I wrote previously that Jenna Wenaas might be the Gophers best all-around volleyball player. She is the most clearly established “5-tool” player (i.e., serving, passing, setting, hitting & blocking). Others, like Shaffmaster, Landfair Wooker & Julie Hanson might be 5-tool players, but Wenaas demonstrates all 5 skills every match.
The highly rated Wenaas (#3 in the country) spent her freshman season with the Gophs either on the bench, behind Landfair and Rollins, or playing D.S. when Kilkelly was playing Libero – and I’m not sure she wasn’t better at D.S. than Kilkelly. Currently, she is a main-stay of the Gophers serve-receive – the one opponents avoid.
Replacing Rollins, Wenaas spent her sophomore season as a Left-side hitter. She started out in Landfair’s shadow, but when Landfair was injured, early in the season, Wenaas quickly became the Gophers premier Left-side hitter, and was named 2nd Team All Big Ten. Wenaas started this season at a Left-side, and was, through the first 6 matches, just a kill or two behind Landfair in production per match.
Then, starting with the match vs Pepperdine, Wenaas moved to Opposite (i.e., Right-side Hitter), allowing the freshman, and now-healthy Wooker to take over as the Gophers #2 Left-side hitter. Wooker has been a huge success, just as productive as Wenaas had been, and only slightly less productive than Landfair.
But Wenaas has not been particularly productive at Opposite. She has been more productive than Hanson and Crowl, who played Opposite when Wooker was injured (Hanson did have one really strong match). But not nearly as effective as she had been at Left-side. And certainly not nearly as productive as the great Samedy had been. In fact, during these past 4 matches, Wenaas has been more productive from the Left-side, where she plays for one half-rotation (because it is too difficult to switch while receiving serve) than she has been for her 5 half-rotations at Opposite.
Daughter, and Reader (and former H.S.Star Left-side hitter) Phoebe feels this line-up shift is unfair to Wenaas. But we know that the Gophers are stronger with Landfair and Wooker at Left-side, and Wenaas at Right-side, than they had been with Wenaas at Left-side and Hanson and Crowl at Opposite. (At least for now, we can’t rule out Hanson and Crowl getting better.)
We don’t know how the Gophers would look with Wenaas at Left-side and Landfair or Wooker at Right-side. Nor do we know whose idea it was for Wenaas to move. Has she played Opposite in H.S. or club volleyball? Did she volunteer? Was it strictly a coaches’ decision? And how is she feeling about it?
My guess? Wenaas is a classy team-first player who will dedicate herself to becoming a top-quality Opposite – even if it takes a while.