Reader R.N. writes: “John, I think Melani Shaffmaster is the Gopher setter for this and next year. I also think that her limits as setter (creative selection of hitters and delivery of the ball on-spot and on-time) limits the Gopher offense.
Shaffmaster has shown in her career as a Gopher that she wants to be an attacking setter and I have seen her make one attack this season complete with approach off a set from McGraw. What if Shaffmaster becomes an attack option every time she receives a serve or covers a tip attempt or fields a free ball conceded by the opposing team (most-likely when she is in a front row rotation position but not necessarily so)?
Typically teams target the setter with a tip or free ball attempting to get the opposing team out of system. Using Shaffmaster as a hitting option would turn the opponents’ strategy around and surprise the opposing blockers with an attack from an unexpected player.
Shaffmaster is not the quickest, most flexible, best ball-handling setter in the B1G conference and she has not consistently demonstrated the ability to deliver the sets her teammates need, even off a good first pass. And this is general knowledge among serious Gopher VB fans. But she is one of the tallest setters around.
Why not tweek the Gopher system to include the Shaffmaster attack option with the target of getting her in the four kills per set range? I think the attack swings would resonate with Shaffmaster’s demonstrated interest in being an offensive threat. And, the Gopher players may just get behind (enthusiastic) an attack with a twist.
I still have emotional scar tissue from the career match the Oregon setter had against the Gophers in the NCAA tourney Elite Eight, so I know an offensive setter can impact the result of a match. And, as I recall, that Oregon player morphed during that same season from an outside hitter to the starting setter for Oregon.
Again, I can’t imagine a Gopher lineup in this or next season that does not include Shaffmaster and I don’t believe she will ever develop the agility, cleverness, touch and timing that we’d like her to have, so lets accept her limits and capitalize on her size and offensive potential.
Even if her attempts at offense take a while to develop, as a fan it would be interesting to see changes implemented by the Gophers to avoid a performance like we watched during the first two sets of the match versus Ohio State.”
John: Thanks R.N., interesting idea. You mention that we have Shaffmaster for this year and next , which fits her status as a junior. But keep in mind that she played her first season during covid, so she has a bonus year of eligibility available. It is not unlikely that the Gopher roster in 2024 could include Stella Seliger and Melani Shaffmaster.