Minnesota volleyball is heading to the regional semifinal for the first time since 2022 to take on No. 1 seed Pittsburgh on Thursday.

It's the first time in Head Coach Keegan Cook's era that the No. 4 Gophers are heading to the Sweet 16. They earned the spot after defeating the Iowa State Cyclones in a dominant three-set performance last weekend, with Minnesota hitting .384 on the match.

Now they'll face an aggressive Pittsburgh team that's led by junior opposite Olivia Babcock, one of the best players in the country and last year's AVCA Player of the Year. 

Minnesota's young squad will have to keep up with her lethal attack from all areas of the court. Cook said one of the keys will be staying assertive from the very beginning.

But the team also noted that they've seen some of the best opposites in the country already, like Penn State's Kennedy Martin. Despite Martin's 26 kills, the Gophers were able to sweep the Nittany Lions last month.

The Gophers are led by senior outside hitter Julia Hanson, who was recently named AVCA Northwest Region Player of the Year. She's hit a career-best .309 this year, which is third among Big Ten pins. 

After the Gophers lost four starters within the first month of the season, five freshmen have had to take on major roles for the team. 

"It's amazing what you can become when you have to," Cook said. And this weekend is a prime opportunity for the team to "feel the energy and see a quality opponent."

"This is where we want to go," Cook said. "Pitt's been where we want to be."

Over the past 12 years, Pitt Head Coach Dan Fisher has built up a program that's now consistently a contender for a national title. They've been to the last four Final Fours but have yet to make it to a championship game. 

First serve against Pitt is at 6 p.m.