Gophers volleyball loses to Rutgers for first time since 1983, completing rough weekend

The 16th-ranked Gophers volleyball team completed a historically bad weekend, losing at Rutgers 25-20, 25-22, 16-25, 25-14 on Saturday night in Piscataway, N.J.

One night after the Gophers lost to Maryland for the first time in 19 career meetings for their first loss this season to an unranked team, the Gophers lost to a Rutgers team that was 0-5 in conference and had won three sets in Big Ten play coming into the evening. The Scarlet Knights (9-7, 1-5 Big Ten) beat the Gophers (6-8, 2-4) for the first time ever as a Big Ten team — their previous victory over Minnesota came in 1983 — and beat a ranked opponent for the first time ever.

Anna Hartman had 12 kills and Rikki Williams added 10 for the Scarlet Knights, who hit .247 to the Gophers' .255 but had 55 kills to Minnesota's 50. The Gophers also had 12 service errors.

Mckenna Wucherer led the Gophers with 16 kills, Lydia Grote had 13 and Taylor Landfair had 12.

Melani Shaffmaster, who sat out Friday night's loss because of illness, didn't play in the first set Saturday either, but she entered in the second and played the rest of the way, recording 23 assists.

The Gophers remain on the road Wednesday when they visit Michigan. They return to Maturi Pavilion to take on Northwestern on Oct. 15.