Gopher Volleyball 2021-Fall Season

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Tucker said:
Shaffmaster went down at 1:26:14 of the YouTube video of the game for those who would like to take issue with my comment!
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Looked to me like Rubright might have stepped on her right hand.
 

Big weekend. Would have been pretty disheartening going into the B1G season having lost to all of the ranked teams we scheduled. Instead, we come out of this weekend with two top-15 wins that show we can play with and beat some of the best.
 

bigten.org

Big Ten Conference

The official athletics website for Big Ten Conference
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B1G Player of the Week and B1G Defensive Player of the Week

Player of the Week
Stephanie Samedy, Minnesota
Sr. – OPP – Clermont, Fla. – East Ridge – Major: Psychology
• Averaged 4.44 kills and 3.33 digs per set with two double-doubles in leading No. 13 Minnesota to a pair of wins over top-15 opponents at the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge last weekend in Eugene, Ore.
• Recorded 20 kills in both matches (giving her five in six outings this year), while adding 14 digs (and hitting .455) on Sept. 10 vs. No. 14 Stanford, and 16 digs in a five-set victory at No. 11 Oregon on Sept. 11
• Chosen as an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2019 and was the Senior CLASS Award recipient in the sport of volleyball last season
• Earns her ninth career Player of the Week honor (fourth-most in Big Ten history) and first this season
• Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Stephanie Samedy (Feb. 15, 2021)

Defensive Player of the Week
CC McGraw, Minnesota
Grad. – L – Prior Lake, Minn. – Prior Lake – Graduate Major: Sport & Exercise Science
• Tallied 5.44 digs per set to anchor the Golden Gophers’ defense in victories over No. 14 Stanford and No. 11 Oregon last weekend at the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge in Eugene, Ore.
• Collected a season-high 30 digs in the Sept. 11 win at Oregon, the first 30-dig match by a Big Ten player since Feb. 5, 2021 (Purdue’s Jena Otec – 31 vs. Minnesota)
• A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2019, 2020)
• Garners her third career Defensive Player of the Week accolade
• Last Minnesota Defensive Player of the Week: Regan Pittman (March 15, 2021)
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Over/Under 35 points in the sets combined for St Thomas?
 


Tucker said:
We don’t know what happened to Shaff. I personally think she was benched, but I could very easily be wrong.

The Lone Ranger was Baylee Mcmenimen who has come to the rescue before, notably in 2019 when our setter was concussed. She has been a very valuable Gopher and has taken advantage of her opportunities :)
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She served twice after that. But it was on the next receive where she set two awful balls, the second I believe got called for double, that she was taken out.

Could have been a jammed finger? Could have been a shoulder?


Regardless, McMen did an awesome job. She is night and day better at ... you know, setting ... than Schaff. She's faster too! Can get to bad passes and set them hittable. She just can't block worth a damn, which is entirely the cards she was dealt in life with her body (type). Schaff is a solid server as well. No idea who has the better defense/passing, probably even.
 

Gopher68 said:
Looked to me like Rubright might have stepped on her right hand.
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But then she kept serving two more times right after that, with her right hand. Not the same thing, of course.
 









Let St Thomas play a couple intramural teams next so they at least have a chance
 

Not sure what the benefit of playing St. Thomas was supposed to be, but here we are...
 



It was a nice Thursday night early season break for Samedy.

Wenaas with 14 kills, 4 blocks and 4 aces. Jenna piped one-something she's done several times this season.

Miyabi continues to get some hits from the back row. Rubright (if I recall correctly) scored off a slide-something we've not seen much this season. Glenn only played the front row so we didn't get to see her jump serve.
 


www.startribune.com

Gophers, St. Thomas meet in volleyball for first competition between the schools as D-I opponents

Minnesota won in three sets in front of 5,386 at Maturi Pavilion.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Post match coaches quotes:

"They're now the other Division I team in the state," McCutcheon said. "It seemed like kind of a cool thing to try and get started for volleyball in Minnesota. … Trying to see if we could establish some kind of tradition there."

