Gophers

Gophers clinch outright Big Ten title in volleyball

November 29, 2015 at 2:22PM

The Gophers' volleyball team celebrated after its win against Ohio State in five sets last week. Minnesota on Saturday won its first Big Ten championship since 2002. (Brian Stensaas — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Gophers volleyball team defeated Indiana 25-17, 25-18, 23-25, 25-16 Saturday in Bloomington, Ind., to win the Big Ten title outright.

No. 4-ranked Minnesota (26-4, 18-2) gets an automatic spot in the NCAA tournament by winning the conference title. This was just the program's second Big Ten title, the first was in 2002.

Minnesota will find out who and where it plays its first postseason match during a selection show at 8 p.m. on Sunday night on ESPNU

Can the Gophers get a No. 1 seed?

Sarah Wilhite led Minnesota with a season-high 18 kills and hit .417. Teammate Daly Santana had 14 kills and 10 digs.

The Gophers, after going 19-12 overall and 9-11 in the Big Ten last season, were picked to finish fifth in the conference this year in a preseason coaches poll.

But a school record 15-match winning streak in Big Ten play lifted the Gophers into first place, and they beat No. 15 Ohio State in five sets Wednesday to clinch a title share.