Losing to Stanford in the National Semis last year (2019) was disappointing, but only slightly. The 2019 Gophers had over-achieved just to reach the Final Four, and Stanford was loaded. Losing to Oregon at the Pav in the 2018 Sweet 16 was more painful, as the #2 seeded Gophers had legitimate championship aspirations. But that loss came after an epic 3rd set which the Gophers thought they had won 40-38, only to have set point reversed on a challenge leading to a 41-39 loss, which the Gophs didn’t recover from. This year’s loss to Pittsburgh, again by a team that appeared to have legitimate championship aspirations, was more painful yet.
Samedy was quoted in the Strib, “We gave it our best. Pitt just ended up being the better team.” I guess. It wasn’t bad officiating and there are no “bad bounces” in volleyball, so the team that wins was obviously the best team on the court that day. But I didn’t think Pittsburgh was that good. I was surprised that the Panthers seemed more relaxed in the 5th set than the Gophers who had been 5 for 5 in 5-set matches.
McCutcheon in the Strib, “It seemed like we were letting them dictate things more in the fourth set than earlier in the match. We were struggling to get any kind of rhythm.” I think Coach’s “Letting them dictate things” is a reference to the Gophers poor serve-receive. (The ESPN commentator working the National semis referred to this as “ball control,” but I’m unconvinced that this term works better than “passing.”) In the end, this game requires all 5 skills, just being strong at the net isn’t enough.
WAS THE BIG TEN OVERRATED?
It appears so, maybe not as much in volleyball as in men’s basketball, but yes. Gopher men’s hockey dropped their traditional affiliation with the WCHA for the Big Ten because the Big Ten commands a bigger market – more people watching means more $ and more hype. And we fall for it.
If you judge by representation in the Final Four over the last decade, the Big Ten really is the strongest and deepest conference, with annually half-a-dozen teams with the potential for a tournament run. But if you saw Texas plow through Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin in rounds 3,4, & 5, leaving the Big Ten out of the Championship Game, it is clear that there are other strong programs around the country.
The impact of the pandemic was interesting. The powerful Big Ten, the almost as powerful PAC, and the vast majority of less- powerful conferences, deferred their entire volleyball seasons to the Spring. But the SEC and the Big 12, both representing portions of the country that trend “red,” taking a more casual approach to the pandemic, chose a different path for volleyball, playing half of their conference season in the Fall and half in the Spring. Kentucky and Texas won their split-season conferences, and now face each other in the Championship Game. I couldn’t say for certain that the split-season worked to their advantage, but it didn’t hurt them any.
ROLLINS TO TRANSFER
As we await an announcement of whether seniors Steph Samedy, Regan Pittman and Airi Myabe will return for a “pandemic-bonus-year” of eligibility, we were surprised to hear that junior Adanna Rollins will be transferring. I haven’t heard where or why.
I grew up in an era in which D-1 Varsity* athletes were ineligible their freshmen year, then competed during 3-consecutive years of eligibility, almost always for one school. But now freshmen can compete, “red-shirt” years are common, transferring is common and no longer requires an excuse, and a pandemic has given everyone a bonus year of eligibility. (The roster of the pandemic-year Gopher women’s basketball team even included a high school girl.) It’s a new world. (* “Club sports,” like the water polo I played and coached for the Gophers, and men’s volleyball, have long had different eligibility rules.)
I don’t have any inside knowledge of where Rollins will be transferring to, or why, but this is a fan-blog, so let’s speculate:
- She’s already in graduate school, in business. Maybe “Carlson” doesn’t fit her needs.
- She’s probably played high-level volleyball for at least 6 years, maybe she’s looking for a lower-pressure situation.
- She’s a Texas girl, maybe she’s tired of cold weather.
- Maybe she’s homesick and will be transferring to someplace closer to home.
- Maybe she has a boyfriend (or girlfriend) at another school.
- Other schools are prohibited from “recruiting” her before she enters the “transfer portal,” but maybe she’s been offered a “better opportunity.”
- Or maybe she’s unhappy.
- She’s never been much of a smiler, maybe she’s always been unhappy.
- Maybe, after playing second-fiddle to Alexis Hart, she expected to become the “star” left-side hitter, and is jealous that Taylor Landfair got more attention.
- Maybe she doesn’t feel secure about starting next year (I think she probably would), with Landfair a more powerful hitter, Wenaas a better passer, and another crop of talented freshmen on the way.
- Maybe another accomplished left-side hitter is transferring in (we haven’t heard about it, but) and she is miffed about needing to compete for playing time.
- Maybe she’s had a falling-out with the coaching staff.
Whatever, we wish her well. Rollins has never been the “star,” but she’s been a steady, reliable, starter, and we saw how much the team depends on her when she missed the 2nd Nebraska match.
2021 RECRUITS
The Gophers bragged about their 2020 recruiting class, as well they might have given that it was rated the #1 recruit-class in the country. I haven’t seen similar bragging about this year’s class, but the Gophers have signed 4:
- Lauren Crowl, a 6-foot, 4-inch, left-handed, right-side hitter from Eagan (Eastview and Northern Lights). Taller than Samedy, and left-handed (an advantage for a right side hitter, though you wouldn’t know it to watch Samedy play), Crowl was obviously recruited to replace Samedy, who was supposed to be out of eligibility. She might have to wait a year if Samedy returns for a bonus year (or battle Miyabe for the position if Samedy leaves and Miyabe stays). And
- Also in the competition for right-side hitter will be Natalie Glenn, a 5-foot, 10-inch, right side hitter from Southlake, Texas, also left-handed. 5-10 sounds a little short for a Big Ten right side hitter, but she seems (as far as I can tell) slightly higher-rated than Crowl. Glenn is probably a great passer, and the Gophers sure need that.
- Anna Wolf, a 6-foot, 4-inch middle blocker from River Falls (and Minnesota Select). The Gophers had 4 middles this past season (Pittman, Rubright, Myers and Husemann), and if they all comeback and are joined by Wolf, the competition for playing time could be intense.
- Skylar Gray, 5-foot-10 out of Maple Grove, was a left-side hitter in high school, but more likely to play libero or D.S. for the Gophers.