It’s been seven years since the Gophers volleyball team defeated Texas.

That match lasted just four sets in Austin — and it wasn’t a surprise. At the time, the Gophers were ranked No. 1 in the country and would go on to open the 2017 season with 12 straight wins.

Since then, Texas and Stanford have been the two most dominant programs in the sport, winning four of the last six NCAA women’s titles. Stanford’s last title came in a memorable year for the Gophers, with their last Final Four appearance in 2019.

That was also the last time Minnesota’s program defeated the nation’s No. 1 team five years ago, surprising the Cardinal.

After pushing No. 5 Stanford to the limit in a five-set loss in Sunday’s season opener, the No. 18 Gophers earned their first win of the season by stunning the nation with a thrilling 3-2 upset of No. 1 Texas on Monday night to close out the Volleyball Showcase at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The Gophers won 22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 13-25, 15-7.

After being picked fifth in the Big Ten preseason poll, second-year Gophers coach Keegan Cook took a 17-13 team from last season and snapped the 11-game win streak of two-time reigning NCAA champion Texas in his second game. Before the Sept. 10 home opener against St. Thomas, the Gophers’ busy opening schedule continues Friday and Saturday against Baylor and TCU in Waco.

“I don’t think I really have any words,” senior setter Melani Shaffmaster said on FS1 after the match. “We’re not the team we were last year. We’re not the team we were in the past. We have a really good group of people around us… it’s just crazy. It took the whole team to pull this off.”

It was fitting that Wisconsin native and junior winger Mckenna Wucherer sealed the fifth set by scoring her 12th kill, only to be met with a round of applause from her teammates as she celebrated her big win upon returning to her home state.