Gopher Volleyball 2021-Fall Season

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let'sbeclear said:
Ha! That is precisely my goal too: keeping out of the morgue. And to the best of my knowledge, so far I've been successful.

Go Gophers! I'm already counting down the days to the home opener against Texas.
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The U has now reinstated its indoor mask requirement for all students, faculty, and staff. I guess we should expect that there will be a mask requirement at Gopher volleyball games.
 



Lauren Crowl is a freshman opposite from Eagan, Minn. She played with Eastview High School and Northern Lights Volleyball. Crowl had a tremendous senior season with 191 kills, 239 digs and 25 ace serves on her way to being named an Under-Armour Third Team All-American. She also made Minnesota Class 3A First Team All-State and Star Tribune All-Metro First Team.

GS: Why did you choose Minnesota?
LC: I chose Minnesota because of the amazing gym culture, coaching staff, and it gave me a feeling that no other school did!

GS: How did you first get into volleyball?
LC: When I was little, my mom and one of my childhood best friends moms decided to sign us up for in-house volleyball. It really just escalated from there.

GS: How have summer classes been going so far? Do you know your major yet?
LC: Summer class has been going really well and is providing an easier transition into college! I'm potentially majoring in sports management or something in the business field.

GS: Why did you choose number 4?
LC: My favorite number is 7 because that's the day I was born on, but No. 7 was taken and I was born in the fourth month of the year, so I just went with it (4)!

GS: What are you most looking forward to in your freshman season?
LC: I am really looking forward to improving my game along with being able to have fans back in the PAV.

GS: Is there a team you're most excited to play against?
LC: I'm excited to play against Wisconsin.

GS: What goals do you have for yourself as a player?
LC: To not only become the best player on the court I can be, but to also become a great leader as well! I also want to win a National Championship.

Superlatives:

Favorite Food: Ice Cream
Favorite Sport (Other Than Volleyball): Basketball or Football
Best Vacation Spot: British Virgin Islands
Favorite Netflix Show: All-American or Criminal Minds
Person You Admire Most: My parents
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Natalie Glenn is a freshman opposite from Southlake, Texas. She played with Carroll Senior High and Texas Advantage Volleyball Club. A Second Team Under Armour All-American, Glenn is also a multiple-time All-American with PrepVolleyball.com and MaxPreps. During her career, she tallied 1,911 kills, 204 blocks, 112 aces and hit over .250. As a senior, she paced Caroll to a 14-6 overall record and to a deep playoff run while leading the team with 313 kills (4.2 per set), 30 serving aces and 501 serves received.

How would you describe yourself as a player for someone who has never seen you play before?
NG: I am undersized left outside. I can be pretty crafty when I need to be and I am very calm on the court.

GS: Why did you choose number 83?
NG: I chose No. 83 because it makes me feel closer to my dad when I'm on the court and it helps me embrace the challenges ahead.

GS: What's the best piece of advice you've gotten so far from your new teammates?
NG: To not be afraid, because they were all in our shoes once.

GS: What are you most looking forward to in your freshman season?
NG: I am most excited about having the PAV packed and back to normal. I think it will be an awesome experience.

GS: Is there a team you're most excited to play against?
NG: Not particularly, just excited about the season

GS: What goals do you have for yourself as a player?
NG: I want to become stronger, both mentally and physically.

Superlatives:

Favorite Food: I love a good steak with mashed potatoes
Favorite Sport (Other Than Volleyball): Basketball
Best Vacation Spot: I love going to California
Favorite Netflix Show: New Girl
Person You Admire Most: My amazing mom
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www.startribune.com

Hugh McCutcheon uses U.S. Olympic gold as motivator for Gophers volleyball

His program has a quick turnaround after its previous season ended in disappointment in the NCAA tournament in April.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

A Marcus Fuller note:

Gophers libero CC McGraw is looking forward to having a healthy senior season this year, but this won't be the former Prior Lake standout's last with program.

