The No. 4 Minnesota Gophers defeated the Fairfield Stags in straight sets, 25-12, 25-7, 25-13, Friday night at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis.

Minnesota controlled the match from the first serve and strolled to its first win at “The Pav” in the NCAA Tournament since 2022. The Gophers hit .582 and posted eight service aces to Fairfield’s one.

Gophers head coach Keegan Cook said at first he did not know how much of an advantage hosting would give Minnesota.

“I thought, when you get on the plane, you start to feel the energy of the tournament,” Cook said. “So I thought it was probably Wednesday or Thursday when some of the decals started to go down in the building, then I saw the enthusiasm pick up a little bit.”

Well, once Cook’s squad walked into a packed Maturi Pavilion, they channeled

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