Author: jktrpp

Reader R.A. calls our attention to the fact that incoming freshman Mckenna Wucherer, who I insist Coach McCutcheon has to find a place in the lineup for (despite the fact that her natural position is Left-Side Hitter and we’ve already got two good ones), was just named to the 21U National Training Team.

There is one “match” left in the Spring season, but that’s in Indianola, IA. I won’t be there and neither will the Strib, so it will be like a tree falling in the forest. (If any reader does get down to Indianola, please report back.) But I saw enough during these first 3 scrimmages to have some opinions. I firmly believe that (baring injuries or illnesses or late transfers), the 2022 Gophers will be a powerhouse, a talented team with the size, experience and depth to compete for the BigTen and even the National Championships. Here are my thoughts about the roster, who plays and where, and who watches from the bench:

The Gophs will surely play a 5-1, meaning 5 hitters and one setter, plus a libero and likely a defensive specialist (a DS), so 8 players in any given set. The 2020 recruiting class (rated #1 in the country) of Landfair, Wenaas and Shaffmaster will fill certainly fill 3 of those spots. (Wenaas and Shaffmaster are listed as Juniors, and Landfair as a redshirt Soph, since she missed last season due to injury, but keep in mind that Wenaas and Shaffmaster potentially have 3 more years of eligibility, and Landfair 4 more, because the 2020 season, played in the Spring of ’21, doesn’t count!)

Taylor Landfair, a 6-5 Left-side hitter out of Plainfield, Ill, was the #1 2020 recruit in the country. And when she is on her game, it is easy to see why. Besides the height, she has a great vertical, and is capable of going over the top of blocks. She made first-string All Big Ten in her freshman year, and has National Player of the Year potential. Challenges: She’s a decent passer, but at 6-5, not a great digger. And she missed last season with an injury – which raises questions about her durability.

Jenna Wenaas, a 6-1 Left-side hitter out of Frisco Texas, was the #3 2020 recruit in the country. She doesn’t have the abnormal height that Landfair enjoys, but she is a powerful hitter. And she’s a libero–quality digger, an obvious 6-rotation player. Challenges: Other than she’s not 6-5, I honestly can’t think of any weaknesses.

Melani Shaffmaster, a 6-3 Setter (that’s not a typo, she’s a 6-3 setter) out of New Castle Ind, was approximately the #10 ,2020 recruit in the country. She has the unusual combination of the height and strength of a hitter – and the soft, sweet, hands of a top-level setter.. And this is Shaffmaster’s team. This will be her 3^rd year running the team, and in addition to great setting, she needs to be the leader. My preference would be for Shaffmaster to take better advantage of her height by attacking the second touch with increased frequency – turning our 5-1 into a 6-1. It doesn’t have to work every time to keep the defense off-balance. Challenges: She’s not the quickest setter in the BigTen — and she’s not going to be. But Shaffmaster was better her sophomore year than she was her freshman year, and I expect her to be even better this year

And last but not least among the locked-in starters, CC McGraw, a 5-9, 5^th year senior Libero out of Prior Lake. McGraw was good as a freshman and has gotten better every year. The coordination between the setter and the hitters is understood to be important, but the coordination between the setter and the libero is at least as important because the libero is the alternate setter, and the two have to be on the same page. McGraw played with a different setter each of her first 3 seasons; but now this will be her third straight season with Shaffmaster, and I expect greatness. Challenges: Like Landfair, there are questions about McGraw’s durability.

The fifth, almost certain, starter is Rachel Kilkelly, a 5-9, 4^th year senior DS out of Shakopee. If Coach McCutcheon employs a DS, which he likely will, it will be Kilkelly. When it comes to receiving and digging, the drop-off from McGraw to Kilkelly is minimal. Challenges: It might just be experience and opportunity, but in the past, when Kilkelly has filled in as libero,  she has struggled in her role as the alternate setter.

The sixth most likely starter is Carter Booth, a 6-7, true freshman Middle from Denver (earlier from a Twin City suburb – I forget which one). Height is helpful if one has the athleticism to use it, and Booth does. True, I’ve only seen her play against inferior opponents, but I am convinced that Booth has the potential to be a major force in BigTen Volleyball. Challenges: Booth is not, at this stage of her career, much of a passer. But she won’t be receiving any serves, and her passing should get better with time.

