All Things 2012 Gophers Volleyball Season Thread

Donate To GopherHole
GopherHole Staff

GopherHole Staff

GopherHole Admin
Staff member
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
5,215
Reaction score
1,445
Points
113
Articles, team analysis, profiles, links and more.
 


How whoever the selected libero is emerges this season will determine the teams fate. If the chosen libero steps up and proves they are a good big 10 quality libero then the elite 8 isn't out of the question at all. If nobody truly emerges at libero then this might not even be a top 25 team at the end of the year.
 

We offered Linndsey Lawmaster early, so I assume she is likely to be a good libero. I believe we started Paula Gentil and Christine Tan as freshmen. You might be right mnsport, but there are a lot of options at libero if Lawmaster doesn't work out (e.g. Palmer who transferred from Santa Clara). We were rated 15th in the final poll last year, and our significant losses were Jess at libero and Cowles on the outside. I believe Illinois lost much more than we did. Penn State, Nebraska and Purdue should probably be rated ahead of us, although I believe we are comparable to Purdue.
By the way, thanks to the Gopherhole staff for starting this thread. This is the only place we can discuss Gopher Volleyball.
 

But what worries me is we lost more key players then what you listed. We lost Granquist, Cowles, Sooter, Filho, and McNeil. That worries me! I am not worried about our hitters and blockers this season, they'll be great! However our ds/Libero situation is concerning...
 


Tweet from Marcus: "Tori Dixon and Ashley Wittman were named to Preseason All-Big Ten volleyball team today. #Gophers ranked 4th in the Big Ten preseason poll."

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Tweet from Marcus: "Tori Dixon and Ashley Wittman were named to Preseason All-Big Ten volleyball team today. #Gophers ranked 4th in the Big Ten preseason poll."

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

That was also on Gophersports.com
 





Twenty-Five Favorites of Alexandra Palmer

Meet the new setter from Laguna Beach, California

With the season quickly approaching and practice already under way for the University of Minnesota volleyball team, Gophersports.com met up with Junior transfer, Alexandra Palmer, to find out a little bit about what she favors in her life. Moved all the way from California, Alexandra (prefers her whole name rather than Alex) played in 71 sets and was second on the team with 429 assists to go along with 131 digs. She also received Honorable Mention honors on the WCC All-Academic Team for her sophomore season all after she had retained a wrist injury that prevented her from playing the whole season during her Freshman year.

Alexandra is excited to be in the midwest to play for the Gophers this year, and to experience her favorite season of winter here in Minnesota where she can look forward to snow, "Minnesota Nice" and cold temperatures!

1. Favorite Song: Old Time Rock N' Roll by Bob Seger
2. Favorite Band: ACDC
3. Favorite Color: Purple
4. Favorite Food: Chocolate
5. Favorite Book: The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by: Julie Andrews
6. Favorite Cereal: Captain Crunch
7. Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans
8. Favorite TV Show: Everybody Loves Raymond
9. Favorite Celebrity Crush: Ben Affleck
10. Favorite Late Night Snack: Brownies
11. Favorite Hobby: Reading
12. Favorite Subject in High School: History
13. Favorite Back-to-School Accessory: Backpack
14. Favorite Place to Study: Sitting on my bathroom counter
15. Favorite Drink Ordered at Caribou or Starbucks: Bottled water
16. Favorite Guilty Pleasure: Singing Backstreet Boys in the shower
17. Favorite Outfit: Boy sweatshirts and sweatpants
18. Favorite Store to Shop at: Barnes & Noble
19. Favorite Sport other than Volleyball: Basketball
20. Favorite Professional Athlete: Derek Fisher (Oklahoma City Thunder)
21. Favorite Fast-food Restaurant Meal: Double Double from In-N-Out Burger (It's a California Thing)
22. Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving
23. Favorite Personal Item: My John Deere blanket
24. Favorite Volleyball Memory: Winning Junior Olympics my sophomore year of high school
25. Favorite Volleyball Cheer: "Scrappy, Fight, Win!"

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/082012aab.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Gophers Set to Open 2012 Season at James Madison Invite

Minnesota plays James Madison and App State in First Weekend of Season

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/082212aaa.html

The University of Minnesota volleyball program opens the 2012 season at the James Madison Days Inn Invitational in Harrisonburg, Va. The Golden Gophers will play two matches on Saturday, Aug. 25th as they play host James Madison at 11:30 a.m. (CT) and Appalachian State at 4:00 p.m. (CT). Seton Hall rounds out the competition. The 2012 season marks the 41st season of Gopher Volleyball, dating back to 1972. In that span, the program has posted over 1,460 wins in the first 40 years.

