Month: December 2023

I thought that Nebraska was beatable, but I thought it would be Wisconsin that beat them. Texas wasn’t even a Regional 1-seed, so they had to win at Stanford to make the Final Four, and I didn’t think they would.

• Texas is a “complete” team, strong in every aspect of the game, including a multi-variable attack. They were very effective hitting from the back-row, they were very effective with dinks/off-speed hits, and they absolutely terrorized Wisconsin and Nebraska with their serving. They made their share of service-errors, about the same or more than Wisconsin and Nebraska, but they had an amazing number of aces, which kept Wisconsin and Nebraska out-of-system throughout their matches. Carter Booth, the Badgers’ devastating Middle Hitter, had only 2 kills in 4 sets vs Texas; not because Texas had anyone capable of blocking Booth, but because the Badgers could not pass the ball to their setter.
• Texas was led by their talented Left-side Hitter Maddie Skinner. Skinner has a similar skill-set to former Gopher Taylor Landfair, and I think (don’t laugh) that if the two of them showed up for a tryout (for the 2028 Olympic Team, maybe), one would have trouble choosing one over the other in drills. Skinner, however, has that “extra gear,” allowing her to elevate her game in critical situations versus great teams. We never saw that from Landfair.
• One other, curious, note about Texas. The Longhorns came into the NCAA Tournament as the Big 12 Champions. What is “curious” about that, you might ask? Only that the University of Texas isn’t in the Big 12! In every other sport, football, basketball, softball, etc, Texas competes in the S.E.C. Only in volleyball do they play in the Big 12. Why that is, or how long this will continue, I do not know. Anyone?

Reader J.S.: “Cook failed! He had one job, and that was to stabilize the team until  he could rebuild it into what Gopher VB fans have come to expect. I’m done with him; maybe he should enter “the transfer portal.” Maybe he’ll prove me wrong (upon which I’d happily recant) but I doubt it. 

In hindsight, we (McCutcheon) should have let Wenaas play Left-side instead of Landfair, because Wenaas has clearly stepped up to be an on-court leader for Texas, and a power house at her position. (She was amazing against Wisconsin.) If we had, we would have had powerful offense — plus the court leadership that we lost when Samedy graduated. Landfair never stepped up; and now we’ve lost both. 

I hope this is the last defection, and that our committed recruits also stay committed. But Landfair sent a strong message that others are likely to follow. And she couldn’t do it fast enough; pulling the plug before the season was even over.”

JOHN HERE: I understand JS’s angst; these are trying times. I find it hard to blame Cook for the 3 excellent players we lost last Portal-season – before Cook had a chance to work with them. But this year’s defections are at least partly on Cook; part of his resume was that he had never lost a player to the portal. We don’t know what pushed Landfair into the portal, but Cook’s streak is broken.

I wrote multiple times during the 2022 season that Wenaas was the Gophers’ best all-around player – based on the fact that she was the team’s only 5-tool player, she can serve, bump, set, hit & block. Wenaas had a nice game vs Wisconsin Thursday night, but she was not the hitter, throughout her Gopher career, that Landfair was.

We missed Wenaas the most on our serve-receive. Here’s a hard fact to ponder: during the 2022 season, Wenaas was the Gophers’ best  serve-receiver, even better than McGraw. This season at Texas, Wenaas isn’t even part of the Texas receive! Presumably, she’s not one of their top 3 receivers! 

I certainly share JS’s hope that Landfair will be our only defection this year. Part of that will depend on how well Cook has “connected” with the players he inherited. But Landfair’s “message” depends on how much of a leader Landfair was. If players such as Shaffmaster, Wooker, and Grote look up to Landfair, then they might be gone too. But maybe Landfair was never regarded as a leader, and maybe our other Left-side Hitters (Wooker, Hanson & Swenson) will anticipate increased playing-time with landfair gone – and therefore be more likely to stay.