The seventh most likely starter is Ellie Husemann, a 6-3, 4^th year senior Middle out of Eagan. Husemann won a State Championship at Eagan, has been competitive throughout her Gopher career, has gotten better every year, emerged as a starting Middle mid-season last year, and was dominate against South Dakota and NDSU in the first two Spring Matches. Challenges: Good but not great, Husemann has not, in her first 3 seasons with the Gophs, been an every-set, season-long starter — instead having to compete with other Middles for playing time. And that will likely continue; Husemann will be pushed (see below).

And the eighth most likely starter is Lauren Crowl, a 6-4, redshirt freshman from Eagan. Crowl adds a lot to the Gopher lineup. Taller and stronger than Samedy, Crowl is the only player on the roster listed as an “Opposite.” The left-handed (always an advantage for an Opposite) Crowl was obviously recruited (3 or 4 years ago) to take over when Samedy’s eligibility expired following the 2020 season. But then the 2020 season got pushed into the Spring of 2021, and participation in it didn’t count, Samedy came back for a 5^th year, repeating as BigTen Player of the Year – forcing Crowl to redshirt. But now she’s ready to be our starting Opposite. Challenges: So why do I rate Crowl as the eighth most likely starter? 1) Though Crowl potentially has the height and power to hit from the back-row (as Samedy routinely did), this big, strong athlete has not yet demonstrated the passing skills required to play back-row, so Kilkelly would be subbing for Crowl rather than Landfair; 2) Though Crowl was “crushing” the ball against South Dakota and NDSU, she wasn’t getting many kills; they don’t seem to keep stats for these Spring scrimmages, but I think Crowl’s hitting percentage might have been a negative number.

Thus far, I’ve given you 8 starters: two left-side hitters, a setter, a libero, a DS, and two middles. End of conversation? No way! The Gopher roster includes at least 3 other athletes who are simply too good to spend the season on the bench:

McKenna Wurcherer, a 6-1, pure freshman, left-side hitter from Brookfield Wis, is the #1 rated recruit in the class of 2022. Seeing her in these Spring scrimmages convinces me that she was not over-rated — and #1 rated recruits don’t ride the bench! Wurcherer looks a lot like another Wenaas, similar height, similar athleticism and, like Wenaas, she has all the tools, with no obvious weaknesses. Wenaas spent her freshman year playing DS, and occasionally subbing for Landfair or Rollins, but Wenaas was at least involved. (And she knew she was better than Rollins; and Rollins knew it too.)

But Wenaas and Landfair have, potentially, 3 and 4 years of eligibility left; Wurcherer is not going to ride the Gopher bench for 3 years. So how does Wurcherer crack an already loaded lineup? The most obvious choice would be an injury. Landfair missed the whole last season with an abdominal pull; my sense (I don’t have stats for this) is that athletes with a history of injuries are more likely to get re-injured (e.g., Buxton). No reason to think Wenaas gets injured – but she’s human. The other likely candidate would be McGraw, also with a history of health problems.  If McGraw goes down, Kilkelly becomes the Libero and Wurcherer likely becomes the DS. Landfair, Wenaas, McGraw and Kilkelly are all veterans, and we might see a temporary drop-off if one of these solid veterans is injured and replaced by Wurcherer. But not for long.

The other option would be if somebody struggles, unrelated to an injury. I can’t imagine Wenaas, McGraw or Kilkelly playing poorly while healthy, and Landfair’s up-side is over the moon, so I don’t see her getting benched for Wurcherer either. But there is an unproven freshman in my projected lineup. (Two, counting Booth, but Wurcherer will not be playing Middle.) I’m talking, of course, about Crowl. I could see Wurcherer playing ahead of even a healthy Crowl, if Crowl struggles. Wurcherer could become our Opposite, or, more likely, Coach McCutcheon could play 3 left-side hitters, with Landfair, Wenaas and Wurcherer sharing the right-side duties. (Similar to how he used Lohman and the Tapp sisters in 2016.) I’m not hoping for an injury, and I want Crowl to become a star; but one way or another, I expect to see Wurcherer playing important minutes in 2022.

Another newcomer with a chance to crack the lineup would be Arica Davis, a 5-11, sophomore, Middle, transfer. At 5-11, Davis seems too short for Middle, but in her freshman year at Ohio State, she led the Buckeyes, a Sweet-Sixteen team, in blocks. Davis is a talented athlete; I’m projecting Husemann and Booth as the starting Middles, but Davis didn’t ditch a staring role on a Sweet-Sixteen team to ride the bench for an Elite Eight team.

