Gopher Volleyball 2021-Fall Season



gopherdudepart2

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
4,456
Reaction score
1,141
Points
113
Great effort getting a win without playing their best. Could have caved multiple times. Mental toughness. Lots of courage. Very impressive.
That was a really good match. It was a grind and these two teams kept going at each other. That was a hard fought win by the Gophers!
 

cemba99

Bruce Smith for Governor
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
716
Reaction score
286
Points
63
Should know better -
- thought after set 1 that a Baylor sweep was likely;
- after set 3 (down 2-1) and Samedy misfiring, was glad that "at least they won a set";
- down 6-2 in the 5th and gophers looking out of sorts, thought "no way."

Wow. Hoping that UCLA sticks it to Bucky!
 
Last edited:



jham13

Active member
Joined
Apr 24, 2010
Messages
108
Reaction score
140
Points
43
Wenaas really brought it that 5th set. That pipe kill out of the backrow (see above video) was amazing but also the tip out of the backrow (her signature shot) was perfectly placed so the defender could not dig it to get the Gophers to match point! While Samedy struggled, others stepped up which bodes well for the future!
 







jham13

Active member
Joined
Apr 24, 2010
Messages
108
Reaction score
140
Points
43
Yes Wisconsin is a top 4 seed so they earned the right to host a regional. Will be a tall order for the Gophers to beat Wisky but anything can happen I guess.
 

ecoperson

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
Messages
1,840
Reaction score
2,257
Points
113
Yes Wisconsin is a top 4 seed so they earned the right to host a regional. Will be a tall order for the Gophers to beat Wisky but anything can happen I guess.
What about that ol' cliche about it being tough to beat a team 3 times in one season? So you're saying there's a chance?!
 

cemba99

Bruce Smith for Governor
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
716
Reaction score
286
Points
63
Brief recap of today's action. Tournament has largely become an ACC (3-0 today) and Big Ten (4-2) affair. Louisville, Pittsburgh and GA Tech all had straight set impressive wins - Wisconsin and Nebraska won easily as well. Purdue continues to be the cardiac kids – down 14-10 in the fifth set, they rallied for the win. The other winner (besides MN) was #2 seed Texas who squeaked by #15 Washington after being down 2 sets.

The Wisconsin–MN and Louisville-GA Tech matchups on Saturday guarantee at least 1 ACC and 1 Big Ten team in the final four. And Purdue-Pitt and Nebraska-Texas should be competitive matches. Big Ten has a chance to send 3 of 4 teams to the finals.

MN-WI match is Saturday, 7p on ESPNU
 



MplsGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
32,015
Reaction score
8,376
Points
113
Unfortunately, the situation went backwards of what I was hoping would need to happen in order for the Gopher ladies to make the final four.

Was hoping for:
- Minn beats Baylor 3-0 or 3-1
- UCLA plays their Super Bowl and beats Wisconsin
- then UCLA has nothing left for the Elite 8 match, Gophers win

This was essentially the situation in 2019, with Louisville beating Texas, then the Gophers beating Louisville.


Instead, the Gopher ladies expelled a ton of energy to win the match, while Wisconsin swept UCLA.



I don't see it happening, in Madison, with the Final Four on the line.

Nonetheless, will be watching and cheering! Go Gophers!
 

MplsGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
32,015
Reaction score
8,376
Points
113
Brief recap of today's action. Tournament has largely become an ACC (3-0 today) and Big Ten (4-2) affair. Louisville, Pittsburgh and GA Tech all had straight set impressive wins - Wisconsin and Nebraska won easily as well. Purdue continues to be the cardiac kids – down 14-10 in the fifth set, they rallied for the win. The other winner (besides MN) was #2 seed Texas who squeaked by #15 Washington after being down 2 sets.

The Wisconsin–MN and Louisville-GA Tech matchups on Saturday guarantee at least 1 ACC and 1 Big Ten team in the final four. And Purdue-Pitt and Nebraska-Texas should be competitive matches. Big Ten has a chance to send 3 of 4 teams to the finals.

MN-WI match is Saturday, 7p on ESPNU
Pitt also swept upstart, unseeded Kansas, who had (upset?) unseeded Oregon and then upset seeded Creighton in Omaha.

As the #3 seed, you would expect that. A lot of people think they can be like a version of Kentucky from the spring.
 

let'sbeclear

Active member
Joined
Dec 21, 2016
Messages
372
Reaction score
166
Points
43
"The Gophers are too thin in the back; they aren't aggressive enough on their kill opportunities; they can't pass; they have no offense from their middles; they're no good on first contact; they don't have enough fire; they don't put on enough pressure with their serves; they depend too much on one player; they don't set well; they can't cover tips; the coach is too resistant to change."

But you do know they're in the Elite Eight, don't you?

"See, like I told you: The Gophers are good! Go Gophers!"
 
