Gophers volleyball shuts down Iowa, cruises to sweep

Melani Shaffmaster posted a double-double and Julia Hanson had a match-high 15 kills.

The Gophers volleyball team celebrates scoring a point against Iowa on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis. / Gopher Athletics

Melani Shaffmaster had a double-double and Julia Hanson posted a match-high 15 kills as the No. 16 Gophers volleyball team cruised to a straight-set victory — 25-20, 25-18, 25-12 — over Iowa Saturday night at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis.

The Gophers (18-10, 11-7 Big Ten) didn't let the Hawkeyes (10-20, 4-14) get anything Saturday, holding them to a .009 hitting percentage, the lowest they've held any Big Ten opponent to this season. Michelle Urquhart led the Hawkeyes with nine kills, but no other player on the team had more than four. The Gophers posted a .209 hitting percentage.

Shaffmaster had 10 assists by the end of the first set and finished with 28 to go along with 11 digs. Hanson had five of her 15 kills in the opening set, and she's had 10 or more kills now in 11 consecutive matches.

Iowa got within 17-15 in the first set, and the Hawkeyes jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second set. But Minnesota responded on both occasions, the Gophers dominated the third from the outset, jumping out to an 8-3 advantage.

“I think we battled and I was really proud of us when we started slow in the second set,” associate head coach Kristen Kelsay said in a statement. “To be able to regain our composure and come out of that was great. We then came out hot in the third set and were able to put the game away.”

Kelsay was handling the coaching duties with coach Keegan Cook missing the game due to a "family medical situation."

Calissa Minatee and Lydia Grote each had seven kills apiece. Zaynep Palabiyik led the U with a match-high 15 digs.

The Gophers return to action Wednesday when they visit Illinois in a match that begins at 7 p.m. After that, they just have one regular-season game remaining when they host Ohio State at the Pav Friday at 6 p.m., which will be televised on FS1.