Maturi Pavilion in December seems like such a warm place. Fans squeezing through the crammed concourses. Opposing players and their families mingling near concession stands. With snow falling outside, it can almost feel welcoming.
Unless, of course, you happen to be playing the Gophers volleyball team.
The NCAA tournament returned to the University of Minnesota campus on Friday night, and the Gophers were characteristically inhospitable, sweeping Southeastern Louisiana 25-21, 25-18, 25-14 as they opened postseason play with a win that was clunky at times, if never in doubt.
The Lions (25-8) were making their NCAA tournament debut after winning the Southland Conference tournament and they were defiantly scrappy. They made the first two sets competitive, trailing 23-21 in the first and 21-17 in the second, before the Gophers (21-8) finished those off and then ran away in the third.
Freshman outside hitter Mckenna Wucherer, making her first tournament appearance and finishing with nine kills and four block assists, said the Lions' play brought out the best in Minnesota.
"They really came out with fight, they came out scrappy and I think we really started to match their scrappiness," she said. "But give them credit, they played their hearts out and played a great match."
Gophers coach Hugh McCutcheon said this was the kind of match he always expects in the tournament.
"It was great to have demanded of us this ability to stay in plays and keep going and keep grinding," he said. "I thought that was really good for us. I was really happy with today and really happy with the performance."
