The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Minnesota
No. 11 Minnesota upends No. 4 Volleyball, 3-0
09.02.2011 | Volleyball
Sept. 2, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The No. 4 Texas Volleyball team suffered its first defeat of the 2011 season, Friday night in a warm and muggy Sports Pavilion, falling to No. 11 Minnesota in straight sets. The 25-20, 25-20, 25-17 loss dropped the Longhorns to 2-1 on the year and improved the Golden Gophers to 2-1.
Senior outside hitter Amber Roberson posted a team-best six kills in the loss for a Horns' attack that hit .120 as a team. Minnesota's Katherine Harms headlined the Gophers' offense with 17 kills on .441 hitting, while Ashley Wittman notched a kill/dig double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs. Tori Dixon joined them in double digits with 11 kills on .500 hitting and three service aces.
Texas kept the tally tight in the first stanza before allowing a 5-1 Gophers' run that stretched the lead to six at the 20-14 mark and allowed Minnesota to claim the set, 25-20.
Minnesota grabbed an early lead in the second set and pushed its advantage to 19-15 before a 4-1 run led by sophomore Sarah Palmer's strong serve narrowed the lead to 20-19. Ashley Wittman helped the Gophers erase the UT advantage with three kills and a block down the stretch to close out the set 25-20.
The Gophers rallied behind a 7-0 rally to forge ahead 15-7 in the third frame and they did not look back. A 5-2 Texas rally sparked by a kill and a block from sophomore opposite hitter Bailey Webster cut the lead to 17-12 and a 3-0 run later in the set narrowed the lead to 21-17 before Minnesota went on a set-closing 4-0 run to clinch a 25-17 set victory.
Texas returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 3 when it faces off with the Gophers in its second contest of the weekend. First serve is set for 7 p.m. Central.
POST-MATCH NOTES
- The Texas loss moved its all-time record against Minnesota to 2-2 and 0-1 in Minneapolis.
- Texas' .120 hitting percentage marked its lowest team mark since hitting -.012 against Stanford on Sept. 10, 2010.
- The Longhorns' out-blocked the Gophers in the win, 7.5-to-3.0.
