Shortly after Minnesota defeated Penn State for the first time since 2010, Gophers volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon sat in front of a microphone and praised his opponent.
"You cannot deny the storied history of Penn State's program. They have been the benchmark for seemingly forever," McCutcheon said.
If Penn State's the benchmark, the Gophers seemingly cleared it Saturday by sweeping the No. 1 Nittany Lions 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 in front of a packed house at the Sports Pavilion.
After the match, junior Sarah Wilhite said the Gophers treat Penn State like any other opponent. Even so, beating the two-time defending national champions represents a significant hurdle no one on the current team had accomplished.