The women’s volleyball team will have to wait at least a couple more days to win its 750th game in program history.
MSU (13-11 overall, 6-7 Big Ten) could not handle Minnesota (15-9 overall, 5-8 Big Ten) at Jenison Field House on Friday night, losing in four sets, 1-3 (18-25, 25-16, 17-25, 19-25).
It was all Gophers to start the game, and before MSU knew what hit them they trailed the first set 5-13.
A late 7-1 run by MSU cut the deficit to 18-23 but that would be as close as the Spartans would get. Minnesota won the first set, 25-18.
MSU settled down in the second set, winning 25-16.
Freshman setter Rachel Minarick was impactful all set long. She accounted for three kills, 12 assists and two digs in the second set.
Minarick finished with six kills, 41 assists and seven digs.
MSU could not carry the momentum from the second set into the third.
A service error by Gophers sophomore middle blocker Paige Tapp cut the deficit to one for MSU, 14-15. However, Minnesota would go on a 10-3 run from there, taking the third set 25-17.
Minnesota won four of the first five points in the fourth set and never trailed from there on.
The Gophers won the fourth set, 25-19.
Minnesota junior outside hitter Daly Santana was a force to be reckoned with all evening, totaling a game-high 17 kills and seven digs.
For MSU, sophomore outside hitter Chloe Reinig led the way with 13 kills.
Defensively, senior libero and team co-captain Kori Moster had a game-high 18 digs.
Sophomore middle blocker Autumn Christenson turned in her best performance of the season as well, finishing with a season-high 11 kills.
The Spartans have Saturday off and will return to Jenison on Sunday afternoon to take on No. 4 Wisconsin (20-2 overall, 11-1 Big Ten), last year’s national runner-up.
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