Gophers volleyball releases 2024 schedule

The schedule for the second season of the Keegan Cook era is now set.

The University of Minnesota volleyball program announced its 2024 season schedule on Wednesday, although game times and broadcast information will be released at a later date.

Minnesota is set to start the campaign with the inaugural Intersport Women’s Volleyball Showcase on Sept. 1 and 2, with matchups against Stanford on the first day and the defending national champions, Texas, on Day 2.

The Gophers will then participate in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge, playing both Baylor and TCU in Waco, Texas.

At home, the Gophers will open against St. Thomas on Sept. 10 before the Diet Coke Classic on Sept. 12 and 13, which will feature Auburn and a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

Preseason play will wrap up the following weekend with matches against Green Bay, North Dakota State and Chicago State in Green Bay.

Minnesota will have a 20-match conference slate, starting with the border battle against Wisconsin at Maturi Pavilion on Sept. 25. The Gophers will also finish the regular season at home against Ohio State on Nov. 29.

Other key matchups include the first visits as conference foes from Washington and Oregon on Nov. 7 and 9, respectively, and the first Big Ten trips to UCLA and USC on Oct. 4 and 5, respectively.

The Gophers will have home and road matchups against Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan but only play one match against each of the other Big Ten teams. At home, they’ll host Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon, Purdue and Washington. Minnesota will only play road matches against Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, UCLA and USC.

Overall, the 2024 schedule features 10 matches against teams that finished in the AVCA Top 25 last season — including six in the top 10 — and 12 matches against last year’s NCAA Tournament teams, eight of which went to the Sweet 16.