Gopher Volleyball 2021-Fall Season


MSR's Charles Hallman writes about Natalie Glenn (she wears #83 in honor of her late father, NFL wide receiver, Terry Glenn.)

An under-six-foot-tall college volleyball player, especially in Division I, is rare because of their blocking duties. Nevertheless, 5’-10” outside hitter Natalie Glenn, in her first year at Minnesota, has the stuff to make the exception.

“The middle is an incredibly special talent,” explained Minnesota Coach Hugh McCutcheon of Glenn, the Southlake, Texas native. She is the only Black player among four freshmen on the 2021 roster. “She is a very good outside hitter, and I don’t think your size really plays into it,” the coach said.

A sly-smiling Glenn told the MSR after her six kills-one assist performance against St. Thomas Sept. 15, “I think as I progress through my years at Minnesota that I could be like a little sneaky blocker.”

After a prep career with 1,911 kills and 204 blocks, a multiple All-American and a USA Volleyball Girls Youth National Training Team member, Glenn left the Lone Star State for the 10,000-Lakes State. But she knows full well that her undersized stature as a middle/outside hitter “has its disadvantages and advantages” as a college volleyball player, she said. “I have more range since I’m shorter, so I have to be able to hit certain shots that if I was taller I wouldn’t have to.”

McCutcheon added, “She can hit with a ton of power and range. She can pass, she can dig, she can defend.”

Glenn wears number 83, the highest uniform number in Gopher history, in honor of her late father Terry Glenn, an 11-year NFL wide receiver and former Ohio State walk-on who later earned a scholarship. He died in 2017.

“My father was a very big part of my life,” she said proudly. “When he passed away it just shattered my world. Being able to wear his number and keep his memory alive, it is really, really awesome.”

“We’re glad she’s here,” said McCutcheon of Glenn. “I think her ball control is a really important part of the game. I think her offensive range is good, especially being a left-handed outside [hitter], which is a pretty rare thing.”

Glenn said her first college semester thus far “is a lot of reading and reading.” She hopes to study either sports management or business and human development.
 

With an occasional blip, the Gophers took care of Indiana 15, 16, 21. Scoring was led by Samedy 14, Miyabe 13 and Wenaas 9. The middles participated: Myers had 6 kills in 11 attacks and Rubright was 4 in 6.

Hugh spent some time reminding the blockers to get their arms over the net and hands angled down. There were a few too many vertical (throw your arms in the air), blocking attempts leading to IU scoring off touches.

Landfair did not participate in warmups other than being a ball catcher during setter time.
 


NCAA RPI through games of 10/17. The Pav hosts key weekend matches.

1 Pittsburgh
2 Texas
3 Louisville
4 Wisconsin
5 Baylor
6 Tennessee
7 Purdue
8 Ohio State

9 Kentucky
10 Georgia Teck
11 UCLA
12 Utah
13 Creighton
14 Nebraska
15 Miami
16 Stanford

21 Penn State
22 Minnesota
26 Michigan
35 Illinois
 






I don't trust Hugh McCutcheon to take us to the natty.

We've done everything else. That's the last thing to be done. Kentucky beat us there. Wisconsin sadly will probably too.
 

I don't trust Hugh McCutcheon to take us to the natty.

We've done everything else. That's the last thing to be done. Kentucky beat us there. Wisconsin sadly will probably too.
I'm beginning to waver as well.

The program has taken several steps backward. There's no doubt about it.
 



I wished there was more emphasis on high school/club coaches correcting such things as a player's arm swing before they come to play at the D1 level. Two out of the three players of the #1 Recruiting Class of 2020 are injured. One has been missing in action a lot this volleyball season. The other is trying to run an offense with a leg brace. Not good.....

WIth the most recent recruiting class of 2021 there are no starters and one has seen so little playing time. Like the next thing to no time.

Then there is the class of 2022 coming in very highly ranked, But the question still remains how many of those will become starters next season?

It is my understanding that CC returns for a 5th year. Kilkelly, Shaffmaster, Landfair, Wenaas, Rubright and Husemann will also be returning for another season and have started at one point or another this season. Right now It appears it will be either Crowl or Landfair at Opp depending on a Wucherer Freshman OH start or not.

I don't know about anybody else, but I am really struggling visualizing our team next season without SAMEDY and MIYABE and a healthy MYERS who are graduating and moving on.
 

I wished there was more emphasis on high school/club coaches correcting such things as a player's arm swing before they come to play at the D1 level. Two out of the three players of the #1 Recruiting Class of 2020 are injured. One has been missing in action a lot this volleyball season. The other is trying to run an offense with a leg brace. Not good.....