Taylor Landfair, the 2022 Big-Ten Player of the Year (and legitimate candidate for National Player of the Year), has entered “The Portal.” Like it or not (and I know some Readers do not), every modern-day college athlete with eligibility remaining has the right to enter the portal and play somewhere else next year, should they choose – without penalty, and no excuses required. Technically, a player entering “The Portal” can choose to stay where they were, but I see zero chance of Landfair staying a Gopher. 

Landfair has amazing potential and 2 years of eligibility left, and she will be one of the most sought-after transfer in the country, if not #1. Yes, she underperformed this year, but whatever you imagine was the reason that Landfair did not shine in 2023, I guarantee you that there will be plenty of coaches who think they can fix it. She will get multiple offers from teams with legitimate Final Four and Championship aspirations. I guess I’d be surprised if she lands in Nebraska, but I assume that she will get offers from Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois and dozens of other schools. And it will happen fast (if it hasn’t already by the time you read this); Landfair will be enrolled somewhere else in January. 

I am sorry to see Landfair go. When she arrived, in the Spring of 2020, along with Wenaas and Shaffmaster, I thought this trio would certainly take the Gophs to at least one Final Four. The one consolation for the Gophers is that Left-side Hitter is a position where we have depth – with Wooker, Julia Hanson, and Olivia Swenson on the way. IF (and it’s a big IF) no one else leaves, we might be okay.

The gut-punch came in October of 2022, when beloved Coach McCutcheon announced his decision to step aside. (We still haven’t heard a convincing explanation of why.) This was followed soon after by the out-transfers of Jenna Wenaas (might have happened anyway) and Carter Booth, and the dis-commitment of top-recruit Laney Choboy. As disappointed as I was by these 3 “defections,” they were recruited by McCutcheon and then abandoned by McCutcheon. And all 3 are still playing for Final-Four Teams. So I guess you can’t blame them. (And say this for McCutcheon, the guy could recruit!)

I think it is too soon to judge Coach Cook. Though the outcome fell short of the excellence we had come to expect:

• Cook could not, or at least did not, bring with him any of Washington’s top players, as I had hoped he might): and 
• He seemed slow to make on-court assignment changes that were all-too obvious. 

BUT

• He had an admirable record at Washington, both in terms of wins & loses, but also in terms of retaining his best players.
• He convinced Landfair, Wooker and Shaffmaster to stay for the ‘23 season; 
• He facilitated the in-transfers of Murr, Grote and Owoleye; 
• He has apparently convinced the Swenson Sisters to honor their commitments for next year; 
• We apparently have a top recruiting class lined up for ‘25.

AND IF

• He can keep  Landfair, Wooker, Shaffmaster, Grote and the Swenson Sisters wearing Maroon & Gold next year, I’ll be impressed.

REGARDING INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS:

• Lydia Grote was better than expected, a good right-side hitter, a good server, and a decent blocker. She was no Samedy, who was a legitimate 6-rotation player, with a broader repertoire of hits. But Grote was a very pleasant surprise. She was named second-team All-Big-Ten. And she’s got another year of eligibility (if she chooses to use it). 
• Kylie Murr, the ‘22 Big-Ten Defensive Player of the Year was as good as expected, doing everything she could. And was named first-team All-Big-Ten. Murr, of course, has exhausted her eligibility.
• Melani Shaffmaster had a great season. Several GopherVBallRocks readers have been critical of Shaffmaster throughout her Gopher career; and I get it, she’s too big to be super-quick. BUT 

> Her height and strength provide some trade-offs, 73 blocks (a good # for a setter) and 104 kills (a spectacular #) ; 

> She set well when she got good passes (it’s not her fault that she got so few of them); 

> She played all season with a bad knee (and the Gophers were pathetic when she couldn’t play); 

> She was clearly the Gophs’ most “clutch player,” the one most likely to get the ace, the block, or the kill, to win a hard-fought set – my choice for Team MVP; 

> She was named second-team All-Big-Ten; And

> In 4 seasons as a Gopher – she has played better every year!  

> And she’s got another year of eligibility (if she chooses to use it). 