One more player I fell in love with during the recent Spring scrimmages, is Julia Hanson, a 6-1 Left-side, pure freshman from Prior Lake. Hanson comes in with a lower rating from the national recruiting geniuses than Landfair, Wenaas and Wurcherer (two #1s and a #3), but she was the 2021 Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, and  the MVP of a National 17U team at a European tournament. As GOPHERVBALLROCKS reader E.F. would say, “She ain’t chopped liver.” I guess Hanson sits #4 on the current depth chart at left-side, and maybe #2 at Opposite(?), but Hanson is an excellent volleyball player, likely to find her way into the lineup at some point.

Elise McGhee, a 5-10, junior, Setter transferred in from Kansas  (McGhee was the Jayhawks starting setter as a freshman and at the beginning of her sophomore season, but finished last season as the back-up), will be our back-up Setter. We expect Shaffmaster to be on the floor for every point in every set in every match. But if and when Shaffmaster can’t play, for what ever reason, McGhee will become the most important player on the team.

Skylar Gray, a 5-10, sophomore, Libero/DS, from Maple Grove, is officially #3 on the depth chart behind McGraw and Kilkelly. And she might be in the lineup next year, when we certainly won’t have McGraw; or maybe Kilkelly either, And Gray has a nasty serve, which could help. But if McGraw or Kilkelly miss sets this year, Gray will have competition for playing time from Wurcherer and maybe Hanson.

Natalie Glenn, a 5-10, sophomore, Left-side from Southlake Texas, is a very talented athlete. But, in my analysis, she sits at #5 on the left-side depth chart. Glenn is left-handed, making Opposite a more natural position than left-side hitter, and prior to these recent scrimmages, I expected her to compete to be the Opposite. But there was no hint of this against South Dakota, NDSU or St. Thomas – so I guess that’s not going to happen. Last year, Glenn excited the fans with her high-risk/high-reward jump-serve, and I thought that if she could improve her ace-to-error ratio, that might be the key for her to contribute. But in the 3 scrimmages, playing 3^rd string left-side, she never even attempted a power serve, so I guess that’s not going to happen either. Glenn is clearly a talented athlete, but I’m having a hard time imagining her future as a Gopher.

Anna Wolf, a 6-4, sophomore Middle from River Falls, seems to be #4 on the depth chart behind Booth, Husemann, and Davis, and I haven’t seen anything from her to suggest that will change. Wolf will get the opportunity to change this only if 2 of the 3 ahead of her are unable to perform at the same time.

The Gophers finished the in-state portion of their Spring season (they play Kansas State next week in Indianola, IA) with an unblemished record, 12 sets played and 12 sets won. St. Thomas, prepping for their 2^nd season of D1 VBall, were clearly undermanned against a Gopher Team that I believe will be ranked in the Top Ten Nationally when the first poll comes out in August.

Blog Readers and Geezer Vballers J.B. & L.J. were with me at the Pav, as were granddaughters (and surely future VB stars) Peaches and Curly. The girls were particularly interested in the Gopher hairstyles, and the Geezers in the differences between Gopher & Geezer VBall. (#1 The Gophs move their feet; #2 The Gophs are “in-system” most of the time.)

Since last week’s match vs NDSU, I’ve been going back and forth a bit with Reader R.A. (who I don’t know), who was at the match in Lakeville. R.A. is a loyal reader who shares my passion for GopherVBall, and we mostly agree on the new squad,  We disagree on redshirt freshman Lauren Crowl (R.A. likes her better than I do) and true freshman McKenna Wucherer (R.A. likes her less than I do).

So my main interest tonight was Crowl and Wucherer, and the related question of who will play the Opposite position for next fall’s squad. I conceded in last week’s blog that Crowl is the clear favorite; she’s the only athlete on the roster listed as “Opposite,” and she was clearly recruited as Samedy’s replacement. And when the season starts for real in late August, Crowl may well be on the floor as the Opposite.

But the Gophers revealed another option against the Tommies. Crowl played Opposite for 1 & ½ sets, but for 2 & ½ sets, the Gophers played with a Setter, 2 Middles, 3 left-side hitters (Wenaas, Landfair and Wucherer) and no real Opposite. In each pass through the front line, each left-side would hit left-side twice, and right-side once. This could be brushed off as silliness in a scrimmage vs a weaker team – except for two things:

1. I believe that Wenaas, Landfair, Wucherer, plus Husemann and Booth are our 5 strongest front-row players; and  
2. It is similar to the system Coach McCutcheon employed before he had Samedy. The 2016 Gophers did not have a great Opposite, but they did have 3 strong Middles; Hannah & Paige Tapp & Molly Lohman, so McCutcheon used a Setter, 3 Middles, 2 left-side hitters and no real Opposite. And the 2016 Gophs went to the Final Four.

