Gophers volleyball can’t repeat five-set magic in home loss to Purdue

Gophers volleyball coach Keegan Cook celebrated his first Border Battle victory against Wisconsin on Wednesday, but the emotional high of arguably the best victory so far in his tenure was short lived.

The No. 16 Gophers saw a seven-match win streak end Saturday night against No. 10 Purdue at Maturi Pavilion in another five-set thriller in front of a sellout crowd, losing 26-24, 23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-10.

Looking for their first back-to-back victories against top-10 opponents since 2022, the Gophers (8-4, 1-1 Big Ten) suffered their first home loss since last November by giving up 17 aces, the second most by any Division I team this season.

“Serving and passing is the foundation of volleyball,” Cook said. “We’re usually strong in that space, and tonight we got crushed.”

In a back-and-forth affair, Purdue and Minnesota weren’t separated by much Saturday, but aces were the biggest factor. The Gophers were outdueled 17-7, and they also had 10 service errors.

It was the sixth five-setter this season for the Gophers, who are 2-4 in those matches. They edged out the Badgers in five sets Wednesday, but they trailed only 11-7 in aces.

Another match when serving tipped the scales was a five-set season-opening loss to Stanford when the Gophers had 23 service errors.

Coming off a season-high 17 kills and a career-high 16 digs vs. Wisconsin, Lydia Grote had her second consecutive double-double with 17 kills and 14 digs Saturday. Julia Hanson also finished with a team-high 19 kills for the Gophers, who don’t return home again until Oct. 11 vs. Indiana.

In the decisive fifth set, the Gophers were within 9-7 after winning a challenge on Grote’s kill, but the Boilermakers won six of the last nine points, including three aces in a row. Hanson pulled the Gophers within 13-9, but they couldn’t get any closer.

“I don’t think I’ve hit .412 in a fifth set and lost too many times,” Cook said. “Being unable to receive has been tough.”

Purdue (10-3, 1-1) was ranked as high as No. 6 in the country after an 8-0 start this year, but it lost three of four matches entering Saturday, including getting swept in a league opener vs. Penn State at home.

But the Boilermakers were led by Eva Hudson, Raven Colvin and Chloe Chicoine, who combined for 51 kills and 13 aces.

After trailing by four points to begin the first set, the Gophers got within match point 24-23 but dropped the first set by a few errant swings late. That gave Purdue all the confidence it needed to end a slide.

The toughest stretch of the early schedule is now in the rearview mirror after the Gophers played five ranked opponents in their first 12 matches, including four top-10 teams. The good sign is that they have signature victories vs. No. 1 Texas and Wisconsin.

A bad sign is junior Mckenna Wucherer, who ranks third on the team in kills, missing her first match this season Saturday with an undisclosed injury. Wucherer scored the winning point for the Gophers against the Longhorns back in her home state, but she has been limited recently.

Redshirt freshman Alex Acevedo, who finished with nine kills Saturday, replaced Wucherer in the starting rotation in the last four matches.

The Gophers have a freshman and two sophomores starting right now, but they’ve still won seven of eight matches. Consistency going on their first California road trip in the Big Ten is crucial. They’ll face new conference members UCLA on Friday and Southern California on Saturday.

“We have young people in big roles they hadn’t been in before,” Cook said. “I’m really proud of their growth. They deserve a right to learn, but your opponents will show you where you need to spend your time the most.”