AUSTIN, Tex. — The University of Minnesota volleyball team earned a spot in the NCAA Regional Final with a 3-2 win over Florida on Friday in Austin, Texas. The Golden Gophers (26-5) will face Louisville tomorrow at 7 p.m., for a chance at the NCAA Championship next week.

The Golden Gophers had four student-athletes who gained double-digit kills. Minnesota was led by Alexis Hart, who had 16 kills in 38 attempts and hit .342. Adanna Rollins had 15 kills, while Regan Pittman had 14 (hit .458) and Taylor Morgan had 10 kills (hit .533) and a match-best seven blocks. Stephanie Samedy also added seven kills, 17 digs and six blocks. Kylie Miller posted a double-double with 49 assists, 10 digs, four blocks and an ace. CC McGraw added 16 digs.

As a team, the Golden Gophers led in hitting efficiency (.331), assists (61), digs (64) and blocks (13) and tied with 64 kills. Florida had 64 kills, hit .247, added eight aces and seven blocks.

Louisville, who defeated Texas, 3-2 earlier this evening, is 22-9 on the season. The Cardinals opened the NCAA Tournament by defeating Samford and punched their ticket to the Regional Semifinal with a win over No. 15 seed Western Kentucky. Louisville went up 2-0 on the Longhorns, 25-22, 25-22, 17-25, 18-25, 15-12.

Quotable

“As we would expect at this stage of the tournament, it was a heck of a battle,: head coach Hugh McCutcheon said. “We’re certainly happy with the result. I thought Florida played a really good match. They had a good plan, it took everything we had to find a way to win, but I was really proud of the team for hanging in there. I thought we maintained our composure at a really solid level throughout the match, even when it wasn’t going our way, I thought our athletes were still present and in it and engaged and working hard, and at the end of the day that paid some dividends. Happy with the team and happy to be advancing.”

Notable

Minnesota is making its first NCAA Regional Final appearance since 2016. The Golden Gophers will be making their fourth NCAA Regional Final showing under head coach Hugh McCutcheon.

— Content courtesy

of University of

Minnesota Athletic

Communications