I’m not ready to say that the 2022 Gophers will run with Wenaas, Landfair, Wucherer and no real Opposite – but it could happen.

Reader R.A. was in the first row, in a perfect position behind Opposite Crowl to be impressed by the power of her hits.  He also had a good view of the blocking by Crowl, Husemann, Booth, and Shaffmaster. Booth reminded him of Pittman, pounding shots straight down, well inside 8 ft.  Hope to see more of that this season.

Hanson was impressive also.  Glenn’s hits were more nuanced than last year, not always going for power over accuracy.  Landfair was a bit tentative in her first shots, going for dinks, but quickly found terrific power. And Davis was solid, especially on defense.

NDSU was overmatched vs the Gophers first team, but so many Gopher hits were no-doubters that would have scored on anyone.  The Gophers also made solid saves when the Bisons had good hits, but Shaffmaster was still chasing around the court too often. This is a solid starting 7, with some decent backups.                             

I attended this afternoon’s scrimmage vs NDSU at Lakeville North. I didn’t recognize any GOPHERVBALLROCKS readers (other than Maureen), but it was crowded, almost sold out (an empty seat here and there). If you were there, share your thoughts with our readers.

The Gophers swept 4 sets, 25-6, 17-16, 25-13, & 25-21. Although the scores of the 2^nd, 3^rd & 4^th sets were similar to last week sweep of South Dakota, the 1^st set (25-17 last week), when both players were playing their starters, were radically different. The Bison were a lot less competitive than the Coyotes had been.

Certainly NDSU has a roster full of talented athletes, but they didn’t have the height to challenge the Gophs. I was there in time for the warm-ups; the Bison were pounding the ball down on the 28 ft line; the taller Gophers, especially Landfair, Wenaas, Booth and others, were were pounding the ball down on the 8 ft line.

I focused my attention on what I considered the two open questions: 1) Who will be this year’s two Middles? And 2) Who will be this year’s Opposite?

• I think I know the answer to #1. At least based on what I saw this afternoon, senior Ellie Husemann and freshman Carter Booth will be our starting Middles. Both dominated the (admittedly shorter) Bison when they were on the floor. Husemann appears to have become better every year. Big, strong Carter Booth dominated the net more than any Gopher Middle in years. She also has a nasty serve, but serving implies playing back row, at least briefly, and I’m uncertain how much we will see her in the back row until her passing gets a lot better.

Sophomore Anna Wolfe started today’s 1^st set and played okay; but nothing like Husemann and Booth. Sophomore Arcia Davis played the 2^nd and 4^th set and looked very good, but still not as dominant as Husemann and Booth. BTW, Davis is listed as 5-11, but when she stands next to the 6-3 Husemann or the 6-4 Wolfe, Davis seems only slightly shorter.

• Lauren Crowl remains the favorite for Opposite. She’s tall (6-4), she’s left handed, she started today’s 1^st set, and she’s the only “Opposite” listed on the roster. And she played okay. But 6-1 freshman Outside Hitter Julia Hanson played better, today, than Crowl. So in my mind, the jury is still out.

Miscellaneous Notes from today’s scrimmage:

• “Kill” is common V-Ball slang for scoring on a spike, but Taylor Landfair almost-literally killed some unfortunate Bison back-row player, the crowd gasping and wondering if she would get up.
• Natalie Glenn is a terrific athlete, and demonstrated strong digging skills again today. But given that only two left-side hitters can play in the same set, and given that Glenn is not one of our top 3 left-side hitters (and not obviously even better than Hanson) I don’t see her getting a lot of playing time at her preferred position.

UP NEXT: Thursday, 7:30, St. Thomas, at the Pav.

I was excited to learn of the Gopher’s “spring season.” I was less excited about driving 2 hours each way to watch them play South Dakota in Blue Earth. But every Saturday since Christmas we’ve had a grandkid playing volleyball, or basketball, or wrestling, or swimming, not to mention 3 weeks of “home school” during the teacher’s strike – and suddenly that’s all over, at least until baseball starts. And it wasn’t even snowing, so why not?

