'U' Set for Alumni Exhibition Match on Saturday

MINNEAPOLIS-- The No. 11 ranked Minnesota volleyball team unofficially opens its 2025 season at home this Saturday with an exhibition match against selected alumni. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the match is set to begin at 3 p.m. It will be free and open to the public.

EVENT INFORMATION
No. 11 Minnesota vs. Minnesota Alumni
Saturday, Aug. 16 at 3 p.m.
Maturi Pavilion
Minneapolis, Minn.
Stream/Stats: NONE

FORMAT
Minnesota and its alumni will play four sets up to 25 points, regardless of who wins the first three.

ENTRANCE AND PARKING
Guests should enter from the main entrance on 19th Ave SE, which is the typical entrance for Gophers volleyball matches. Doors open at 2 p.m. All fans are encouraged to plan ahead and allow for additional time when attending events on campus this weekend. MnDOT will be closing I-94 Friday night, August 15, between I-35W and Hwy 280. To bypass these closures, please follow the posted detour of I-35W to Hwy 36, I-35E to I-94. More information can be found here. Additionally, University Avenue is currently reduced to a single lane between I-35W and Oak Street.

ALUMNI ROSTER NOTES:

Daly Santana and Stephanie Samedy will no longer be able to attend Saturday's match.
Heidy Cassanova, a member of the Cuban National Team, will play with Minnesota alumni on Saturday to help fill the void of missing two key players on the pins. She has played professionally in Cuba, France, Brazil, Romania, Ukraine and China. She was honored as Best Opposite in the Romanian League in 2020/2021 and at the 2021/2022 French Cup.
Four-time AVCA All-American setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson (2015-18) will serve as the assistant coach for the alumni team.

OUTSIDE HITTERS:
#6 Lexi Hart (2016-19); Four-time AVCA All-America, 2016 North Region Freshman of the Year, 2016 and 2019 Final Four participant
#14 Sarah Wilhite (2013-16); 2016 Big Ten and National Player of the Year, 2016 AVCA All-America, 2015 and 2016 Final Four participant

SETTERS:
#2 Jen Bowman (2003-04); 2004 AVCA First Team All-America, 2004 Final Four participant
#9 Elise McGhie (2022-24); Two-time Academic All-Big Ten, 2024 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

Libero/DS:
#8 Rachel Kilkelly (2019-22); Three-time Academic All-Big Ten, 2019 Final Four participant
#10 Dalianliz Rosado (2014-17); Fourth all-time at Minnesota in digs, 2015 and 2016 Final Four participant

Middle Blockers:
#3 Tori Dixon (2010-13); Three-time AVCA All-America, seventh all-time in blocks at Minnesota
#13 Hannah Tapp (2012-15); Two-time AVCA All-America, 2015 Final Four participant, Second all-time in blocks at Minnesota
#7 Ellie Husemann (2019-22); Three-time Academic All-Big Ten, 2019 Final Four participant

Opposites:
#5 Katherine Harms (2009-12); 2012 AVCA All-America, 2009 Final Four Participant
#15 Heidy Cassanova (Special Guest, Not An Alum)

BUILDING OFF THE 2024 SEASON

In 2024, the 'U' finished 21-11 (13-7 B1G) and went to the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32 for the second straight year. The Gophers won an NCAA Tournament match for the 10th straight season and finished tied for sixth in the conference standings in year two under head coach Keegan Cook. The program won four more matches than it did in 2023 (17), and increased its conference win total from 12 to 13 games.
The 'U' earned top-10 wins over then No. 1 Texas and No. 7 Wisconsin, both in five sets. It was the first time Minnesota defeated a No. 1 ranked team since 2019 and the program's second straight home win over Wisconsin.
Statistically, Minnesota improved in hitting percentage (.226 to .242), kills per set (12.4 to 13.0), assists per set (11.5 to 11.8), digs per set (14.7 to 15.3) and blocks per set (2.6 to 2.7) from the year prior.

RETURNING PRODUCTION

In 2025, Minnesota returns 62% of its kills, 68% of their digs, 43% of its blocks and 56% of its aces.
Four players who had significant starting experience are back this season. Senior outsides Julia Hanson and Mckenna Wucherer, both Preseason All-Big Ten honorees, have combined to play in almost 150 matches in their careers and have nearly 1,400 kills.
Junior libero Zeynep Palabiyik is back for her second year as a regular after starting in all 32 matches a year ago. She averaged 3.86 digs per set, a figure that put her at seventh in the Big Ten Conference.
Junior middle blocker Calissa Minatee hit over .300 in extended action as a starter in 2024, going for 1.52 kills and 0.98 blocks per set. She's expected to be a big contributor once again this season.
Former Oregon transfers Kate Thibault (Junior, DS/L) and Alex Acevedo (Redshirt Sophomore, OH) both saw extensive action last year, with Thibault playing three rotations in the back row and Acevedo playing all over as an outside. Thibault played in every match and was second on the team with 1.79 digs per set. Acevedo played in 30 games, leading the team with 0.35 service aces per set.
Redshirt senior opposite Lauren Crowl has played in 54 matches during her time at Minnesota. She's averaged 0.83 kills and 0.4 blocks per set but is expected to be a key piece on the pin in her fifth year.

KEY DEPARTURES

Minnesota loses three All-Big Ten honorees from its 2024 team. Setter Melani Shaffmaster, the only Gopher to reach 5,000 assists, 1,000 digs, 300 kills and 300 blocks in her career, departs after being named AVCA All-America and First Team All-Big Ten. She started in all 141 matches she played in over five years, helping Minnesota to an Elite Eight and two Sweet 16s.
Middle blocker Phoebe Awoleye was one of the most prolific blockers in Minnesota history during her two years with the program. Last year, she ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten during conference play with 1.64 blocks per set. Her senior year had her ranked No. 6 all-time for a single season in Gophers history with 1.48 bps (2024). She was Second Team All-B1G in 2024.
Opposite Lydia Grote capped off her two-year career in Minneapolis with First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2024. She ranked second on the team with 2.90 kills per set, also adding 1.45 digs and 0.78 blocks per set. She started all 31 matches she played in.

UP NEXT
Minnesota will take on No. 9 Texas A&M on Monday, Aug. 25 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., to open its 2025 season.

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Alex Acevedo

Phoebe Awoleye

Lauren Crowl

Lydia Grote

Julia Hanson

Elise McGhie

Calissa Minatee

Zeynep Palabiyik

Melani Shaffmaster

Kate Thibault

Mckenna Wucherer