How to Watch No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball at No. 22 Minnesota with Preview, Breakdown, Streaming
The No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball team will once again fly away from the friendly confines of John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
In what was another dominant win for the Huskers over Illinois, NU remains the only undefeated team left in college volleyball, with only seven matches separating Nebraska’s first undefeated regular season since that legendary 2000 Husker squad — one of the only five teams to be undefeated and also win a national championship.
But first comes a visit to Maturi Pavilion and Minnesota, which has proven to trip up Nebraska in the last few years. Despite a 39-12 all-time record against the Golden Gophers, the Huskers have never swept Minnesota in their home venue. Plus, NU is only 2-2 at Minnesota dating back to 2018. With a rash of season-ending injuries knocking out four different starters, a threat of a Golden Gophers upset isn’t as likely, but Minnesota hasn’t caved and continues to pressure ranked opponents night in and night out.
Here’s all you need to know for Nebraska’s Saturday afternoon battle with Minnesota in NU’s only match of the season on Peacock.
How to Follow Along
Minnesota head coach Keegan Cook has the Golden Gophers 17-6 in his third season, despite a rash of injuries. / Minnesota Athletics
No. 22 Minnesota Scout
Head Coach
Keegan Cook | 3rd Season at Minnesota; 11th as HC | 55-30 (.647) at Minnesota; 253-86 (.746) Career HC | 10x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 1x Final Four (2020), 3x Regional Finals | 4x Pac-12 Championships | 3x AVCA Pacific North Region Coach OTY, Pac-12 Coach OTY (2020) | Previous head coach at Washington | Previous assistant at Washington & St. Mary’s.
2024 Finish
L, 1-3 vs. No. 3 Regional Seed Kentucky in NCAA Second Round.
2024 Record & Awards
21-11 (13-7 B1G, T-6th) | All-Americans: 2x Honorable Mentions | Northwest All-Region: 4x First Team | B1G Coach & Freshman OTY | All-B1G: 3x First Team, 1x Second Team.
All-Time Series
Nebraska leads 39-12 (Nov. 16, 2024, last matchup, 3-2 PSU)
Returning Production
Points: 58% | Kills: 62% | Service Aces: 56% | Blocks: 39% | Assists: 18% | Digs: 68%
Minnesota outside hitter Julia Hanson is one of the best attackers in the country with 4.78 points per set. / Minnesota Athletics
Key Returners
Minnesota’s Phoebe Awoleye (left) and Lydia Grote (right) were both key starters that left the program after 2024. / Minnesota Athletics
Key Departures
Returning libero Zeynep Palabiyik was averaging a career-high 3.73 digs per set before getting injured for the season. / Minnesota Athletics
Impact Tranfers/Newcomers
Outlook
One of the most heartbreaking and disappointing storylines of the 2025 college volleyball season is the injury-plagued Minnesota Golden Gophers. In a season that had multiple starters returning from a 21-11 team that reached the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, head coach Keegan Cook had plenty of excitement heading into his third year in Minneapolis.
But that excitement turned to dread before the season even began as the team announced that returning all-conference outside hitter Mckenna Wucherer would redshirt in 2025 to continue recovery from a back injury. Later that month, after just their third match of the year, returning libero Zeynep Palabiyik tore her ACL. Minnesota went unfazed over the next two weeks, but coming off a home tournament victory in the Diet Coke Classic, returning middle blocker Calissa Minatee was knocked out for the season in the midst of a career campaign.
More bad news was delivered on Oct. 5 as breakout sophomore outside hitter Alex Acevedo suffered a season-ending lower-body injury. In total, four starters will not see the floor again in 2025, and yet, the Golden Gophers keep on winning with a 17-6 record and 7-5 mark in conference play.
Minnesota’s Alex Acevedo was in the middle of a breakout campaign when she was knocked out for the season on Oct. 5. / Minnesota Athletics
Julia Hanson looks to be trying to make up for that lost production with 4.78 points and 4.10 kills per set on a .310 hitting percentage in what will be an All-American season. Baptism by fire has surely been the tagline for the debut seasons of true freshmen Kelly Kinney and Carly Gilk, who are averaging 2.39 and 2.56 points per set as starting attackers for the injured Wucherer and Acevedo. Middle blocker Taylor Jordan has been another true freshman to see major playing time in her debut season, ranking second on the team in blocks (70) with 1.43 kills per set.
Setter Stella Swenson waited her turn behind program great Melani Shaffmaster, and it has paid major dividends with 9.66 assists per set with 23 aces (2nd on team) while securing 2.15 digs per set and 51 blocks. Lourdès Myers is a veteran middle blocker transfer who spent her first four seasons with Purdue and now leads Minnesota with 97 blocks while chipping in 1.71 kills per set in her final college volleyball season. True freshman libero McKenna Garr has stepped in nicely for the injured Palabiyik, posting 3.24 digs per set, which is 10th among active Big Ten liberos.
Credit to Cook and the Golden Gophers, who have been super resilient and refuse to whither despite the plethora of injuries this season. Their last four outings highlight that sentiment, beating No. 23 Indiana and RV Illinois while dropping five-set thrillers to both No. 11 Purdue on the road and No. 22 USC. With No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 1 Nebraska, No. 25 Penn State, and an upstart Iowa team making up the next four matches, the schedule doesn’t let up for Minnesota.
It’s too bad that the Golden Gophers have been bitten hard by the injury bug, as their team, fully healthy, could have competed for runner-up honors in the conference with the letdown seasons of both the Badgers and defending champion Nittany Lions.
However, I’ll be watching this one as the match that NU’s sweep and set streak comes to an end. History isn’t on NU’s side — the Huskers have never swept Minnesota on the road and are only 2-2 in the state of 10,000 Lakes since 2018. Don’t be fooled, I’m still picking Nebraska, but I’ll be on high alert.
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