"There are a lot of factors that go into scheduling," Esten said. "It's not just competitiveness alone. Whether it's Minnesota or anybody else, we need to think about the economics, you think about the recruiting, the wins and losses, and the experience of the student-athlete … we hope that over time it starts to line up that we can have a regular competition with Minnesota."
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MplsGopher said:
Who else wanted to come to Mpls for the Diet Coke?
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Not sure and I understand the intrigue with St. Thomas for this season. But from a matchup stand point, it was never going to be even close to competitive.
 




mgoblue.com

Michigan to Travel to No. 9 Minnesota, Host Maize Out vs. Michigan State - University of Michigan Athletics

The University of Michigan volleyball team kicks off Big Ten Conference play with a road-home split weekend, traveling to No. 9-ranked Minnesota on Friday (S...
mgoblue.com mgoblue.com

The Wolverines:

Wolverine Bites

• U-M wrapped the non-conference portion of the schedule with a perfect weekend, winning the Michigan Invitational with sweeps over Eastern Michigan, Boston College and Dayton. It marked the first time since 2018 that the Wolverines won each match of the Michigan Invitational 3-0.

• Sophomore Jess Mruzik was a crucial part of the Wolverines' 3-0 weekend, finishing with 3.33 kills per set at an impressive .324 attack percentage. In addition to the stellar offensive production, Mruzik averaged 2.33 digs per set, 0.44 blocks per set and added five service aces. The sophomore was the difference-maker in Michigan's sweep of Dayton, finishing with 17 kills while hitting .500, 11 digs, three aces and a pair of blocks.

• The Michigan offense rolled over the weekend with sophomore Scottee Johnson orchestrating a balanced attack. The Dayton, Ohio, native had the offense clicking to the tune of a .330 percentage in the Wolverines' clean sweep of the Michigan Invitational. As a team, the Wolverines hit .368 against Eastern Michigan and .361 against Dayton. Individually, Johnson had 82 total assists for a 9.67 per-set average and also added 25 total digs (2.78 per set), seven kills and two total blocks.

• Michigan hit .330 as a team over the weekend, averaging 14.22 kills per set, while holding all three opponents to a miniscule .111 attack percentage and just 9.89 kills per set. The Wolverines finished the three matches with 22 total blocks (2.44 per set) while their opponents totaled just 10 (1.11 per set).

• Junior May Pertofsky had another stellar weekend for the Wolverines, helping the Maize and Blue in all facets of the game in its weekend sweep of Eastern Michigan, Boston College and Dayton. Pertofsky finished with 22 kills while hitting .347, had seven service aces and averaged a block per set in the three matches.

• Freshman Jacque Boney turned in another impressive weekend for the Michigan defense, leading the team with 14 total blocks and a 1.56 blocks-per-set average. Her season mark of 1.33 blocks per set is eighth-best in the Big Ten through the non-conference campaign, and her 44 total blocks are first among Big Ten freshmen.

• Redshirt sophomore Hannah Grant saw her consecutive double-digit dig streak snapped Saturday, as the libero fell one short against Dayton with nine. Dating back to the spring season, Grant had registered at least 10 digs in 16 consecutive matches.

• Senior Paige Jones finished the Michigan Invitational with the highest kills total for the Wolverines, turning in 31 (3.44 per set) and hitting .301. The New Bremen, Ohio, native also averaged 0.44 blocks per set.