Go Gophers!!
 





I heard it will be September 12 at the latest, but also it may be earlier in September.
 


BleedGopher said:
STrib: Gophers' volleyball preparations in good hands

The Gophers aren't missing a beat with Laura Bush filling in for coach Hugh McCutcheon.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/167267765.html

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

I would agree that there is heavy competition for libero, but the setter job looks locked up for Mia Tabberson, with Alexandra Palmer playing behind Tabberson. Next season the setter competition will be extremely fun as high-profile recruit and incoming freshman Katie Schau and Senior Alexandra Palmer will battle it out for starting setter. Both will see good playing time next year anyway. And Karen Israel is a walk-on, so is much as I would like her to succeed she probably wont get a fair opportunity to do so and likely wouldn't be a capable setter at program like this. (i.e. our walk-on ds from last year)
 

Gophers go 2-0 at JMU

Gophers 3, James Madison 1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-16, 25-14)
Gophers 3, Appalachian State 0 (25-10, 25-14, 25-19)
 

Takeaways from the doubleheader:
1) Wittman, Harms, and Dixon create a 3-headed monster. They are as good as ever.
2) Setting duties will truly be split with both Mia and Palmer getting a lot of action each game.
3) Freshman Daly Santana is a star in the making! Best server on the team,explosive, great back row player who gets a ton of digs, and oh... shes great on the attack also. She has a lethal jump serve.
4) Freshman Lindsey Lawmaster is going to be making baby steps this season, but has good promise and should grow into a nice role on the team. Has great backcourt help to take pressure off her.
5) Freshmen Karlie Hauer will play sparingly, but will get inserted in the frontcourt for a kill here and there while Karyn Israel might play a few points per game as a serving specialist.
6) Dana Knudsen and Tori Dixon create a nice blocking tandem!

-go gophers!
 

It looks as if Palmer will often play setter in the back row and Tabberson at the net. If Santana comes along, we may not miss Cowles. I believe this is another NCAA Tourney team. Hope tthe freshmen improve as the season progresses.
 

MNBob said:
It looks as if Palmer will often play setter in the back row and Tabberson at the net. If Santana comes along, we may not miss Cowles. I believe this is another NCAA Tourney team. Hope tthe freshmen improve as the season progresses.
Click to expand...

Our Libero will be the weak point of our team this year, but she is a freshman and has good potential and will come along nicely with strong back row help from Santana and Wittman. However, since Wittman has a bigger back row role this year, she won't get as many kills this year. (we're looking at maybe 14 per game this year as opposed to about 18 per game last year) But she'll get a ton of digs!
 



@BleedGopher- Thanks a lot! I've been wondering this for a while, certainly big news.
 

I'm anxious to see how recruiting goes with a big name coach. 2013 is already filled, but I'm not aware of any commitments for 2014 now that the younger McNeil isn't coming. I'm hoping we get one or two top 20 recruits for 2014. Mike Hebert was able to get top 10 and top 20 recruits, so I hope we keep it up.
 

MNBob said:
I'm anxious to see how recruiting goes with a big name coach. 2013 is already filled, but I'm not aware of any commitments for 2014 now that the younger McNeil isn't coming. I'm hoping we get one or two top 20 recruits for 2014. Mike Hebert was able to get top 10 and top 20 recruits, so I hope we keep it up.
Click to expand...

Well, good news is we have top recruit/Libero Abby Monson, top recruit/OH Megan Norby, and top recruit/OH Mackenzie Horkey all in the 2014 class uncommitted. And who knows? Maybe something goes wrong with Marquette and Alyssa Goehner? We better recruit well as the first season without Wittman/Dixon could be a struggle.
 


Anybody plan on going to the game on Friday or Saturday? I plan on going to the game against Long Island on Friday night. It will be McCutcheon's first game coached as a gopher!
 

I'm going to all three Gopher vollyball games this weekend after watching the football team on T.V. Thursday night. I'm anxious to see how some of the freshmen play in both sports.
 

MNBob said:
I'm going to all three Gopher vollyball games this weekend after watching the football team on T.V. Thursday night. I'm anxious to see how some of the freshmen play in both sports.
Click to expand...

Same, I'm going to the Friday and Saturday night matches but not the morning one on sat! I'm staying up and watching the full game tommorrow night! Like you I particularly have my eye on Harbison, and McDonald in football and in volleyball Santana, and Lawmaster. But also the stars Gray, and Stoudemire in football and Wittman and Harms in volleyball.
 

And also, while BleedGopher is a great contributor to the forum, I would like them to comment also instead of just posting links and news, because I think they would have great insight and opinions!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom