University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, October 4
Minneapolis, MN
5:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Wisconsin
Photo by: Kelly Lynn
Gophers Host Gold Out vs. No. 6 Wisconsin
10/3/2026 12:45:00 PM | Volleyball
GOPHERS HOST GOLD OUT VS. WISCONSIN
• The No. 20 University of Minnesota volleyball team hosts No. 6 Wisconsin Sunday at 5 p.m. The match will be televised on Big Ten Network. Sunday's match is a Gold Out for the Gophers and also sold out for the second-straight match.
SERIES INFORMATION
Minnesota leads Wisconsin, 54-41-0
First Meeting: 1975, Last Meeting: 2025
OPENGATE AND NEW BAG POLICY AT MATURI PAVILION
New this year, gate entrance will hold a consistent security clearance in all our Gopher facilities. Please see HERE for prohibited items. New bag policy as well as additional match day information can be found HERE.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
55 -- The 2026 season marks the 55th year of Gopher volleyball.
41 -- Minnesota hit .41.2 percent vs. Northwestern on Thursday. That mark was the best hitting percentage for the Gophers this season and best since hitting that mark against Indiana in 2025.
20 -- Minnesota Golden Gophers enter the week as No. 20 in the AVCA Sept. 28 Coaches' poll. The Gophers opened the 2026 season as the No. 14 team in the AVCA Preseason poll.
19 -- Minnesota ranks 19th nationally in assists per set this season and fifth in the conference. Stella Swenson is ranked eighth nationally (10.85 aps).
12 -- Returners to the Gopher squad from last season, including starting setter Stella Swenson and Kate Thibault, who played in all 119 sets in the 2025 season.
10 -- Jordan Taylor had a season-best 10 blocks vs. Oregon last Saturday. On the season, she leads the team with 1.35 blocks per set and has had 10-plus blocks twice in her career.
6 -- Minnesota ranked 6th in average attendance at 4,488 per match (avg.) in 2025. They ranked 4th overall (80,779 total fans).
5 -- McKenna Garr added a career-best five aces in the win vs. Northwestern Thursday. She has 23 on the season.
4 -- The Gophers welcome four newcomers to this year's roster: freshmen OH Makenna Crosson, DS Madi Kraft and MB Elena Hoecke all joined the Gophers in January 2026. Lucie Blažková joins the Gophers after two seasons at Washington State.
2 -- As a team, the Gophers rank second Big Ten in aces per set, averaging 2.13. Mckenna Wucherer leads the league averaging 0.72 this season with her 28 aces this year. Nationally, the Gophers are 19th in aces per set.
2 -- Mckenna Wucherer has received two Big Ten Player of the Week awards in this young 2026 campaign.
2 -- Former Gophers will be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame this weekend in Lauren Gibbemeyer and Sarah Wilhite.
1 -- Mckenna Wucherer tops the Big Ten in points per set (5.86), kills per set (4.85), attacks per set (11.13) and aces per set (0.72). She ranks second nationally in points per set and third in kps.
LAST TIME OUT
• Minnesota volleyball program earned a 3-0 sweep over Northwestern, Thursday at Maturi Pavilion. The Golden Gophers (7-4 overall, 1-2 B1G) won, 25-14, 25-11, 25-9, over the Wildcats (7-7, 0-3 B1G).
• Elena Hoecke hit .889 when she delivered eight kills on nine attempts. She also led the match with five blocks and an assist. Mckenna Wucherer had 10 kills, hit .375, had three aces, five digs and three blocks. Stella Swenson had 29 assists, eight digs and four blocks. McKenna Garr added a career-high five aces and had eight digs. Zeynep Palabiyik also tied for a team-high eight digs. As a team, Minnesota hit a season-best .412. The Gophers held a 9-0 lead in aces and a 37-31 advantage in digs. Minnesota also out blocked the Wildcats, 9-4.
MINNESOTA'S HISTORY VS. WISCONSIN
• Minnesota is 54-41 all-time against Wisconsin, dating back to 1975. The Badgers have won the last three contests between the two teams, including both matchups last year. The Badgers won both matches in 2025 by four sets. Minnesota's last win over Wisconsin came on Sept. 24, 2024, when the Gophers won a five-set thriller at Maturi Pavilion.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
• No. 6 Wisconsin is 9-4 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play. All four of Wisconsin's losses have come against ranked opponents. Predicted to finish second in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' poll, the Badgers opened Big Ten play with a four-set win over then-No. 20 Oregon (24-26,25-19,26-24,25-14) and a sweep over No. 10 Purdue (25-18,25-15,25-21). Like Minnesota, Wisconsin also played on Thursday night and defeated No. 15 Indiana in five sets, 25-19,25-14,22-25,20-25,15-8
• The Badgers landed two individuals on the Preseason All-Big Ten team: middle blocker Jaela Auguste and starting setter Charlie Fuerbringer. In 45 sets played, Fuerbringer averages 11.10 assists, which ranks second in the league. Audrey Flanagan has 143 kills this season, while Eva Travis has 123. Anna Bardaro leads the team with 183 digs, while Kristen Simon has 121 and Fuerbringer has 144. Lynney Tarnow has a team-best 1.04 blocks per set.
• As a team, Wisconsin is hitting .257 and averaging 13.80 kills per set. The Badgers also average 15.20 digs, second in the B1G, and average 1.92 blocks per set.
UP NEXT
• Minnesota is back on the road when it travels to Rutgers and Ohio State, Oct. 9 and 11 next week. The Gophers and Scarlet Knights face each other at 6 p.m. CT in Piscataway, N.J., while taking on the Buckeyes in Columbus at 3 p.m. CT. Friday's match vs. Rutgers is on B1G+, while the OSU match will be televised on BTN.