• Junior Jess Robinson continued her strong play over the weekend, averaging 2.33 kills per set and hitting .372 in the Wolverines' three wins. The middle blocker also had 0.67 blocks per set.
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gophersports.com

Gopher Spotlight: Jenna Wenaas - University of Minnesota Athletics

Get to know sophomore outside Jenna Wenaas , a Frisco, Texas native.
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Gopher Spotlight: Jenna Wenaas

Jenna Wenaas is a sophomore outside from Frisco, Texas. After playing in just 43 sets as a freshman, Wenaas is having a breakout sophomore year with 101 kills in eight matches thus far. She ranks second on Minnesota with 3.48 kills per set and has double-digit kills in seven different matches this season. She won Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday after tallying 28 kills in two three set wins over UST and Iowa State. A former top-10 recruit in the class of 2020, Wenaas is majoring in health and well-being sciences.
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GS: How did you first get into playing volleyball?
JW: I really started because of my mom. I used to play softball, but they didn't have it as a sport in middle school so I got into volleyball. So that was in seventh grade that I started playing for the school team and started playing club shortly after.

GS: What other sports did you play besides volleyball growing up?
JW: Yes, I also played basketball, softball and ran track (in middle school) but once I got to high school I focused on volleyball. Softball was my first love and I thought I wanted to play it in college when I was in middle school, but volleyball eventually took over and became my favorite.

GS: At what point in your early career could you start to see you had the ability you could play at a high level?
JW: Really not until my junior year of high school. I knew I was pretty good early on, but I didn't know if I was good enough to play at Minnesota and in the Big Ten. I played for a different coach for my club team named Ping and he helped me develop a lot in a short amount of time.

GS: What made you choose Minnesota in your recruitment process?
JW: I just loved the opportunities that were provided with the Minnesota volleyball program. I knew [head coach] Hugh [McCutcheon] was a great coach and he could help me develop into the best player I could be. I knew I could learn a ton from him and the coaching staff. With Minnesota being a top program and getting to play in the best volleyball conference in the country, becoming a Gopher was the best decision for me.

GS: Why did you choose to wear the number 2?
JW: I was No. 2 in high school and No. 5 in club. Melani [Shaffmaster] chose 5, so I was good with 2.

GS: What goals do you hope for the team to accomplish this year?
JW: I think we're fully capable of winning the Big Ten and going on a deep run in the [NCAA] tournament. Our goals are also to meet our standards, which are giving 100% effort every play and communicating as a group. We just want to get better every day and be good teammates to one another.

GS: What goals do you have for yourself?
JW: I just want to be the player I know I'm capable of being. So just bettering myself so I can be the best player and person I can.

GS: Which games are you looking forward to most?
JW: Any game in the Pav is always fun. But probably Nebraska or Wisconsin, because those games are always high energy and intense.

GS: When you're not on the volleyball court, what do you like to do?
JW: I love hanging out with friends, swimming, wakeboarding, playing beach volleyball and going shopping.

GS: What's something that Gopher fans don't know about you?
JW: I have two dogs and a cat. The dogs are named Moose and Lilly, and my cat is named Binx (from the movie 'Hocus Pocus).
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Michigan were scramblers. It was good to see Landfair back on the court; she brought a shot of adrenalin to the match getting balls through the block that was stymieing Wenaas. During the fourth set Hugh went over and said something to Landfair and her warmup was off in a flash-so much for "undisclosed injury".

I saw the Badger score during the match and it appeared Wisconsin gave up 8 straight points to the Terps in losing the fifth set 15-10. Looking forward to Sunday's Maryland match-up.
 

Ignatius L Hoops said:
Michigan were scramblers. It was good to see Landfair back on the court; she brought a shot of adrenalin to the match getting balls through the block that was stymieing Wenaas. During the fourth set Hugh went over and said something to Landfair and her warmup was off in a flash-so much for "undisclosed injury".

I saw the Badger score during the match and it appeared Wisconsin gave up 8 straight points to the Terps in losing the fifth set 15-10. Looking forward to Sunday's Maryland match-up.
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I'm sure there was an injury back in the Texas match (or in practice prior), but guessing that has long since healed. I think Miyabe was just playing better and had earned the starting role.

Hugh is as non-forthcoming, and in this case downright dishonest, about player health status as you get in coaching.
 


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