No. 21 Minnesota made it 3 wins in a row, beating Michigan 3-1 in its annual Dig Pink match. The set scores were 25-19, 20-25, 25-15, 25-21. The Gophers have now won 4 of their last 5, and the win moves them to 10-5 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten.
Michigan actually finished with more kills, 45 to 39, so the box score shows Minnesota didn't win this one by outhitting anybody. It won at the service line and at the net. The Gophers had 10 aces to Michigan's 6 and 14 blocks to Michigan's 6, and that edge decided the match.
The opening set was a grind, with 11 ties. Minnesota broke it open from 17-17 by taking 8 of the next 10 points, and McKenna Garr finished the set with an ace. The Gophers had 4 aces and 4 blocks in that set alone.
Michigan answered in the second. The Wolverines jumped out 7-2, and Minnesota fought back to tie it 12-12. Michigan then took the last 5 points to win 25-20 and even the match. The Wolverines had 13 kills to Minnesota's 6 in that set, the one stretch of the night where Minnesota's block didn't slow them down.
The third set was all Minnesota. The Gophers went up 5-1, never trailed, outhit Michigan 12-9 in kills and won it 25-15.
The fourth set was the closest finish. Michigan tied it 19-19, and Minnesota took 6 of the last 8 points. Michigan called a timeout down 23-19, and Minnesota took one of its own after the Wolverines cut it to 23-21. McKenna Wucherer ended the match with a kill.
Stella Swenson had the best stat line of the night: a career-high 8 kills along with 27 assists. Kelly Kinney led the team with 10 kills. The program shared Swenson's highlights during the match, and she showed up in nearly every part of the box score.
Minnesota has dominated this series for a long time. Friday's match was the 84th meeting between the programs, and the Gophers now lead it 67-17.
Minnesota and Maryland were set to meet next, with first serve set for 6 p.m. on October 17. Coming off this win, Minnesota has a winning conference record and the kind of serving and blocking that can beat teams on nights it gets outhit.