• The No. 20 University of Minnesota volleyball team hosts No. 6 Wisconsin Sunday at 5 p.m. The match will be televised on Big Ten Network. Sunday's match is a Gold Out for the Gophers and also sold out for the second-straight match.
SERIES INFORMATION
Minnesota leads Wisconsin, 54-41-0
First Meeting: 1975, Last Meeting: 2025
OPENGATE AND NEW BAG POLICY AT MATURI PAVILION
New this year, gate entrance will hold a consistent security clearance in all our Gopher facilities. Please see HERE for prohibited items. New bag policy as well as additional match day information can be found HERE.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
55 -- The 2026 season marks the 55th year of Gopher volleyball.
41 -- Minnesota hit .41.2 percent vs. Northwestern on Thursday. That mark was the best hitting percentage for the Gophers this season and best since hitting that mark against Indiana in 2025.
20 -- Minnesota Golden Gophers enter the week as No. 20 in the AVCA Sept. 28 Coaches' poll. The Gophers opened the 2026 season as the No. 14 team in the AVCA Preseason poll.
19 -- Minnesota ranks 19th nationally in assists per set this season and fifth in the conference. Stella Swenson is ranked eighth nationally (10.85 aps).
12 -- Returners to the Gopher squad from last season, including starting setter Stella Swenson and Kate Thibault, who played in all 119 sets in the 2025 season.
10 -- Jordan Taylor had a season-best 10 blocks vs. Oregon last Saturday. On the season, she leads the team with 1.35 blocks per set and has had 10-plus blocks twice in her career.
6 -- Minnesota ranked 6th in average attendance at 4,488 per match (avg.) in 2025. They ranked 4th overall (80,779 total fans).
5 -- McKenna Garr added a career-best five aces in the win vs. Northwestern Thursday. She has 23 on the season.
4 -- The Gophers welcome four newcomers to this year's roster: freshmen OH Makenna Crosson, DS Madi Kraft and MB Elena Hoecke all joined the Gophers in January 2026. Lucie Blažková joins the Gophers after two seasons at Washington State.
2 -- As a team, the Gophers rank second Big Ten in aces per set, averaging 2.13. Mckenna Wucherer leads the league averaging 0.72 this season with her 28 aces this year. Nationally, the Gophers are 19th in aces per set.
2 -- Mckenna Wucherer has received two Big Ten Player of the Week awards in this young 2026 campaign.
2 -- Former Gophers will be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame this weekend in Lauren Gibbemeyer and Sarah Wilhite.
1 -- Mckenna Wucherer tops the Big Ten in points per set (5.86), kills per set (4.85), attacks per set (11.13) and aces per set (0.72). She ranks second nationally in points per set and third in kps.
LAST TIME OUT
• Minnesota volleyball program earned a 3-0 sweep over Northwestern, Thursday at Maturi Pavilion. The Golden Gophers (7-4 overall, 1-2 B1G) won, 25-14, 25-11, 25-9, over the Wildcats (7-7, 0-3 B1G).
• Elena Hoecke hit .889 when she delivered eight kills on nine attempts. She also led the match with five blocks and an assist. Mckenna Wucherer had 10 kills, hit .375, had three aces, five digs and three blocks. Stella Swenson had 29 assists, eight digs and four blocks. McKenna Garr added a career-high five aces and had eight digs. Zeynep Palabiyik also tied for a team-high eight digs. As a team, Minnesota hit a season-best .412. The Gophers held a 9-0 lead in aces and a 37-31 advantage in digs. Minnesota also out blocked the Wildcats, 9-4.
MINNESOTA'S HISTORY VS. WISCONSIN
• Minnesota is 54-41 all-time against Wisconsin, dating back to 1975. The Badgers have won the last three contests between the two teams, including both matchups last year. The Badgers won both matches in 2025 by four sets. Minnesota's last win over Wisconsin came on Sept. 24, 2024, when the Gophers won a five-set thriller at Maturi Pavilion.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
• No. 6 Wisconsin is 9-4 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play. All four of Wisconsin's losses have come against ranked opponents. Predicted to finish second in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' poll, the Badgers opened Big Ten play with a four-set win over then-No. 20 Oregon (24-26,25-19,26-24,25-14) and a sweep over No. 10 Purdue (25-18,25-15,25-21). Like Minnesota, Wisconsin also played on Thursday night and defeated No. 15 Indiana in five sets, 25-19,25-14,22-25,20-25,15-8
• The Badgers landed two individuals on the Preseason All-Big Ten team: middle blocker Jaela Auguste and starting setter Charlie Fuerbringer. In 45 sets played, Fuerbringer averages 11.10 assists, which ranks second in the league. Audrey Flanagan has 143 kills this season, while Eva Travis has 123. Anna Bardaro leads the team with 183 digs, while Kristen Simon has 121 and Fuerbringer has 144. Lynney Tarnow has a team-best 1.04 blocks per set.
• As a team, Wisconsin is hitting .257 and averaging 13.80 kills per set. The Badgers also average 15.20 digs, second in the B1G, and average 1.92 blocks per set.
UP NEXT
• Minnesota is back on the road when it travels to Rutgers and Ohio State, Oct. 9 and 11 next week. The Gophers and Scarlet Knights face each other at 6 p.m. CT in Piscataway, N.J., while taking on the Buckeyes in Columbus at 3 p.m. CT. Friday's match vs. Rutgers is on B1G+, while the OSU match will be televised on BTN.
Players Mentioned
Outside
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Libero/DS
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Middle Blocker
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Libero/DS
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Libero/DS
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Setter
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Middle Blocker
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Libero/DS
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Outside
/ VolleyballThursday, October 01
Saturday, September 26
Thursday, September 24
Wednesday, September 16