Key takeaways from the 2023 Gophers volleyball schedule

The Gophers announced their complete volleyball schedule for 2023 on Wednesday after the Big Ten released its conference slate. It's going to be another season of unending competition for Minnesota.

Here are some key takeaways from the schedule:

Welcome to the cauldron, Keegan Cook! The first year head coach has a nonconference schedule with six of eight matches coming against teams who finished last season ranked in the AVCA poll and all eight teams reached the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten schedule actually has some benefits for the Gophers as they will face Wisconsin and Penn State — two of the preseason conference favorites — just once. Still the schedule features 14 of 28 matches against teams who finished the 2022 season ranked in the Top 25 — including 8 matches against Top 10 finishers.

The retirement of Hugh McCutcheon was bound to create ripples on the Gophers roster and it did with the departure of two starters in senior Jenna Wenaas to Texas and sophomore Carter Booth to Wisconsin. With Texas coming off a national championship and Wisconsin coming off a Big Ten title, both teams will have high expectations, and the two former Gophers will have key roles to play. Texas comes to Maturi Pavilion on Aug. 29 and the Gophers travel to Wisconsin on Oct. 29 for what figures to be a Halloween extravaganza. Surprisingly, it's the only matchup between the Gophers and Badgers after Minnesota handed Wisconsin its lone Big Ten loss last season at the Pav. The Gophers haven't won at Wisconsin since 2018.

The Gophers finished last season ranked fourth in the nation in attendance at 4,758. But that was actually a (slightly) down year for the program, and ranked behind Nebraska (8,190) and Wisconsin (7,761) in the Big Ten. The home schedule this season won't lack for attractive matches — even their first exhibition match against Northern Iowa (Aug. 18) is a NCAA tournament rematch. Matches against Baylor, Texas, Creighton, Penn State, Purdue, Ohio State and Nebraska highlight the home slate.

The backend of the conference schedule features two noteworthy stretches. From Oct. 26 to Nov. 5, the Gophers have four-straight road matches at Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Northwestern. Luckily that is followed by a rarity — a long homestand to end the regular season. The Gophers will face Iowa, Ohio State, Illinois and Nebraska over a two-week stretch in November, with the Illini and Cornhuskers visiting on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. It's just the third time in 12 years that the Gophers have been home for the holiday.

Here is the complete 2023 schedule:

Nonconference

Aug. 18 vs. Northern Iowa, 6 p.m. (exhibition)

Aug. 25 vs. TCU, 7 p.m. #

Aug. 26 vs. Baylor, 7 p.m. #

Aug. 29 vs. Texas, TBA

Sept. 3 at Florida, 11 a.m.

Sept. 8 vs. Oregon, 6:30 p.m. *

Sept. 9 at Stanford, 9 p.m. *

Sept. 14 vs. High Point, 7 p.m. ^

Sept. 16 vs. Creighton, 4:30 p.m. ^

Conference

Sept. 20 at Iowa, TBA

Sept. 24 at Nebraska, TBA

Sept. 29 vs. Michigan, TBA

Sept. 30 vs. Penn State, TBA

Oct. 6 at Maryland, TBA

Oct. 7 at Rutgers, TBA

Oct. 11 at Michigan, TBA

Oct. 15 vs. Northwestern, TBA

Oct. 20 vs. Rutgers, TBA

Oct. 22 vs. Michigan State, TBA

Oct. 26 at Purdue, TBA

Oct. 29 at Wisconsin, TBA

Nov. 3 at Ohio State, TBA

Nov. 5 at Northwestern, TBA

Nov. 10 vs. Purdue, TBA

Nov. 12 at Indiana, TBA

Nov. 17 vs. Iowa, TBA

Nov. 18 vs. Ohio State, TBA

Nov. 24 vs. Illinois, TBA

Nov. 25 vs. Nebraska, TBA

Note: # — Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge at Maturi Pavilion; * — Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge at Stanford; ^ — Diet Coke Classic at Maturi Pavilion