The Gophers will need to play with a sense of urgency when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the top-seeded Panthers in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA volleyball tournament on Thursday night, head coach Keegan Cook said.

The fourth-ranked Panthers (28-4, 18-2 ACC) are itching to get back to the Final Four, and the Gophers’ coach told his young team they must “meet that mentality.”

Minnesota Gophers outside hitter Kelly Kinney (33) volleys the ball against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second set of a second round match of the 2025 NCAA division I women’s volleyball tournament at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. The Gophers beat the Iowa State Cyclones in three straight sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

One of the freshmen who has helped No. 17 Minnesota (24-9, 12-8 Big Ten) survive a rash of injuries to key veterans is unfazed by the challenge.

“I go into it like any other game,” first-year outside hitter Kelly Kinney said, “swinging for everything and just not playing afraid because this could be my last game.”

One of Minnesota’s five first-year starters, Kinney is averaging 12.7 kills over the Gophers’ past seven matches, which included 14 in a victory at then-No. 11 Purdue on Nov. 26.

Season-ending injuries to senior outside hitter McKenna Wucherer, junior libero Zeynep Palabiyik, senior middle blocker Calissa Minatee and redshirt sophomore outside hitter Alex Acevedo required a handful of freshmen to contribute big minutes earlier than expected. That group includes true freshmen Kinney (33 games), middle blocker Jordan Taylor (32), libero McKenna Garr (32), opposite Carly Gilk (30) and redshirt setter Stella Swenson (32).

The Gophers, ranked 15th in the nation in hitting percentage (.286), will be facing the fourth-best blocking team in the country (2.93 per set). Cook said improving their attacking efficiency was a major goal this season after Minnesota was known for serving and defense last season.

“One of the things that’s impressed me so much is just that a group this young can attack so cleanly,” Cook said. “You don’t hit for high efficiency if you hit the ball out of bounds a lot.”

The Gophers hit .386 against fifth-seeded Iowa State (No. 23 in the AVCA Poll) in the second round last Saturday. It marked the second time in 10 matches this season Minnesota hit over .300 against a ranked opponent; the other was a .412 hitting percentage versus No. 23 Indiana on Oct. 24.

The two key battles will be slowing down the reigning AVCA National Player of the Year, Olivia Babcock, and breaking down Pittsburgh’s block.

Cook said the best piece of advice his team has gotten this week was from senior outside hitter Julia Hanson, who reminded the team that as a Big Ten team, the Gophers “got to play against some of the best players in the country.”

Minnesota Gophers opposite Carly Gilk (7) and middle blocker Lourdes Myers (20) block a spike attempt from the Iowa State Cyclones in the first set of a second round match of the 2025 NCAA division I women’s volleyball tournament at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. The Gophers beat the Iowa State Cyclones in three straight sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

In that light, Cook said, his team can lean on its sweep of No. 24 Penn State in November, when they battled a top right side in the nation that included Kennedy Martin.

“She had quite a bit of success against us (with 26 kills), and yet we still won the match,” the coach said.

Pitt’s Babcock is coming off a 24-kill performance against Michigan in the second round, where she hit .370 and picked up eight digs. Cook said that teams may not be able to limit players like Martin and Babcock, so winning the right points will be crucial.

In addition to the Panthers’ lethal offense they constructed a menacing defensive net presence. Cook said his team does a good job of attacking high and hard, which will be important against a physical Pitt team.

“They’ve got a great block,” Cook said. “We’ve been working on coverage most of the week, and that’s going to be a big part of being successful, staying in long rallies.”

The Gophers’ freshmen core has taken its lumps but is better because of it and, Cook believes, peaking at the right time in the NCAA Tournament.

Taylor had five total blocks in each of the Gophers’ first two tournament matches. She said she is grateful to still be playing with her team and understands the significance of what this team has accomplished.

“This is Sweet 16; people don’t just make it (here) by chance,” Taylor said. “So, I’m really proud of us and I know we deserve to be here. I just really believe that we’re going to go out there and give it everything we have, and we’ll just see what happens.”

Taylor sealed Minnesota’s Round of 32 win over the Cyclones with a solo block of her counterpart Amiree Hendricks-Walker in Set 3 of the Gophers sweep of Iowa State.

In a year that has not gone to plan for the Gophers, Cook’s first true recruiting class as Minnesota head coach has learned and grown on the court.

“One thing we talk about is that principles are more important than plans,” Cook said. “It’s amazing what you can become when you have to.”

NCAA Volleyball

The Gophers’ path to the Sweet 16 and beyond:

First round: Gophers 3, Fairfield 0, Maturi Pavilion
Round 2: Gophers 3, Iowa State 0, Maturi Pavilion
Sweet 16: Gophers (24-9, 12-8 Big Ten) at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 6 p.m., ESPN2.

Minnesota Gophers outside hitter Lauren Crowl (4) gives love to her teammates as they celebrate their three straight set victory over the Iowa State Cyclones in a second round match of the 2025 NCAA division I women’s volleyball tournament at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

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