The match started at 2pm. doors supposed to  open at 1:30. When we arrived at 1:30, the parking lot was almost full. No line, they must have let ‘em in early. It was a standard, modern gym, with folding bleachers on either side. Only one set of bleachers was unfolded, and it was 90% full, a half-hour before the match. But we found good seats next to some locals (welcome, new blog-reader Tara). They eventually unfolded the other side, which was half-full by the time the match started.  BTW, the Gopher swept 4 sets, 25-17, 25-19, 25-12 & 25-22 from the Coyotes.

As we drove down to Blue Earth, I had lots of questions regarding our 2022 Gophers, many of which, but not all , were answered:

• Do Spring Games count? NO, these are “scrimmages:” with an almost packed house and a electronic scoreboard, and neutral refs.. But, oddly enough, no line-judges, wearing practice jerseys (the “returning” Gophs had numbers; the “new” Gophs did not), and as noted, a 4^th set though the Gophs had won the first 3. The good news, for Gophervolleyballrocks readers, is that the Gophs got to play their entire roster (I think).
• Is Landfair really healthy? YES, based on what we saw at Blue Earth HS. Landfair looked incredible, crushing the ball from the front row, crushing the ball from the back row, at least once from the Middle position, blocking a bit, even passing pretty well. Can’t tell you how long that will last, but she looked like the old “shock and awe” Landfair, at least against the over-matched Coyotes.
• Are the rest of our returning stars healthy? YES, Wenaas played like the Wenaas we know and love. not as “shock and awe” as Landfair, but every bit as effective. McGraw played like the McGraw we know and love, Shaffmaster played like the Shaffmaster we know and mostly love, and KIlkelly and Husemann played like KIlkelly and Husemann.
• Are the incoming freshmen as good as their ratings suggest? YES, # 1 overall national recruit O.H. McKenna Wucherer looks like the # 1 overall national recruit. 6-7 Middle Carter Booth looks 6-7, and blocks like 6-7 (she didn’t play in the 1^st set, more about that below) and hit okay. And O.H. Julia Hanson looked decent for a spring-freshman.
• Are we going to get any help from the transfers? POSSIBLY, I’m not ready to write them off after one spring scrimmage, but setter McGhie and Middle Davis both struggled in their Gopher debuts. McGhie, who played the 2nd set and part of the 4th is probably quicker than McMenimen, but I don’t see her challenging Shaffmaster for a starting role. Davis also played the 2nd & 4^th sets with mixed success.
• Help from the bench? POSSIBLY, Redshirt freshman Libero Skylar Gary turns out to have a nasty serve. Sophomore O.H. Natalie Glenn kept her killer-but-often out-of-bounds serve under wraps, putting the ball in play on every serve but without much on it. And otherwise playing like the Freshman Glenn, digging great, but hitting with mixed success. Sophomore Opposite Anna Wolf played the 1^st & 4^th sets, with mixed success. And Redshirt freshman Opposite Lauren Crowl played the 1^st & 4^th sets, with mixed success.
• Who will the 2022 Gopher Opposite? PROBABLY CROWL?. The only “Opposite” on the roster, Crowl is the obvious choice; she’s 6-4 and left-handed, an advantage for an Opposite. She rode the bench healthy last year, but she was presumably recruited specifically to replace Samedy – and then BigTen Player of the Year Samedy ended up playing a covid-bonus year – no wonder Crowl red-shirted.
• What are the other options? WUCHERER. Left-side is her natural position and she’s amazing! If she plays regular left-side for the Gophers, she’s a lock for Freshman of the Year and probably First-String All Big Ten. But she played Opposite in the 3^rd set – and struggled; she is definitely better on the left-side. But Landfair is back, as is Wenaas. And I’m telling you, Wucherer is too good to sit on the bench. I think Hanson played Opposite the 2^nd set (did I mention the newcomers didn’t have numbers?) with mixed success. And Hanson served well. I keep thinking Glenn, a left-handed O.H. capable of crushing the ball, for Opposite. But if Coach McCutcheon was ever going to play her at Opposite, these spring scrimmages would be the time to try it, and he didn’t today.
• And who will the 2022 Gopher Middles? PROBABLY HUSEMANN AND BOOTH. Husemann and Wolf started the match, probably out of respect for their seniority. But Booth stood out as our best Middle today. And Husemann beat out Rubright last year. Like our starting opposite, it may take a while to figure this out.
• And finally, are the Gophers loaded? ABSOLUTELY!

