Gophers volleyball fall to Stanford in Sweet 16
By Frank Bi
The No. 10 Minnesota Gophers volleyball team dropped to No. 7 Stanford in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, effectively ending Minnesota’s season.
The NCAA Regional Semifinal, held in Lexington, Ky., came after the Gophers defeated Radford and Colorado last week at the Sports Pavilion in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. But in Kentucky, the Gophers couldn’t hang with a bigger and stronger Cardinal squad, dropping the three sets 26-28, 23-25, and 22-25.
Ashley Wittman led the Gophers with 17 kills while Tori Dixon also added 12 kills. For Wittman, Dixon and fellow senior Alexandra Palmer, the loss ended their playing careers with the Gophers.
The appearance in the Sweet 16 this year was Minnesota’s fifth straight, but the Gophers were seeking back-to-back Elite Eight appearances. Unfortunately, that fell short and Minnesota will look to regroup over the off-season while looking to fill the shoes left behind by their star seniors.