Gophers volleyball sets 2022 schedule: Hot match-ups include Wisconsin, Nebraska, Baylor and Texas

The University of Minnesota volleyball team released its schedule for 2022 on Tuesday, setting the stage for a grueling season inside and outside of Big Ten conference play that will see the Gophers face 16 opponents that finished last year ranked in the Top 25.

They open against Baylor on Aug. 26 in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. The Gophers topped Baylor in five sets in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season. Minnesota will face TCU on Aug. 27 to finish that series.

The first true road game for the Gophers comes at reigning Big 12 champion Texas on Aug. 31, the Longhorns finished last season ranked No. 5 in the country. The first match at Maturi Pavilion is against Florida on Sep. 4.

The Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge takes place at Maturi Pavilion on Sep. 9 and 10 with matches against Oregon and Stanford. The preseason schedule wraps up at home with Pepperdine and Washington State in the Diet Coke Classic, on Sept. 15 and 17.

Big Ten play opens at Purdue on Sept. 23. The first home conference matchup is against reigning national champion Wisconsin on Sept. 25. The Badgers won all three matches against Minnesota last season, including a three-set sweep at the Elite Eight in Madison, Wis.

The Gophers end the regular season with a monster Friday-Saturday road trip at Ohio State (Nov. 25) and at 2021 NCAA runner-up Nebraska (Nov. 26).

Other key Big Ten matches include: vs. Ohio State (Oct. 12); vs. Illinois (Oct. 15); vs. Purdue (Oct. 22); at Wisconsin (Oct. 29); at Illinois (Nov. 7) and at Penn State (Nov. 18).

This will be the 11th season for the Gophers under head coach Hugh McCutcheon. They return the bulk of a roster that went 23-9 last season and finished tied for third in the Big Ten. But they will be playing without five-time All-America Stephanie Samedy, who graduated and signed a pro contract with SSC Palmberg Schwerin in Germany.

The Gophers brought in a heralded recruiting class, led by outside hitter McKenna Wucherer, the No. 1 prospect in the country, in addition to middle blocker Carter Booth and outside hitter Julia Hanson. They also added four transfers in middle blocker Arica Davis (Ohio State), middle blocker Naya Gros (Michigan State), setter Elise McGhie (Kansas) and setter Miranda Wucherer (Northern Kentucky), who is also McKenna's older sister.

Nonconference

Aug. 26 vs. Baylor (Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge)

Aug. 27 at TCU (Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge)

Aug. 31 at Texas

Sept. 4 vs. Florida

Sept. 9 vs. Oregon (Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge)

Sept. 10 vs. Stanford (Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge)

Sept. 15 vs. Pepperdine (Diet Coke Classic)

Sept. 17 vs. Washington State (Diet Coke Classic)

Conference

Sept. 23 at Purdue

Sept. 25 vs. Wisconsin

Sept. 28 vs. Northwestern

Oct. 1 vs. Iowa

Oct. 7 at Michigan

Oct. 9 at Michigan State

Oct. 12 vs. Ohio State

Oct. 15 vs. Illinois

Oct. 19 at Iowa

Oct. 22 vs. Purdue

Oct. 26 vs. Michigan State

Oct. 29 at Wisconsin

Nov. 4 vs. Michigan

Nov. 6 at Illinois

Nov. 11 vs. Maryland

Nov. 13 vs. Indiana

Nov. 18 at Penn State

Nov. 19 at Rutgers

Nov. 25 at Ohio State

Nov. 26 at Nebraska