Last edited:

MplsGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
32,015
Reaction score
8,376
Points
113
"The Gophers are too thin in the back; they aren't aggressive enough on their kill opportunities; they can't pass; they have no offense from their middles; they're no good on first contact; they don't have enough fire; they don't put on enough pressure with their serves; they depend too much on one player; they don't set well; they can't cover tips; the coach is too resistant to change."
None of these is wrong.

Flawed volleyball teams do well, all the time.
 

rowdaboat

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 5, 2017
Messages
1,772
Reaction score
883
Points
113
Handing them the set with so many tips instead of full swings
 


cncmin

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
21,361
Reaction score
5,732
Points
113
great season Gophers!! Great to see them play hard through adversity. Wisconsin is so very good this year…just too tall for this Gopher team, tough matchup.
 

#2Gopher

Well-known member
Joined
May 18, 2010
Messages
8,654
Reaction score
2,659
Points
113
Tough loss. Wisconsin does have a good program right now like Penn State and Nebraska did for a while. Do agree with rowdaboat about the tips. Seems to be too many to my liking. Regardless, congratulations on a good season as they are a premier team.
 


Ewert86PC

Metrodome Era Survivor
Joined
Sep 11, 2010
Messages
5,818
Reaction score
1,045
Points
113
Disappointing to get swept by Becky.....
Hear! Hear! The only match of the night to be only 3 sets. THAT is embarrassing.

Our setting was inferior as well as focus. I could feel the drive get sucked out of the team in the middle of the third set.
 

rowdaboat

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 5, 2017
Messages
1,772
Reaction score
883
Points
113
Need a power hitter to transfer in or someone unfairly tall like Wisc has. Samedy was only one with unreturnable spikes
 

ClassOf98Gopher

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
927
Reaction score
554
Points
93
Hear! Hear! The only match of the night to be only 3 sets. THAT is embarrassing.

Our setting was inferior as well as focus. I could feel the drive get sucked out of the team in the middle of the third set.
The other two teams that lost tonight were a 6 seed and an 8 seed. They were better than us this year. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Wisconsin beat those exact victors in those previous games (Louisville and Pitt) to win it all.

I guess what I find frustrating is that some fans want us to be better than we are. Fans should want their teams to play to their potential. A team can’t be better than their best potential.

We did great and we should be happy.
 

walleye

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 16, 2020
Messages
234
Reaction score
415
Points
63
Congratulations to the gopher volleyball team and to Hugh for a successful season. Great job of overcoming player losses to graduation, transfers, and injuries. A lot of players improved their games. The team was as gritty as any team. Best wishes for a good offseason and next season.
 

Ewert86PC

Metrodome Era Survivor
Joined
Sep 11, 2010
Messages
5,818
Reaction score
1,045
Points
113
The other two teams that lost tonight were a 6 seed and an 8 seed. They were better than us this year. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Wisconsin beat those exact victors in those previous games (Louisville and Pitt) to win it all.

I guess what I find frustrating is that some fans want us to be better than we are. Fans should want their teams to play to their potential. A team can’t be better than their best potential.

We did great and we should be happy.
I'll be happy when we win a National Championship and have more National Championships than Wisconsin.

I've lived enough "we'll get em next year" and "we did our best" mediocrity watching the football team play when I was a student. The University of Minnesota should be about excellence in everything we do, not "I got a 'C' in Chemistry 1001, but I'll get an 'A' in Chemistry 5201."

This isn't about fitting in, it's about setting the standards.
 

ClassOf98Gopher

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
927
Reaction score
554
Points
93
I'll be happy when we win a National Championship and have more National Championships than Wisconsin.
Maybe that will happen one day… but EVERYBODY knew from the start of the season it wasn’t going to be this year.
 

jham13

Active member
Joined
Apr 24, 2010
Messages
108
Reaction score
140
Points
43
It's an ACC/B1G challenge for the Final Four. Can't stand either of the B1G teams so hoping for an all ACC final. Louisville is the most complete team out of the four and is undefeated.
 

GibsonSG

Active member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
396
Reaction score
101
Points
43
Hear! Hear! The only match of the night to be only 3 sets. THAT is embarrassing.

Our setting was inferior....
Ya know, it sorta feels like the Gophers just lost to a Badger team with 6 returning starters from a Final Four team - 5 of which are now super seniors who would have normally used up their eligibility already. Yes, oh, the embarrassment!

The Badgers' clear advantage at the setter and middle blocker position is just too much for this Gopher team to overcome. Remember when Hilley and Rettke were freshmen and sophomores? They couldn't beat our Seliger-Swenson led veteran teams. Now the Badgers have the upper-hand of talent AND experience, and the tables have turned. Let's see how things go next year when Hilley and Rettke are finally gone. Will all the Badgers' young talent at the pins look as good next year with likely worse setting?

We better hope Shaffmaster keeps improving. Seems like championship teams all have truly elite setters.

Oh, and a consistent middle attack. :cautious:
 




Top Bottom