No. 11 Penn State had a successful Senior Night at Rec Hall with a win over the previous No. 11 team in the country, Purdue. The Nittany Lions look to continue their late season success and five-game win streak on the road now. They embark on a four-match stretch on the road and cap off the season on a Tuesday at home vs. Rutgers.
The first of those four games is against No. 19 Minnesota, a team also on a win streak (three games). Here's everything you need to know about Penn State's upcoming match.
How to watch No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 19 Minnesota
- Date: Friday, Nov. 6
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Maturi Pavilion (Minneapolis, Minn.)
- How to Watch (TV): Big Ten+
- Penn State record: 17-5 (9-3 Big Ten)
- Minnesota record: 14-6 (8-4 Big Ten)
Penn State vs. Minnesota series history
The Nittany Lions hold an impressive 52-16 record over the Golden Gophers, including a 41-16 record in the Big Ten. Minnesota does better at home (23-11 in favor of Penn State), so being on its own court Friday night should help the team out a bit in that regard.
Since the start of the new decade, though, both teams have won four matches. The Golden Gophers got the best of the Nittany Lions in a 3-0 sweep in 2025. That was their first win over the blue and white since the 2021 season at the end of November. Minnesota has become a much better program over the years and finding more consistency in the Big Ten. As for Penn State, it hopes to get back in the win column vs. the Golden Gophers.
Key Nittany Lions and Golden Gophers to watch
Penn State: Kennedy Martin and Emmi Sellman
The senior opposite hitter is on a roll and her all-around game has become increasingly better and more consistent match after match. Against Purdue on Halloween, Martin had 27 points on 24 kills and six block assists. She finished with a 0.321 hitting percentage and had just six errors as an attacker on 56 attempts. Martin also had nine digs.
Sellman has carved out a more prominent role in this Nittany Lion offense and has proven herself to be a great No. 2 option on the outside with Whitney Lauenstein taking that primary role on the court. She doesn't put up incredible numbers, but she's effective when setter Alexis Stucky finds her. Against the Boilermakers, Sellman had 12 kills and four blocks (one solo, three assists) for a total 14.5 points on the afternoon. She made just four errors on 35 attack attempts for a 0.229 hitting percentage, and also had three digs.
Minnesota: McKenna Wucherer and Stella Swenson
Wucherer can win sets all on her own. She's had 10 matches where she had 20 or more points and four where she had 25 or more points. However, she can be limited and Penn State must find ways to respond to her attacks. In Minnesota's last match vs. USC, Wucherer had 11 kills (one error) on 31 attacks, finishing with a 0.323 hitting percentage. The outside hitter also had four aces, four block assists, and five digs in the game.
Swenson can play a full rotation and not sacrifice too much on defense. In her last performance, the junior setter had six digs, but she's also had four matches were she had 10 or more. As for her role in the offense, Swenson puts up incredible numbers for assists. While she only had 27 against the Trojans, she had a 61-assist performance against UCLA, a 52-assist game against Purdue, and a 51-assist match against South Dakota earlier in the year.
No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 19 Minnesota prediction
Prediction: 3-1 Penn State
Both teams head into this match on a win streak (Penn State, five games; Minnesota, three games), but the Nittany Lions just keep getting better and better on the season. They have five consecutive wins ahead of Friday night's contest with their last loss dating back to Oct. 16. Three of their last four opponents have been ranked teams as well, and they come off a particularly big win over Purdue.
Martin has proved multiple times this season that she can basically win sets on her lonesome. There seems to be no limit as to what she can accomplish as an attacker and at the service line, putting up over 20 points in nine games so far this year. That includes six performances where she had at least 25 points. In the last four contests, Martin has had 27, 25.5, 25 and 27 points, respectively. There's no stopping her, and with another ranked opponent on the docket, I don't see a way Minnesota can realistically take three sets away from Martin and Penn State. The Nittany Lions have one of the best weapons in the game in Martin, a back row that's found its identity, and an offense that jives very well together.
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