McGraw, who is working on her master's degree, said Monday that she already decided to be back for a fifth season in 2022. She missed 11 matches last season, including the NCAA tournament, because of an undisclosed injury. She was an All-Big Ten first team and All-America honorable mention selection in 2019.
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The Gophers opening opponent, Baylor, was put on four years probation and fined $5,000 for its sexual assault scandal. Though the allegations were about the football team, which did receive some recruiting restrictions, it seems like the entire athletics department was put on probation. This won't affect the volleyball program, but the way I read it, the whole department is on probation. Of note, the infractions hearing panel was headed by our own Joel Maturi.

www.npr.org

NCAA Won't Punish Baylor For Failing To Report Sexual Assault Claims Against Players

The ruling is the culmination of a five-year investigation undertaken by the NCAA following the eruption of the sexual assault scandal at the Christian university in Waco, Texas, in 2016.
www.npr.org www.npr.org

 
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Michella Chester's Preseason Power 10 rankings (in parentheses is the AVCA Coaches' post-season ranking in April 2021):

1. Texas (2)
2. Wisconsin (3)
3. Washington (4)
4. Florida (5)
5. Nebraska (6)
6. Kentucky (1)
7. Pittsburgh (8)
8. Purdue (7)
9. Minnesota (9)
10. Baylor (13)

Note that the Gophers play three of these teams -- Baylor, Texas, and Florida -- in their first four matches. It should be lotsa fun!

www.ncaa.com

College volleyball rankings: Texas leads our preseason Power 10

The 2021 volleyball season begins on Aug. 27. Here is our first preseason Power 10 rankings of the season.
www.ncaa.com www.ncaa.com
 



Middle is the biggest concern. We were weak there in the spring, and that was with Pittman.

Our Middles are tall, but I don't feel like they're very athletic/fast. And Pittman (and Taylor Morgan the year before) were the only ones I recall seeing ever have a big swing lately.

Obviously Myers was dealing with a lot of issues mentally in the spring, and then also got hurt. I hope she can rebound and be like Pittman was.
 

Will be interesting to see if any of the true freshman can challenge at any positions.

Wolf seems more of the same in the Huseman/Rubright mold at middle.

Glenn is the most interesting, but there would seem to be no room for her to get on the court at any pin spot with Samedy coming back and Landfair/Wenaas assumed the starters at OH. Same for Crowl.

Wondering if Gray might have the best chance, to displace Kilkelly at the DS position (for Landfair)?
 



gophersports.com

Gophers to Hold Open Scrimmage on Saturday - University of Minnesota Athletics

The University of Minnesota volleyball program will host an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, August 21 at 3:30 p.m. Central time
gophersports.com gophersports.com

Intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday:

The University of Minnesota volleyball program will host an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, August 21 at 3:30 p.m. Central time. Admission is free and open to the public, but fans will be required to wear masks once inside. Doors open at the Maturi Pavilion at 2:30 p.m., with warmups beginning soon after.

Fans are encouraged to enter the arena through the west lobby or Daily Entrance (University Ave) and sit on the south side of the Pavilion. Parking is available in the University Ave Ramp, 4th Street Ramp, Lot 37, and the Maroon Lot.

Minnesota opens the 2021 campaign ranked No. 7 and begins competition on Friday, Aug. 27 against No. 10 Baylor in Madison, Wis., at the Big Ten/Big XI Challenge. The Golden Gophers' first home match will be on Wednesday, Sept. 1 when they host No. 1 Texas, the defending national runner-up, at 7 p.m. CT on BTN.

Aug. 21 Open Scrimmage Timeline
2:30 p.m. Doors open and warmups begin
3:30 p.m. Scrimmage Starts (4-5 sets
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At today's open scrimmage, Glenn was impressive during the five sets (play to 15) I watched. She had a spinner jump serve we've not seen since Daly Santana's freshman season.

I believe Rubright was the only player not to play. She was on the bench with her right leg extended during the sets; but otherwise she appeared to walk normally to the huddles.