WIth the most recent recruiting class of 2021 there are no starters and one has seen so little playing time. Like the next thing to no time.

Then there is the class of 2022 coming in very highly ranked, But the question still remains how many of those will become starters next season?

It is my understanding that CC returns for a 5th year. Kilkelly, Shaffmaster, Landfair, Wenaas, Rubright and Husemann will also be returning for another season and have started at one point or another this season. Right now It appears it will be either Crowl or Landfair at Opp depending on a Wucherer Freshman OH start or not.

I don't know about anybody else, but I am really struggling visualizing our team next season without SAMEDY and MIYABE and a healthy MYERS who are graduating and moving on.

We will be fine. Wurcherer replaces Samedy and along with Landfair and Wenaas will put plent of balls on the ground. There is plenty of other talent as well to keep us competitive in the Big Ten. We will get a lot of wins next year much as we have in past years.
 

I am so glad whatever and whenver I post would ClassOf98Gopher be able to play the devil's advocate as much as she/he already has?
 

We will be fine. Wurcherer replaces Samedy and along with Landfair and Wenaas will put plent of balls on the ground. There is plenty of other talent as well to keep us competitive in the Big Ten. We will get a lot of wins next year much as we have in past years.
You're assuming the players already here are going to come along to be starters and leaders next season. Well, we're not seeing it this season. Lots of reliance on leadership from players departing at the end of the sesson, while those expecting to continue into next season seem to be passive.
 



I am so glad whatever and whenver I post would ClassOf98Gopher be able to play the devil's advocate as much as she/he already has?

I think it is as simple as, when it comes to Gopher sports, I am more of a glass-is-half-full poster while many people who take the time to post messages on a sports message board do so out of some frustration with how things are going with their team(s). I actually enjoy reading your opinions. I only hope my posts, at times and when they are at their best, are “enjoyed” by at least some other readers.
 

You're assuming the players already here are going to come along to be starters and leaders next season. Well, we're not seeing it this season.
We aren't? Wenaas and Miyabe are giving us nothing more than they did last season? No improvement in their games? No victories resulting from very good performances by these two at all this year?
 

I think it is as simple as, when it comes to Gopher sports, I am more of a glass-is-half-full poster while many people who take the time to post messages on a sports message board do so out of some frustration with how things are going with their team(s). I actually enjoy reading your opinions. I only hope my posts, at times and when they are at their best, are “enjoyed” by at least some other readers.
Come on, pal. Don't you realize these boards are only for pants pissing, whining, and doom and gloom predictions? :cool:

Hey, I'm frustrated too. I like winning all the time. It's fun. Are the Gophers going to win the Big Ten this year? Nope. Are the Gophers going to make the Final Four? Not very likely. And I agree with the disappointment but some posters on here talk like the Gopher program is some volleyball dynasty like Penn State, Nebraska, and Stanford. I also think the Seliger-Swenson years spoiled people.
 

Come on, pal. Don't you realize these boards are only for pants pissing, whining, and doom and gloom predictions? :cool:

Hey, I'm frustrated too. I like winning all the time. It's fun. Are the Gophers going to win the Big Ten this year? Nope. Are the Gophers going to make the Final Four? Not very likely. And I agree with the disappointment but some posters on here talk like the Gopher program is some volleyball dynasty like Penn State, Nebraska, and Stanford. I also think the Seliger-Swenson years spoiled people.
It seems that some of the posters on here are asking: Why is the Gopher program not a VB dynasty? They appeared on the way there until the recent derailing. What's happening to cause that? Those are the sentiments I hear.
 

It seems that some of the posters on here are asking: Why is the Gopher program not a VB dynasty? They appeared on the way there until the recent derailing. What's happening to cause that? Those are the sentiments I hear.
Especially with apparently elite level prospects coming into the program each and every year. There is definitely something wrong with the program. Lots of supposed talent on the roster, but the team's performance borders on unwatchable at times.

If folks want to give them the thumbs up for that, it's their prerogative. For me? I expect more from a program has has posted top-10 recruiting rankings year after year after year.
 

It seems that some of the posters on here are asking: Why is the Gopher program not a VB dynasty? They appeared on the way there until the recent derailing. What's happening to cause that? Those are the sentiments I hear.
Sarah Wilhite was extraordinarily good… not to even mention my favorite: SSS.
 

I wished there was more emphasis on high school/club coaches correcting such things as a player's arm swing before they come to play at the D1 level. Two out of the three players of the #1 Recruiting Class of 2020 are injured. One has been missing in action a lot this volleyball season. The other is trying to run an offense with a leg brace. Not good.....

