The No. 3 Gophers volleyball team made quick work of Iowa, defeating the Hawkeyes 25-22, 25-11, 25-19 on Friday at Maturi Pavilion. It was Minnesota's 47th straight win over the Hawkeyes, going back to 1995.
Stephanie Samedy led the balanced Gophers with 13 kills, Taylor Landfair had 12 and Adanna Rollins 11.
Minnesota (14-2) can clinch second place in the Big Ten by beating Iowa again when they meet on Saturday in the last match of the regular season.
Currently, the Gophers are tied with idle Nebraska for second place behind Wisconsin (15-0). The No. 1 Badgers clinched their second straight conference title at home by beating No. 24 Michigan twice this week.
The NCAA tournament field will be announced Sunday.
Regan Pittman led the Gophers in blocks against the Hawkeyes (4-15) with four. Landfair led the team in aces with two. And freshman setter Melani Shaffmaster had 35 assists and a team-high nine digs.
Besides leading her team in kills, Samedy also had seven digs, two blocks and an ace.
The Gophers had a 52-35 advantage over Iowa in kills and outhit the Hawkeyes .448 to .223.
Iowa has not won a set in five matches against ranked teams this season and is 1-9 on the road.
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