Gophers Volleyball Rises to Top in NCAA Tournament Upset
In a dominating performance, Minnesota Gophers volleyball cruised past Fairfield Stags 25-12, 25-7, 25-13 on Friday night at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The team's impressive showing marked their first win at "The Pav" since 2022.
Coach Keegan Cook attributed the team's success to its ability to harness the energy of hosting the tournament. "I thought it was probably Wednesday or Thursday when some of the decals started to go down in the building, then I saw the enthusiasm pick up a little bit," he said. The Gophers' packed pavilion seemed to energize them as they controlled the match from the first serve.
The team's performance was marked by precision hitting and dominant serving. Minnesota hit .582 with eight service aces, outdoing Fairfield's one. Senior outside hitter Julia Hanson led the offense with eight kills, including her 1,000th career kill in the first set.
Hanson credited her teammate Stella Swenson, the redshirt freshman setter, for finding her on the court this season. "When I hit that back row attack for Stella, I knew immediately," she said. The team's strong defense and ability to win rallies the hard way also played a key role in their success.
The Gophers' winning streak continued into the third set, where they outscored Fairfield 24-4 after an initial 3-1 advantage by the Stags. Coach Cook praised his team's defensive work and transition volleyball skills, saying "December's all about transition volleyball, and so yeah, it felt good."
Gophers senior Chloe Ng made her first career NCAA Tournament service ace in a match that may have been her final one on Maturi Pavilion. Gilk also expressed excitement for Ng, saying she had seen the impact she has on the team.
With their dominant performance, Minnesota advanced to the second round of the tournament and will face Iowa State next.
In a dominating performance, Minnesota Gophers volleyball cruised past Fairfield Stags 25-12, 25-7, 25-13 on Friday night at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The team's impressive showing marked their first win at "The Pav" since 2022.
Coach Keegan Cook attributed the team's success to its ability to harness the energy of hosting the tournament. "I thought it was probably Wednesday or Thursday when some of the decals started to go down in the building, then I saw the enthusiasm pick up a little bit," he said. The Gophers' packed pavilion seemed to energize them as they controlled the match from the first serve.
The team's performance was marked by precision hitting and dominant serving. Minnesota hit .582 with eight service aces, outdoing Fairfield's one. Senior outside hitter Julia Hanson led the offense with eight kills, including her 1,000th career kill in the first set.
Hanson credited her teammate Stella Swenson, the redshirt freshman setter, for finding her on the court this season. "When I hit that back row attack for Stella, I knew immediately," she said. The team's strong defense and ability to win rallies the hard way also played a key role in their success.
The Gophers' winning streak continued into the third set, where they outscored Fairfield 24-4 after an initial 3-1 advantage by the Stags. Coach Cook praised his team's defensive work and transition volleyball skills, saying "December's all about transition volleyball, and so yeah, it felt good."
Gophers senior Chloe Ng made her first career NCAA Tournament service ace in a match that may have been her final one on Maturi Pavilion. Gilk also expressed excitement for Ng, saying she had seen the impact she has on the team.
With their dominant performance, Minnesota advanced to the second round of the tournament and will face Iowa State next.
they've been working hard all season and it's awesome to see them crushing it in the ncaa tournament. coach keegan cook's strategy really paid off with that energy from hosting the tournament. i love how julia hanson credited her teammate stella swenson for finding her on the court - that's what team spirit is all about 
they're totally crushing it in the NCAA Tournament and I gotta say, their energy in that packed pavilion was ELECTRIC 
coach Cook knows how to get his team pumped up and it shows! the stats are crazy - .582 hitting percentage? 8 service aces against Fairfield? 
Julia Hanson is a total beast on the court, and Stella Swenson's setting skills are UNMATCHED 
I love how the team was able to come together and win those rallies the hard way. Chloë Ng just got her first NCAA Tournament service ace and I'm sending all the good vibes her way 
can't wait to see what happens next against Iowa State!
OMG, I'm so stoked about the Gophers' win! They totally crushed Fairfield and it's amazing to see them playing with such energy at home. The stats are insane, like .582 hitting rate? That's on point! 
Stella Swenson's setting skills are also super clutch, she really helped the team find their rhythm.
Now, on to the next match against Iowa State! Go Gophers! 
and stella swenson is the real MVP 
! I love how the energy of the crowd is giving them an edge at home. Minnesota's precision hitting and serving is straight fire 
!
and can we talk about stella swenson's setting skills she's like the real MVP 
coach cook knows how to get his team pumped up hosting the tournament at their place must've been super energizing for them 
The Gophers' win is pretty impressive, considering how much pressure they're under as hosts. I think Fairfield got caught with a bad game plan - trying to be too aggressive on attack led to some mistakes that Minnesota capitalized on. But the real key was their solid serving and defense 
, which bodes well for their chances against Iowa State. Overall, I think Minnesota has a good shot at making it deep in the tournament 
. She found her spots so accurately... I mean, Julia Hanson got 8 kills in the first set alone! 
it sounds kinda obvious.
. They didn't let Fairfield get too comfy, even when they were up 3-1 in the third set – they kept pushing forward and got that big lead 
fairfield wasnt even ready for them! julia hanson is literally a superstar, her 1000th career kill was insane 
coach cook is totally right about harnessing the energy of hosting the tournament it's like they can feel that excitement from the crowd 
. The team's performance was really impressive, especially with that dominant serving 
!
and it really carried them through to victory. Julia Hanson is a total beast on the court, 1,000 career kills? 
can't believe she's been making those plays all season long... anyway, Gophers are looking like total contenders now and I'm so here for it 
. Coach Cook's right about harnessing the momentum when the tournament finally arrives - it was like the whole team just clicked into gear. 
she's had an incredible career so far and 1,000 kills is no joke! And what about Stella Swenson? Is she gonna be able to keep up with her teammates in the second round?
i mean, 25-12 is basically a blowout. you gotta wonder how they even made it to the tournament in the first place? 
coach cook's comment about the energy in the pavilion being lit on wednesday tho 
coach Keegan Cook is tryin' to spin it as just a coincidence, but i'm thinkin' there's more to it. and what about Stella Swenson's role in Hanson's 1000th career kill? was she the only one who knew about that, or did they plan it out beforehand? 
gotta keep an eye on this one... 
with that setter skills and Julia Hanson is on fire 
. And Ng's service ace in her last game? so cool