WIth the most recent recruiting class of 2021 there are no starters and one has seen so little playing time. Like the next thing to no time.

Then there is the class of 2022 coming in very highly ranked, But the question still remains how many of those will become starters next season?

It is my understanding that CC returns for a 5th year. Kilkelly, Shaffmaster, Landfair, Wenaas, Rubright and Husemann will also be returning for another season and have started at one point or another this season. Right now It appears it will be either Crowl or Landfair at Opp depending on a Wucherer Freshman OH start or not.

I don't know about anybody else, but I am really struggling visualizing our team next season without SAMEDY and MIYABE and a healthy MYERS who are graduating and moving on.
I think with 21's especially, but perhaps also the next few classes, they're running into all these "super-seniors" who decided to come back for a real senior year in the fall.
 

We will be fine. Wurcherer replaces Samedy and along with Landfair and Wenaas will put plent of balls on the ground. There is plenty of other talent as well to keep us competitive in the Big Ten. We will get a lot of wins next year much as we have in past years.
If we don't have a middle attack, it won't matter who is hitting the pins. They won't be nearly as successful as if we had a legit middle attack that can draw the opposing team's middle blocker.
 



After match quote: "I can't stress the importance of today's win," said head coach Hugh McCutcheon. "Not only relative to who we hope to be at the end of the year, but relative to Friday as well. There's going to be tough nights in this league but it was great to see our team respond the way it did."

It was not pretty. Minnesota hit .234 and Ohio State .198.

In a weird battle of the setters, Shaffmaster posted 5 kills with 2 errors in 11 attempts. Podraza finished with 4 kills and 3 errors in 12 attempts. During the match, I thought Podraza was picking the better spots. Both teams had 55 assists. Shaffmaster's 47 assists were 2 more than Podraza's.

Minnesota had 4 aces and 9 service errors. OSU had 2 aces and 10 errors. During the match I thought the service errors were killing the Gophers.

I do get nervous when on certain serve receptions it's only Shaffmaster and Myers at the net. A bad pass seems to leave Myers (5 kills in 16 attacks) as the only offensive option.

Oh yes, Samedy saved the day.
 

It was not pretty. Minnesota hit .234 and Ohio State .198.

In a weird battle of the setters, Shaffmaster posted 5 kills with 2 errors in 11 attempts. Podraza finished with 4 kills and 3 errors in 12 attempts. During the match, I thought Podraza was picking the better spots. Both teams had 55 assists. Shaffmaster's 47 assists were 2 more than Podraza's.

Minnesota had 4 aces and 9 service errors. OSU had 2 aces and 10 errors. During the match I thought the service errors were killing the Gophers.

I do get nervous when on certain serve receptions it's only Shaffmaster and Myers at the net. A bad pass seems to leave Myers (5 kills in 16 attacks) as the only offensive option.

Oh yes, Samedy saved the day.
With a lot of help from Miyabe.
 

We aren't? Wenaas and Miyabe are giving us nothing more than they did last season? No improvement in their games? No victories resulting from very good performances by these two at all this year?
Miyabe falls into the category of leader who is out of eligibility aymt the end of the season.

From what I have seen of Wenaas this season is coasting and not asserting leadership.

We got owned by Penn State and we should be better than them. Instead, it was a clown show.

Ohio State is over ranked based on the school's name, so I'm not surprised by beating them.
 

NCAA RPI Rankings through matches of 10/24

1. Pittsburgh
2. Texas
3. Wisconsin
4. Louisville
5. Baylor
6. Kentucky
7. Georgia Tech
8. Ohio State
9. Tennessee
10. Purdue
11 UCLA
12. Nebraska
13. BYU
14. Creighton
15. Miami
16. Marquette

18. Minnesota
23. Penn State
30. Michigan
31. Illinois
 

Anyone have any idea when and if Landfair will play again this season? what is her injury?
 

Anyone have any idea when and if Landfair will play again this season? what is her injury?

In today's column, Reusse said Landfair is missing games because of injury. That's as much as any (even semi) informed source has said.

The Landfair in warmups update from the two weekend matches: Landfair participated in the "at the net" jumping warmups. On Friday she was a receiver during hitting warmups; but, she didn't pass the ball to McMenimen, she just batted it down.
 

Miyabe falls into the category of leader who is out of eligibility aymt the end of the season.
This is her last season, and is an extra covid season that it wasn't certain she would take. It was assumed that Samedy was not going to play this fall, and go play pro instead, so some were thinking Miyabe came back to compete for the RS spot.

How incredibly lucky we are that she did come back, and that she is able to contribute at the high-level offensively that she has been.
 




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