University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, October 4
Minneapolis, MN
5:00 PM
University of Minnesota
7-5,1-3Big Ten
1
vs
3
Wisconsin
10-4,4-0Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Minnesota | 21 | 25 | 15 | 23 | 1 |
Photo by: Ceci De Young
No. 20 Gophers Fall to No. 6 Badgers In Four
10/4/2026 8:08:00 PM | Volleyball
The No. 20 University of Minnesota volleyball team fell in four to No. 6 Wisconsin, tonight at Maturi Pavilion. The Badgers improve to 10-4 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play. Minnesota drops to 7-5 this season and 1-3 in league action.
Mckenna Wucherer had 14 kills and completed the double-double with 12 digs. Makenna Crosson added a career-high 10 kills and career-high four blocks. Kelly Kinney and Jordan Taylor added eight and seven kills, respectively, with Taylor hitting .500 (7-1-12). Elena Hoecke had a team-best five blocks, while Zeynep Palabiyik had a team-best 17 digs. Stella Swenson added a double-double with 37 assists and 10 digs.
Match Notes:
Minnesota now holds a 54-42-0 all-time series lead over Wisconsin
-Wucherer has now had double-digit kills in 11 matches this year and the six straight. She also had 12 digs for the double-double, her fifth of the season.
-Crosson's 10 kills bettered the eight she tallied vs. Oregon.
-Swenson recorded her ninth career double-double and third double-double of the season.
Up Next:
Minnesota is back on the road when it travels to Rutgers and Ohio State, Oct. 9 and 11. 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.
Set Breakdown
Set 1 : The Badgers capitalized on 4.5 blocks to take the first set, 25-21. Wisconsin opened the match with a 7-3 lead on an ace off the tape, which forced the Gophers to call a timeout. Minnesota responded out of the break and cut the Badger lead to 6-8 off a Hoecke ace. The Gophers utilized McKenna Garr's serve rotation to go on a 5-0 run. Crosson tied the set at 10-10 off a kill, and took the lead off a Garr ace. The 3-0 run forced Wisconsin to call a timeout. Minnesota continued the stretch off a Taylor kill and a Wisconsin attack error to go up, 13-10. Wisconsin, however, used a 6-1 run to take the lead for good at 17-16, and a 1-0 match lead.
Set 2: The Gophers held the Badgers to hitting just .108 to take the set, 25-22. Wucherer put the Gophers up, 15-10 off a tip as the two teams headed into the media timeout. The Badgers, however, came out of the break and went on a 4-0 run, including back-to-back blocks to cut Minnesota's lead to one as the Gophers called a timeout. After Wisconsin tied the set, the two teams traded points until 18 before Minnesota went up, 18-10 off a Wucherer kill and forced Wisconsin to call a timeout. Wisconsin came out of the break and went on a 4-0 run and 20-18 lead as Minnesota called a timeout. The Badgers led 21-18, only to have the Gophers come back and take a 22-21 lead off a Kelly Kinney kill as the Badgers called a timeout. Minnesota pushed it to set point when Kinney tooled the block and took the set, 25-22 off a Hoecke ace to tie the match, 1-1.
Set 3: Wisconsin held the lead from the first point of the set and a 2-1 lead. The Badgers built a 15-7 lead off the media timeout. The Badgers built a 19-11 lead off a kill and a 22-13 lead off an ace. Lucie Blazkova added a kill and an ace for Minnesota's 14th and 15th point, but the Badgers closed out the set for a 25-15 win.
Set 4: Wisconsin solidified the win with a close 25-23 four-set win. Minnesota took a 10-7 lead off a Taylor kill. Wucherer put the Gophers up, 14-11 with her 12th kill of the match. Wisconsin tied the set at 14, but Minnesota went on a 4-1 run and an 18-15 lead as the Badgers called a timeout. A Gopher service error and a Wisconsin block pulled the Badgers within two at 17-19 as Minnesota called a timeout. The Badgers came out of the break and tied the set at 19. Wisconsin took a 21-20 lead as the Gophers called their second timeout. Wucherer gave the Gophers their 22nd and 23rd points, but Wisconsin closed out the match with a kill for the 3-1 win.
