UND, SDSU to the event. The Men’s 8K race begins at 10:30 AM, while the women’s 6K race will begin at 11:15.