Indiana volleyball fell 3-0 to the No. 9 Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sunday. The matchup concluded the challenging five-match stretch the Hoosiers recently played against ranked opponents, during which they went winless.
Minnesota has had a successful season thus far with impressive wins over then-No. 5 Wisconsin and then-No. 6 Ohio State. The Golden Gophers proved to be the stronger team in Sunday’s meeting as Indiana failed to keep the final sets close and extend the match.
Minnesota began the first set with a rapid-fire attack, scoring the first five points. Indiana junior middle blocker Kaley Rammelsberg responded with a kill to give the team its first point of the night. This kill started a four-point streak to put the Hoosiers within one of the Gophers early.
Shortly after, Indiana found itself down five points and needed to muster up a comeback before the set got out of reach. With the score 17-12 in Minnesota’s favor, Indiana went on an essential 5-0 run with the highlight of two aces from sophomore setter Camryn Haworth.
Soon after, Minnesota found its rhythm and led 21-18 late in the first set. A piercing kill from sophomore outside hitter Mady Saris inched the Hoosiers closer to the Gophers, but Minnesota kept the lead for the rest of the set to win 25-22.
The next two sets were not similarly close battles as Minnesota won the two frames by a combined 26 points.
Indiana did have shining moments in the latter half of the match, including an early kill in the second set by junior outside hitter Morgan Geddes. The kill by Geddes decreased Minesota’s lead to 7-5. Another highlight for Indiana came when junior outside hitter Grae Gosnell delivered a service ace, restoring the Hoosiers’ spirit late in the third set.
Minnesota won the final two sets 25-9 and 25-15, ensuring the Golden Gophers a straight-set win. Indiana will return to Bloomington to face Northwestern at 7 p.m. Friday in Wilkinson Hall.