Chris Voelz, one of 8 women being inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, has strong connections to Gopher Volleyball. Yesterday’s Patrick Ruesse column about Voelz, who fought hard to promote women’s sports during her tenure as U of M Women’s Athletic Director from 1988 to 2002, notes many of Voelz’s accomplishments, including:

• The building of The Jean Freeman Aquatics Center;
• The conversion of an obsolete hockey arena into THE PAV;
• The building of Ridder Hockey Arena;
• The building of Cowles Softball Stadium.
• The creation of Women’s Varsity Hockey; And
• Firing Gopher Volleyball coach Steph Schleuder (because Voelz thought BIG), and wanted to hire Mike Hebert away from Illinois, which turned the Gophers into a volleyball powerhouse, making it possible, later, to hire Coach McCutcheon.

Voelz certainly deserves to be in the MN Sports HOF, and Ruesse is the best sports writer in the Twin Cities. (“Sports” might be an unnecessary qualifier.)  But there is a bit of hyperbole in this list.

• The Aquatics Center was under construction before Voelz became Women’s Athletic Director, and it was later named for my friend Jean Freeman after Jean’s untimely death — after Voelz had left the U. (I knew Jean when she swam for the Gophers and I was playing Water Polo; and later when Jean was the Women’s Swim Coach and I was the Men’s and Women’s Polo Coach in the Aquatics Center. Jean was a wonderful person; very deserving of having the Aquatics Center named after her.):
• THE PAV, which seats 5,700, has been a wonderful home for Gopher Volleyball, Gopher Gymnastics, and Gopher Wrestling. 5,700 is occasionally inadequate to satisfy everyone wanting a ticket for Volleyball or Wrestling — but that’s okay. But Voelz also insisted that the Gopher Women’s Basketball Team play there – until a broken pipe forced a team led by Lindsey Whalen and Janel McCarville into Williams Arena — where they drew 11,000. So much for Voelz thinking big.
• The building of His & Hers Hockey Arenas was the second stupidest facilities decision ever made by the Gopher Athletic Dept. (Number 1: TCF Stadium)
• The Gophers already had a strong Women’s Club Hockey program, and there was this Title IX thing, so going varsity was not exactly a stroke of genius.

But this is a volleyball blog, so let’s talk volleyball.  Mike Hebert had been successful at Illinois, and he had greater success with the Gophs; greater than he’d had at Illinois, and greater than Schleuder had had with the Gophers. But Voelz did not fire Schleuder so she could hire Hebert, and MN was not able to hire McCutcheon because of Hebert’s success. This is revisionist history.

Voelz fired Schleuder because Schleuder publicly criticized Voelz for lying to her regarding the raise Voelz had promised her. (And then Voelz was able to lure Hebert (a man) away from Illinois, for more money than she had been willing to pay Schleuder (a woman); — not exactly a feminist triumph. Voelz didn’t get along with her male, AD, boss, but she didn’t get along with her female coaches either.

And Coach McCutcheon, who could have had almost any job he wanted, might not have taken the Gopher job if the Gophers were a bad team in a bad conference. But he took the Gopher job because the Gophers were decent, they play in the strongest conference in the country, and McCutcheon is married to and raising kids with a Bachman Girl. (An outstanding volleyball player in her own right.) I don’t know if being one of many heirs to a florist empire makes Mrs. McCutcheon rich, but it definitely means free baby-sitting and a ton of familial support. Collegiate volleyball coaches don’t get rich coaching anywhere, not even at Nebraska or Stanford, and coaching in the home-town of his wife’s family was a decision unrelated to Voelz replacing a pretty good woman coach with an even better man coach.

TAYLOR LANDFAIR on TAYLOR LANDFAIR

This amazing athlete was the #1 overall rated recruit in the class of 2020, and while, in the Covid-Spring of ’21 Season, she experienced the normal ups & downs expected of any freshman, she also crushed “shock & awe” kills, and dominated enough sets that I suggested she might eventually surpass Steph Samedy and Samantha Seliger-Swenson as the GOAT of Gopher Volleyball.

But Landfair pulled herself from the first match of last fall’s season, came back a month later to play sparingly, then left again and spent the rest of the season leading cheers from the bench. When no real explanation was ever provided, there was plenty of speculation by readers of this blog. It was her back, it was a mental health problem, an attitude problem.