• Taylor Landfair played well enough to lead the team in kills (just barely at 361), and repeat at first-team All-Big-Ten  But, in contrast to Shaffmaster, I did not see improvement. Landfair is a good, all-around volleyball player. As a freshman she was erratic, in her 2nd year (last year, she missed a year with an injury) she was the Big-Ten Player of the Year, and I had hoped that this was the year she would put-the-team-on-her-back. But she didn’t. (see Readers Respond, below)
• McKenna Wucherer, “The Wooker,” was also disappointing. She virtually tied Landfair with 353 kills, but failed to improve significantly. Last year she played like the freshman she was, and to my eyes, she played like one again. She only hit .186; below the team average. Landfair and Wooker were playing for a new coach, which could make a difference in defensive assignments, etc. But Landfair and Wooker are Left-side Hitters – there aren’t new plays for Left-side Hitters to learn, just hit the ball.
• Arcia Davis hit .262, the best on the team, but mediocre for a Middle (who generally have higher attack percentages) and had 111 blocks. She played hard, but she’s woefully undersized for today’s game.
• Phoebe Awoleye hit worse, only. .250, with 141 blocks, barely more than 1 per set, which is mediocre for a Middle (Davis was worse). Generally, these two held their own versus mediocre teams with mediocre Middles, but were a predictable weak-spot versus strong teams with strong Middles. Awoleye has exhausted her eligibility.
• Freshman Zeynep Palabiyik joined the team late (as the season was starting) and was not immediately eligible (for reasons never fully explained), following the conclusion of the European 18U Championships (where she was reportedly the top Libero). Coach Cook played her as our D.S. for 1 (maybe 2) sets shortly after her eligibility was resolved, and she was terrible. Two months later (and at least a month after it became obvious that we needed her) Palabiyik reappeared as our D.S. She did not dazzle, but she was a big improvement over other, failed, options.
• Julia Hanson was one of the failed options – not as a D.S. (she never received serve, which I would have thought an option), but as a Back-Row Hitter playing in lieu of a D.S. This “failed” because we desperately needed a real D.S. But Hanson did fine as a Back-Row Hitter (and occasional server), and when she had the opportunity to play Left-Side Hitter, her natural position, in place of Wooker, there was no noticeable drop-off.
• Elise McGhie was marginally adequate as our back-up Setter, Lauren Crowl was marginally adequate as our back-up Opposite, Skylar Gray was less than adequate as an option at D.S., freshman Opposite Sydney Schnichels started the season in a “boot” and was clearly red-shirted, freshman Libero Chloe Ng played so minimally as to be eligible for red-shirt designation, and freshman Middle Calissa Minatee played some (not sure if she could be eligible for red-shirt designation). But given the team’s season-long struggle at Middle and Opposite, I assume that Ng and Minatee would have played if Cook felt they could contribute. 

READERS RESPOND

Reader T.R. reports that “His hardcore MN vbers claim that McCutchen left coaching because, as hard as he tried (and Cook also has tried), he could not get this group of bump-and-giggle, having-fun players, following Landfair’s lead, to play with the ferocious, competitive, intensity needed to win the big points against the top teams.”

John here: Maybe. I don’t have a better theory regarding McCutcheon’s departure, and I have written previously about the ‘23 (and ‘22) Gophers lacking on-court leadership. Samedy provided some, Dali Santana provided a lot, and so did SSS (whose 2 sisters are signed to be Gophers next fall). I felt that Shaffmaster came the closest of anyone on the ‘22 or ‘23 squads to conveying intensity, maybe not the intensity that T.R, wants to see. Local sports fans were constantly complaining about Joe Mauer lacking intensity; but I’m sure Mauer was intensely competitive, he just didn’t show it – a personality thing.

Other readers have complained about the Gophers seemingly congratulating each other after bad plays – but this sort of “positivity” has become part of “volleyball culture.” My younger granddaughter is playing 11U volleyball. She can’t get her serve over the net, half the team can’t bump, I’ve yet to see a real overhand set, and spiking and blocking are therefore not part of the game; and yet they’ve mastered the business of congratulating the teammate with the last touch, good or bad. I guess the idea is that this sort of “support” is more helpful, moving forward to the next point, than yelling at each other over whose fault the last mistake was.