Samedy looked ready for the season.

 


Ignatius L Hoops said:
At today's open scrimmage, Glenn was impressive during the five sets (play to 15) I watched. She had a spinner jump serve we've not seen since Daly Santana's freshman season.

I believe Rubright was the only player not to play. She was on the bench with her right leg extended during the sets; but otherwise she appeared to walk normally to the huddles.

Samedy looked ready for the season.

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With both Baylor and Texas coming up, Texans Glenn and Wenaas, who also looked good, should have a lot to get excited about. I wonder if those schools recruited either of them. Glenn is listed at 5'10" but, besides her serving, she sure looked solid at the net too, with Alexis Hart-like kills. There was a little sloppiness in communicating on service returns sometimes, but they'll clear that up.

My biggest concern is whether we're going to get through this season. With 80% of U of M classes going to be in-person this fall, there's a lot of potential for COVID outbreaks. I've heard that an academic department's staff was brought back to the campus a couple of weeks ago, and, within the first week, they had a COVID outbreak and sent the staff back home to continue working from there, as they had been since March 2020.
 

Ignatius L Hoops said:
At today's open scrimmage, Glenn was impressive during the five sets (play to 15) I watched. She had a spinner jump serve we've not seen since Daly Santana's freshman season.

I believe Rubright was the only player not to play. She was on the bench with her right leg extended during the sets; but otherwise she appeared to walk normally to the huddles.

Samedy looked ready for the season.

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Who's Glenn going to beat out, to get significant playing time, though?

Take your pick: Samedy, Landfair, Wenaas.

Sure, it's a long season and things can happen, players can go into slumps. But I don't see it in the cards for her this year, outside of situational substitutions. We'll see, of course
 

let'sbeclear said:
With 80% of U of M classes going to be in-person this fall, there's a lot of potential for COVID outbreaks.
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Shouldn't be a big concern if you're vaxxed, and masked indoors (which will be required this semester, as far as I know).

And staying away from bad situations (ie big parties, bars), which they shouldn't be doing during the season anyway!
 

MplsGopher said:
Who's Glenn going to beat out, to get significant playing time, though?

Take your pick: Samedy, Landfair, Wenaas.

Sure, it's a long season and things can happen, players can go into slumps. But I don't see it in the cards for her this year, outside of situational substitutions. We'll see, of course
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With the number of subs allowed, I don't see it as a big either/or. Last season, Hugh found plenty of time for Landfair and Wenaas even with Rollins. Whether Glenn is consistent enough to get playing time, I obviously don't know. But her mix of lefty hitting skills will certainly give her some opportunities.
 

Ignatius L Hoops said:
With the number of subs allowed, I don't see it as a big either/or. Last season, Hugh found plenty of time for Landfair and Wenaas even with Rollins. Whether Glenn is consistent enough to get playing time, I obviously don't know. But her mix of lefty hitting skills will certainly give her some opportunities.
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Landfair started. You're not saying Glenn is going to start.

Wenaas got in situationally, for the most part. I can see that for Glenn this year.
 

let'sbeclear said:
Michella Chester's Preseason Power 10 rankings (in parentheses is the AVCA Coaches' post-season ranking in April 2021):

1. Texas (2)
2. Wisconsin (3)
3. Washington (4)
4. Florida (5)
5. Nebraska (6)
6. Kentucky (1)
7. Pittsburgh (8)
8. Purdue (7)
9. Minnesota (9)
10. Baylor (13)

Note that the Gophers play three of these teams -- Baylor, Texas, and Florida -- in their first four matches. It should be lotsa fun!

www.ncaa.com

College volleyball rankings: Texas leads our preseason Power 10

The 2021 volleyball season begins on Aug. 27. Here is our first preseason Power 10 rankings of the season.
www.ncaa.com www.ncaa.com
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Purdue ahead of the ladies? Hmmm...interesting.
 



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