Now, the Official Gopher website has posted an essay, “TRUST THE PROCESS,” written by Landfair, explaining what happened. You can read the entire essay at https://gophersports.com/news/2022/3/22/volleyball. But if you’re pressed for time, here are the “Cliff Notes:”

It was an abdominal problem, a strain that developed during the first match of the season, turning into a tear when she tried to return to action to soon. The experience of missing a season was hard on her mental health. But she is now 100% healthy; her attitude is very positive, having “bonded” with the Gopher bench, especially freshmen Natalie Glenn and Lauren Crowl; and her “red-shirt was approved, so she has 4 more years of eligibility!

Say what? You read that right, there is now a Gopher Spring Volleyball Season, schedule as follows:

APR 2, 2:00 PM @ BLUE EARTH H.S. vs SOUTH DAKOTA

APR 9, 2:00 PM @ LAKEVILLE NORTH H.S. vs NDSU

APR 14, 7:30 PM @ The PAV vs ST. THOMAS

APR 23, 1:30 PM @ SIMPSON COLLEGE vs KANSAS STATE

Previously, Spring Practice Season concluded with an inter-squad game, originally a private affair, more recently open to the public. Originally, formal competition vs other schools was not allowed. (private “scrimmages,” maybe?) But now (as Dylan once sang, “The times, they are a changin’”), we have a 4-match “season” against other schools, open to the public.

I’m guessing these spring matches won’t count on a team’s 2022 record, but I have been unable to confirm this. What I did find, during my failed research, was that during the Spring Volleyball Season, the NCAA will be experimenting with a couple of rules changes:        1. Nationalization of the Big Ten rule allowing teams only two replay challenges (during the first four sets) – but allowing retention if the challenge is successful ;        2. Stud earrings will be allowed; And                                                                                        3. “Double-touches” on the second touch are no longer violations (double-touches on the first touch were legalized several years ago).                                                                                             These proposed changes all make sense to me.

Whether these spring games count or not, they will provide our first look at the 2022 Gophers. Despite the loss of Super-Star Steph Samedy, Super-Sub Airi Miyabe, gutsy back-up setter Bayley McMenimen, starting middle Katie Myers, and back-up middle Shea Rubright (transferred out), the 2022 Gophers will be loaded!

We start with four returning players recently named to the 2022 USA Volleyball Women’s Collegiate National Team: Left-sides Taylor Landfair and Jenna Wenaas, setter Melani Shaffmaster, and Libero CC McGraw. (The 2022 WCNT, which will train June 19-25 at the National Team Training Center in Anaheim will include 38 of the best collegiate players in the country. Our Gophs & Florida will be the only teams represented by 4 players. Ohio State will have 2, but no other Big Ten team will have more than one. The 38 will also include Adanna Rollins, listed as “college to be determined.”)

In addition to Landfair, Wenaas, Shaffmaster, and McGraw, returning Gophers will include DH Rachael Kilkelly, Middle Ellie Husemann, promising OH Natalie Glenn, and Lauren Crowl, a 6-4 red-shirt Opposite out of Eastview. On top of that, the 2022 Gophers will include a top-ten recruiting class including consensus No. 1 overall prospect McKenna Wucherer, a 6-1 OH out of Brookfield, Wis, Carter Booth, a 6-7 Middle out of Denver, and Julia Hanson, a 6-1 OH out of Prior Lake. (All 3 were Gatorade Player of the Year in their states, and all 3 are currently on campus and practicing for the spring season.)

And while we lost Rubright, the Gophs picked up two incoming transfers: Elise McGhie, a 5-10 setter transferring from Kansas (seemingly a replacement for McMenimen), and Arcia Davis a 5-11 middle transferring from Ohio State. Five-eleven seems too short to play Middle at the collegiate level, much less in the Big Ten, and yet Davis led the 2021 Buckeyes, a Sweet-Sixteen team, in blocks, including 10 matches with five-or-more blocks, and 13-kills in a five set win over. Notre Dame. Both transfers will have 3 yrs of eligibility remaining.

As we’ve learned, depth is a valuable asset. And it will be interesting to see these 8 returning players and 5 additions compete for playing time. I haven’t seen any 2022 rankings (anyone?) but I will be shocked if the Gophers are not in the Top Ten when the first poll comes out.

