Huskies Fall In Four To No. 18 Gophers

Saturday, October 18

Seattle, Wash.

7:00 PM

University of Washington

9-9,4-4Big Ten

Minnesota

15-4,5-3Big Ten

Minnesota

Washington

October 18, 2025 | Volleyball

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By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – After dominating the opening set against No. 18 Minnesota, trying for top-20 wins on back-to-back nights, the Husky volleyball team was taken out of its rhythm and was not able to find it again over the next three sets. Minnesota turned things around after a 25-14 UW win in the opener, and took the next three sets, 25-17, 25-20, 25-12 to drop Washington back to .500 on the season (9-9) and in conference (4-4)

The Dawgs had won a lengthy and dramatic five setter last night over No. 17 Penn State, but showed no signs of a letdown in the first set where they hit .429 and took a 10-point lead just 16 points into the set.

But Minnesota increased its service pressure and UW uncharacteristically sent a number of passes and digs up over the net where the Gophers could get quick kills. Washington also hurt its cause with 14 service errors tonight, its most since Sept. 14, compared to only four for Minnesota.

Washington still finished with more kills than Minnesota, 51 to 47, and one more dig, 53-52, numbers that usually translate to a win. But the Gophers had a 12.0 to 7.0 edge in blocks and a 6-4 lead in aces and wound up hitting more efficiently, .266 to .242, despite UW's big edge in set one.

"The first set we were on it, it felt like the first two sets last night," said Head Coach Leslie Gabriel. "Minnesota, one of their identities is serving, and Keegan is really good at teaching that. His team served better in the second set and we didn't recover like I would have liked us to. We just weren't good passing, it frustrated us and took us out of our game. Our passers got better as it went along, but different things hurt us at different moments and we couldn't stabilize."

Freshman Simona Mateska had her second-straight double-double with 16 kills and 10 digs, hitting .343, and Kierstyn Barton put away 15 kills with 10 digs for a double-double of her own. Katy Wessels had seven kills and hit .545 with four blocks, and Zoria Heard had 13 digs and four assists. Alexis Haury had a career-high three kills to go with 39 assists and eight digs.

THE HAURY HAMMER!! ???? Alexis takes the rare chance to ??#PointHuskies // @BigTenPlus pic.twitter.com/IEGIHUcqO1
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) October 19, 2025

Up Next: The Huskies have another opportunity coming right towards them next Friday, Oct. 24, when a highly ranked Wisconsin squad visits for the first time as a Big Ten rival.