That said, I agree, as I’ve written above, that it was disappointing to never see Landfair get “fired up” and take over a game – the way great athletes often do.

The Gophers’ dreams were crushed by the Bluejays, In 3 sets, but all close, 21-25, 20-25, 27-29. The sentiment here at our house was that the Gophs played poorly, but I thought not too poorly. Creighton is pretty good., and the Gophers’ season-long flaws were exposed just enough:

• The Bluejays served aggressively, making more service errors than the Gophs, but it paid off for them. Creighton began the match serving at Palabyik, but soon found Landfair a softer target. I had Landfair with 4 receiving errors for the match, which isn’t awful given that they served at her most of the night, but two of her bad receives came during a 5-pt run in the middle of Set 3, turning an 18-14 lead into an 18-19 deficit. Oddly enough, the Gophers served at the Creighton Libero all night. 
• Landfair led the Gophs in kills, I had her with 12, but I would swear she lobbed “free-balls” over the net more times than she attacked. Part of that was Landfair’s trademark reluctance to attack a poor set, but also the frequency of poor sets resulting from the Gophers overall poor serve-receiving.
• A season-long problem that I haven’t written much about is Wooker’s blocking. Wooker is a very good hitter – but a mediocre blocker. And the Bluejays’ Opposite took advantage of her early and often.

A surprising problem was Grote’s ineffectiveness. Last night, vs Utah State, Grote was the best player on the court, but Creighton was ready for her predictable cross-court attacks. (I had her with only 2 kills for the match.) Shaffmaster’s offense was a bright spot; she had 5 kills (on I think 6 attacks).  

In August, when the Gophers were rated #5 in the country, I told you we were not that good. In October, when some GopherVBall readers predicted the Gophers would not even get an NCAA invite, I told you we were not that bad. Three weeks ago I suggested that the Gophs could rescue the season with a strong finish leading to the Sweet Sixteen. And one week ago, I told you that the Gophs would beat Utah State and have a 50-50 chance vs Creighton. At the end of the day, the ‘23 Gophs were good enough to beat teams like Baylor and Ohio State and Utah State – but not good enough to beat teams like Penn State, Purdue, Nebraska and Wisconsin. 

I’ll post some thoughts about next year when I get over the disappointment. 

The Gophers had little trouble in Set 1, 25-17, or Set 2, 25-14; the Gophs never trailed in either set. USU out-hustled the Gophs for a while in the middle of Set 3, turning an 11-7 lead into a 17-22 deficit. But Lydia Grote, playing in the first NCAA Tournament Match of her career, fired the Gophers up with 2 of her team-leading 10 kills and 2 of her team-leading 5 blocks, to lead the Gophers back to a Set 3 win, 25-23.

When you watch BTN a lot, as I do, you come away with the impression that the Big 10 is the strongest conference in every sport (football, hockey, wrestling, men’s and women’s basketball, etc), certainly in volleyball. But this heralded superiority doesn’t always lead to NCAA Tournament success. So it’s hard to know how a team that went 12 & 8 for 5th place in the Big 10 will fare against a team that completely dominated the Mountain West. And I know from personal experience that the bigger, stronger team doesn’t always prevail in volleyball.

But in this case, they did. The Aggies, led by their outstanding, but 5-8, star leftside, were no match for the bigger, stronger, Gophers. The Jeff Day story in this morning’s Strib said that the Aggies were a strong-serving team, exactly the kind of team that has given the Gophs trouble all season.  But you wouldn’t have guessed it watching this match. I think the Aggies had 4 aces (vs 9 for the Gophs), but one of the 4 hit the tape and trickled over. I only counted 3 bad receives, 2 by Wooker and 1 by Palabyik.

Either a Mountain West Champ is no match for a 5th place Big 10 team,OR the Gophers really are peaking. We’ll find out tomorrow at 6:30, likely against a top-ten Creighton team, in Creighton’s gym.