Mckenna Wucherer had 14 kills and completed the double-double with 12 digs. Makenna Crosson added a career-high 10 kills and career-high four blocks. Kelly Kinney and Jordan Taylor added eight and seven kills, respectively, with Taylor hitting .500 (7-1-12). Elena Hoecke had a team-best five blocks, while Zeynep Palabiyik had a team-best 17 digs. Stella Swenson added a double-double with 37 assists and 10 digs.
Match Notes:
Minnesota now holds a 54-42-0 all-time series lead over Wisconsin
-Wucherer has now had double-digit kills in 11 matches this year and the six straight. She also had 12 digs for the double-double, her fifth of the season.
-Crosson's 10 kills bettered the eight she tallied vs. Oregon.
-Swenson recorded her ninth career double-double and third double-double of the season.
Up Next:
Minnesota is back on the road when it travels to Rutgers and Ohio State, Oct. 9 and 11. 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.
Set Breakdown
Set 1 : The Badgers capitalized on 4.5 blocks to take the first set, 25-21. Wisconsin opened the match with a 7-3 lead on an ace off the tape, which forced the Gophers to call a timeout. Minnesota responded out of the break and cut the Badger lead to 6-8 off a Hoecke ace. The Gophers utilized McKenna Garr's serve rotation to go on a 5-0 run. Crosson tied the set at 10-10 off a kill, and took the lead off a Garr ace. The 3-0 run forced Wisconsin to call a timeout. Minnesota continued the stretch off a Taylor kill and a Wisconsin attack error to go up, 13-10. Wisconsin, however, used a 6-1 run to take the lead for good at 17-16, and a 1-0 match lead.
Set 2: The Gophers held the Badgers to hitting just .108 to take the set, 25-22. Wucherer put the Gophers up, 15-10 off a tip as the two teams headed into the media timeout. The Badgers, however, came out of the break and went on a 4-0 run, including back-to-back blocks to cut Minnesota's lead to one as the Gophers called a timeout. After Wisconsin tied the set, the two teams traded points until 18 before Minnesota went up, 18-10 off a Wucherer kill and forced Wisconsin to call a timeout. Wisconsin came out of the break and went on a 4-0 run and 20-18 lead as Minnesota called a timeout. The Badgers led 21-18, only to have the Gophers come back and take a 22-21 lead off a Kelly Kinney kill as the Badgers called a timeout. Minnesota pushed it to set point when Kinney tooled the block and took the set, 25-22 off a Hoecke ace to tie the match, 1-1.
Set 3: Wisconsin held the lead from the first point of the set and a 2-1 lead. The Badgers built a 15-7 lead off the media timeout. The Badgers built a 19-11 lead off a kill and a 22-13 lead off an ace. Lucie Blazkova added a kill and an ace for Minnesota's 14th and 15th point, but the Badgers closed out the set for a 25-15 win.
Set 4: Wisconsin solidified the win with a close 25-23 four-set win. Minnesota took a 10-7 lead off a Taylor kill. Wucherer put the Gophers up, 14-11 with her 12th kill of the match. Wisconsin tied the set at 14, but Minnesota went on a 4-1 run and an 18-15 lead as the Badgers called a timeout. A Gopher service error and a Wisconsin block pulled the Badgers within two at 17-19 as Minnesota called a timeout. The Badgers came out of the break and tied the set at 19. Wisconsin took a 21-20 lead as the Gophers called their second timeout. Wucherer gave the Gophers their 22nd and 23rd points, but Wisconsin closed out the match with a kill for the 3-1 win.
Players Mentioned
Outside
/ Volleyball
Libero/DS
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Outside
/ Volleyball
Libero/DS
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Outside
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
Wisc
MINN
Kills
54
45
Errors
19
19
Attempts
145
139
Hitting %
.241
.187
Points
73.5
57.5
Assists
51
41
Aces
7
5
Blocks
12.5
7.5
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
2
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