University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Rutgers
Gophers Head East to Face Scarlet Knights
10/8/2026 10:20:00 AM | Volleyball
• The No. 21 University of Minnesota volleyball heads to Piscataway, New Jersey to face Rutgers on Friday at 6 p.m. CT on Big Ten Plus.
SERIES INFORMATION
Minnesota leads Rutgers 14-3-0
First meeting: 1983, Last meeting: 2025
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Stream: B1G+
Live Stats: GopherSports.com
NUMBERS TO KNOW
55 -- The 2026 season marks the 55th year of Gopher volleyball.
41 -- Minnesota hit .412 percent vs. Northwestern on Oct. 1. That mark was the best hitting percentage for the Gophers this season and best since hitting that mark against Indiana in 2025.
30 -- Minnesota ranks 30th nationally in assists per set this season and seventh in the conference. Stella Swenson is ranked 14th nationally and sixth in the Big Ten (10.70 aps).
21 -- Minnesota Golden Gophers enter the week as No. 21 in the AVCA Oct. 5 Coaches' poll. The Gophers opened the 2026 season as the No. 14 team in the AVCA Preseason poll.
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 on Sept. 26. On the season, she leads the team with 1.23 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). This season they are currently No. 11 and average 4,763 fans per match.
5 -- McKenna Garr added a career-best five aces in the win vs. Northwestern on Oct. 1. She has 25 on the season and is ranked third in the Big Ten
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 in the Big Ten in aces per set, averaging 2.05. Mckenna Wucherer leads the league averaging 0.65 this season with her 28 aces this year. Nationally, the Gophers are 10th 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 were inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame this year in Lauren Gibbemeyer and Sarah Wilhite.
1 -- Mckenna Wucherer tops the Big Ten in points per set (5.65), kills per set (4.72), attacks per set (11.13) and aces per set (0.65). She ranks third nationally in points per set and fourth in kps.
LAST TIME OUT
• Minnesota volleyball program fell 3-1 to No. 6 Wisconsin, Sunday at Maturi Pavilion. The Golden Gophers (7-5 overall, 1-3 B1G) fell, 21-25, 25-22, 15-25, 23-25 to the Badgers (10-4, 4-0 B1G).
• Mckenna Wucherer led the Gopher offense with 14 kills, Wucherer also tallied 12 digs for a double-double. Stella Swenson had 37 assists and 10 digs, and three blocks. Zeynep Palabiyik added a team-high 17 digs. Lucie Blazkova also added a team-high five blocks.
MINNESOTA'S HISTORY WITH RUTGERS
• Minnesota is 14-3-0 all-time against Rutgers, dating back to 1983. Minnesota has won the last four contests between the two teams. The Gophers won both matches in 2025 via a three set sweep.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
• Rutgers is 10-6 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights were predicted to finish 17th in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll. Like Minnesota, Rutgers also played Thursday and Sunday matches last week, defeating Ohio State in three sets on the road (25-21, 25-14, 25-23). The Scarlet Knights then fell to No. 15 Indiana in four sets on Sunday (20-25, 25-17, 21-25, 24-26).
• As a team, Rutgers is hitting .247, averaging 13.25 kills per set. The Scarlet Knights also average 1. 98 aces per set which is fourth in the Big Ten.
UP NEXT
• Minnesota continues their road trip and will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus at 3 p.m. CT on BTN.
