The University of Minnesota volleyball program has received a spot in the 2023 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championships. The Golden Gophers (16-12, 12-8 Big Ten) will start at Creighton against No. 6 seed Utah State. The first two rounds will take place on Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 2, it was announced tonight during the selection show on ESPN.

Minnesota and No. 6 Utah State will compete in the first match of the evening, set for 4 p.m. on Friday, followed by No. 3 Creighton facing Colgate at 6:30 p.m. The winner of each match will advance to the Second Round, set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening. All matches will be played at No. 3 seed, Creighton.

Should the Gophers advance out of the first two rounds, Minnesota is in the Pittsburgh Region and will travel to Pittsburgh, Pa. for the NCAA Regionals from Dec. 7-9. Also in the ‘U’s region is No. 2 Louisville and No. 4 Washington State. Nebraska is the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.

Tampa, Fla., is the host city for the NCAA Championships, Dec. 14-17 as the national semifinals and championship match will be played at Amalie Arena.

The 2023 season marks the 28th year the Golden Gophers have advanced to the NCAA tournament. Receiving an at-large bid this year, the Gophers have now advanced to the tournament in nine straight seasons and 24 of the last 25 overall. As a program, Minnesota has had 28 straight winning seasons, dating back to 1995.

Minnesota has hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament each of the past eight years and in 12 of the last 13 seasons (missed NCAA’s in 2014). The last time Minnesota made the NCAA Tournament and didn’t host the first two rounds was in 2009. Minnesota went on to make the Final Four that season after traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., for the first two rounds before hosting Colorado State and Florida State in a regional at the Pav.

The Gophers were the No. 2 seed in 2015, 2016 and 2018, No. 3 in 2020-21, and the No. 7 seed in both 2017 and 2019. Minnesota was No. 12 overall in 2021 and No. 8 in 2022.

Minnesota is one of five Big Ten teams to make the 2023 NCAA tournament. Nebraska holds the No. 1 overall seed while Wisconsin (3) will also host one of the four NCAA Regionals. Penn State and Purdue were the other two teams selected. Purdue will host in the first two rounds while No. 5 Penn State travels to No. 4 seeded Kansas.

In all, the Gophers faced 14 teams that made up the field of 64. Along with the five other Big Ten teams Minnesota faced this season, the Gophers also competed against Baylor, Creighton, Florida, Oregon, Stanford, Texas and TCU.

The Gophers enter the NCAA tournament with a 16-12 (12-8 Big Ten) overall record. They placed fifth in the Big Ten behind only Nebraska (19-1), Wisconsin (17-3), Penn State (15-5) and Purdue (15-5).