Gophers volleyball ranked 14th with showdown at No. 3 Penn State looming

Penn State is 16-1 overall and their lone loss was against the No. 1 team in the country.

Gophers volleyball players celebrate during a September match against Wisconsin. / University of Minnesota Athletics

The Minnesota Golden Gophers remain at No. 14 in the latest AVCA Division I volleyball rankings, marking no change from their previous spot in the rankings.

The Gophers are 11-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play, where they are tied with USC, Purdue and MIchigan. In the conference race, they trail Oregon (5-1), Wisconsin (5-1), Penn State (6-0) and Nebraska (6-0).

The Big Ten is flat out loaded this season. Five conference teams are ranked ahead of the 14th-ranked Gophers, including No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Penn State, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 10 Purdue and No. 11 Oregon.

Minnesota, however, has proved it can play with the best of the best. They defeated Texas when the Longhorns were No. 1 in the nation. They took down Wisconsin in five sets, lost to Purdue to five sets, and fell to USC in four sets. They also have a five-set loss to No. 5 Stanford.

The Gophers should beat last-place Rutgers Friday in Piscataway, N.J. before traveling to University Park, Penn. for a showdown against No. 3 Penn State.

Penn State (16-1 overall) is the real deal. They swept No. 4 Louisville 3-0 earlier this season and also have wins over No. 9 Kentucky, No. 10 Purdue and No. 11 Oregon. Their lone loss this season was against No. 1 Pittsburgh.