MADISON, Wis. - Stephanie Samedy had a match-high 21 kills and 18 digs, but the Gophers volleyball team, ranked No. 7 in the AVCA preseason poll, lost to No. 10 Baylor 26-24, 16-25, 25-17, 28-26 on Friday night in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. The match was the season opener for both teams.
Baylor outhit Minnesota .243 to .199. Marieke van der Mark had 19 kills for the Bears and hit .407. She also had seven blocks.
Minnesota led 7-3 in the first set, which was tied 13 times before Baylor won it on a kill and a Gophers' service error.
The Gophers recovered to win the second set 25-16 after taking a 17-5 lead. But what momentum they had was squelched in the third set, which they lost by eight.
Minnesota led 24-20 in the fourth set, but after a Baylor kill, a pair of attacking errors and a setting error, it was 24-all. The Gophers went ahead 25-24 on a kill by Samedy, but the Bears took three of the next four points to win the the set and match.
Samedy also reached a milestone. Her 15th kill, which came in the third set, made her the ninth Gopher with 1,500 in her career. Besides Samedy, who came back for a fifth season, two other Gophers also were in double figures in kills. Jenna Wenaas had 12 kills and Taylor Landfair 10. Both are sophomores.
Melani Shaffmaster, another sophomore, had 39 assists, 16 digs and four aces for the Gophers.
The Gophers will play TCU at 8:30 p.m. Saturday on the second day of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. The Badgers swept TCU 25-13, 25-15, 25-18 in Friday's other match.
