Gophers volleyball team is swept at No. 3 Penn State

The Gophers, ranked 13th, had the same success rate as all the others; the Nittany Lions are 10-0 at home this season.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 20, 2024 at 8:33PM
The Gophers' Phoebe Awoleye, shown during a match earlier this season, had nine of the team's 12 blocks Sunday. (Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

No. 3 Penn State swept the No. 13 Gophers volleyball team on Sunday, winning 25-16, 25-20, 25-14 in State College, Pa.

The Nittany Lions (18-1, 8-0 Big Ten) limited the Gophers to a .112 hitting percentage.

Julia Hanson led the Gophers (12-6, 5-3) with 11 kills, her 13th match of the season with 10 or more. Melani Shaffmaster had 19 assists and 10 digs for the Gophers, her 10th double-double of the season and the 69th of her career. Zeynep Palabiyik had 12 digs for the Gophers, her 15th time in double figures this season.

Phoebe Awoleye contributed a team-high nine blocks; the Gophers had 12 as a team.

Jess Mruzik led Penn State with 18 kills and 16 digs. Camryn Hannah had 11 kills.

Penn State, which won a five-set match at Ohio State on Friday, improved to 10-0 at home this season. It’s always a tough place to play; the Gophers are 5-28 all-time at Penn State.

The Gophers play host to Northwestern on Wednesday.

about the writer

about the writer

Kevin Bertels

High school sports team leader

Kevin Bertels has led the Minnesota Star Tribune’s high school sports coverage since fall 2021. Before that, he spent 23 years as the newspaper’s night Sports section coordinator, placing him in charge of the Sports copy desk.

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