OTHER GOPHER NEWS

Thus is a volleyball blog, but I can’t help but mention the impressive, recent accomplishments of some other outstanding Gopher athletes:    1 Our men’s Hockey Team won the Big Ten regular season and has qualified for the Frozen Four this weekend;                                                                                                                                                2 Springboard Diver Sarah Bacon completed her illustrious Gopher career with her Fifth NCAA National Title, 3 from the 1-meter board and 2 from the 3-meter board;                         3 While failing to repeat his 2021 NCAA Championship breaststroke sweep (he took 2^nd in this year’s 200), senior Max McHugh did repeat as the 2022 NatChamp in the 100 breast. 4 The three above are wonderful accomplishments, which everyone in Gopher Nation can take pride in. But “wonderful” and “amazing,” are inadequate to describe the Maroon & Gold accomplishments of Gable Steveson. This reigning Olympic Champion and two-time NCAA Wrestler of the Year (the only heavyweight to ever win this award twice), recently closed out his Gopher career with an 85 & 2 career record, and his second National Championship. If you never watched Steveson wrestle, in person or on TV, shame on you; I have no adjectives to describe his dominance of his sport.

Multiple readers have responded to T.R.’s proposal to replace instant replay with an Honor System, and all have been positive. [My advice is to quit while you’re ahead, but never the less] T.R. elaborates: Like you, J.T., I have always considered volleyball to be the ultimate game, a breath of fresh air in sports, the opposite of the commercialized or business-ized evolution of almost all other sports.  The adage “it’s not whether you win or lose but rather how you play the game” applies here, and the honor system could become a competitive advantage for the best teams and coaches, elevating v-ball even more by moving away from the undesirable trends in other sports, with the players themselves protecting the integrity of the game.  I enjoy the blog; Keep up the good work!

Reader T.R. hates the instant replay challenges that have become (only in the last 10 yrs or so) an increasingly dominant feature of collegiate volleyball, and wants to get rid of them. T.R., himself an experience and highly skilled V-Baller, though currently in his 70s, makes the following points:               

• Instant replay challenges destroy the “rhythm” of the game, for players and spectators alike.
• Worse yet, instant replay challenges deemphasize the role of the athletes by increasing the influence of coaches, officials and technology.
• V-Ball was no less fun to watch or play before instant replay challenges were introduced.
• Occasional mistakes by officials went uncorrected – but many still do, as the challenges are, thank God, limited in number and scope (e.g., key “forward-progress call in the recent Vikings v Rams game).
• T.R. believes that the adoption of instant replay challenges in V-Ball are a mistaken attempt to follow the lead of popular televised sports like the NFL, etc.

More than just a complainer, T.R. recommends a solution: Trust the Line Judges to call the lines, trust the up-ref to call over-the-net and the down-ref to call under-the-net, and trust the blocker to call their own net violations and “touches.” An “HONOR SYSTEM.”

T.R. thinks it is a mistake, for many reasons, to follow the lead of the NFL, which has become harder and harder to watch. Instead, T.R. would like to see volleyball follow the lead of golf, where the competitors are expected to, and do, report their own violations, even with Million$ up for grabs. T.R. believes that if leading coaches, like the Gophers’ McCutcheon, emphasized the value of integrity over the value of winning, that everyone playing or watching volleyball would follow said honor system. And everyone, players, coaches, officials and spectators, would enjoy volleyball more than they already do.

[John: First, let me say how much I appreciate T.R. sharing his thoughts about a bigger issue than who missed a serve. Second, I find it hard to disagree with any of his reasoning. (Okay, maybe that a 4 ½ hr round of golf isn’t that much fun to watch either.)

Maureen and I have friends who are natives and residents of London. A few years ago, when they were here for a visit, I took Robert with me to a Viking Game vs the Bears. (Robert expressed concern about “hooligans;” I explained only at Packer Games.) After a Viking victory, I asked Robert if he enjoyed the game. Robert’s answer was, “Yes, except for the constant “litigation.” This was several years ago; the constant “litigation” has only gotten worse.

My other beef is that when they show the instant replay on BTN or on the jumbotron at the PAV, most of the time I still can’t tell if the ball spiked out-of-bounds grazed the blocker’s fingernail or not. And I think the down-ref is studying the same video I’m looking at. I think that there was better technology available in the recent Olympics, more pixels or more frames-per-second or something, such that the instant replays were extremely clear; you could see the blocker’s pinkie move. If this technology was widely available, I might be more supportive of instant replay. Though clearly, T.R. is making a point about the culture of volleyball, not the technology.

What say you, readers of GopherVBallRocks?