Phoebe Awoleye produced a career-best 14 blocks for the Gophers volleyball team on Saturday, leading to a 25-21, 25-15, 25-18 victory over Maryland at Maturi Pavilion.
Gophers volleyball team comes up big on the block in victory over Maryland
The Gophers volleyball team produced 19 blocks, its most since 2021, and Phoebe Awoleye had 14 of them, tying the Maturi Pavilion record.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 13, 2024 at 1:03AM
Lydia Grote and Julia Hanson each had 12 kills for the Gophers.
The No. 14 Gophers, who swept Indiana on Friday, improved to 11-5 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Maryland, which lost at Wisconsin on Friday, fell to 10-7 and 1-5.
The Gophers posted a season-best 19 blocks, their ninth time this year with 10 or more. It was the Gophers’ biggest block total since they had 20 on Feb. 19, 2021, at Nebraska.
”I think it was our pins,” Awoleye said. “They had the best lineups tonight. I just trusted them and that they were going to set me up well and I just had to get there.”
The Gophers continued their history of dominance against Maryland, but there’s no longer a streak involved. They are 19-1 against Maryland all-time; the first 18 of those wins came consecutively before the Gophers lost to the Terrapins last season.
The Gophers are 10-0 all-time at home vs. Maryland, and nine of those have been sweeps. Maryland hasn’t won a set at the Maturi Pavilion since 1992.
Melani Shaffmaster had 34 assists and eight digs and McKenna Wucherer contributed six kills and six digs for the Gophers, who improved to 6-1 in home matches. Zeynep Palabiyik had 11 digs for the Gophers.
Samantha Schnitta had 13 kills for the Terrapins.
The Gophers play at Rutgers on Friday and at No. 3 Penn State next Sunday.
The Gophers were down to one returning offensive line starter for next season but added Mid-American Conference veteran Marcellus Marshall.
