Gopher Volleyball 2023 Season

Heard Weske is on a visit to Rice this weekend. Not sure what that means for MN.
 

Really not trying to be mean or a jerk, but ....

why do we need another RS?? We have Crowl and we have a fantastic recruit here now in Schnichels.

One of those two should be the starter. Or maybe both play some to start the year out and figure out who wins it.


Unless Weske is going to switch to OH, then I don't get why we would take her. She would be backup with Hanson.


What we actually need is another MB, and another defensive specialist.
 

Really not trying to be mean or a jerk, but ....

why do we need another RS?? We have Crowl and we have a fantastic recruit here now in Schnichels.

One of those two should be the starter. Or maybe both play some to start the year out and figure out who wins it.


Unless Weske is going to switch to OH, then I don't get why we would take her. She would be backup with Hanson.


What we actually need is another MB, and another defensive specialist.
One would think that either Crowl or Schnichels should be playing RS. However, maybe just maybe this coaching staff has evaluated this team and feel the need for more experience on the RS. Hanson is too short and had her struggles too. I think KCook emphasizes the importance of "blocking". So we need to take that into consideration.

I would think you would agree we need to be firing from all positions. We don't have all that needed help at MB. If we don't transfer in an experienced MB, we become a one demensional offense easy to read and too predictable. I don't want that as a fan.

IMO Crowl didn't really "light it up" when she was given the opportunity more than once last season. What I have seen of her reminds me a lot of Wilhite. Maybe lacking that all important 100% confidence to perform and take it to the next level.

Also, I am not so sure right now that Schnichels as a Freshman is ready to take on a starting role. We all know not every Freshman is ready to play college volleyball.

I really do feel this coaching staff is doing their best to give us the best chance of a 2023 successful season. Losing 4 starters is not easy to replace especially when we were not "that deep on the bench".
 

Really not trying to be mean or a jerk, but ....

why do we need another RS?? We have Crowl and we have a fantastic recruit here now in Schnichels.

One of those two should be the starter. Or maybe both play some to start the year out and figure out who wins it.


Unless Weske is going to switch to OH, then I don't get why we would take her. She would be backup with Hanson.


What we actually need is another MB, and another defensive specialist.

We definitely don't need another RS. Taking an all around player like Weske is a no-brainer but if she chooses to go elsewhere then I'd stick with those two. I think Crowl is poised to make a big leap, her size is irreplaceable on the block.
 

We definitely don't need another RS. Taking an all around player like Weske is a no-brainer but if she chooses to go elsewhere then I'd stick with those two. I think Crowl is poised to make a big leap, her size is irreplaceable on the block.
Well I'm saying, I think Weske and Hanson would be the backups at OH, in that case. We'd have Crowl and Schnichels at RS.

Need a solid, older MB, if nothing more to provide guidance and support to Davis and Minatee. And we need another defensive backrow player. Unless they're saying that McGhie will be that role in the fall.
 


Well I'm saying, I think Weske and Hanson would be the backups at OH, in that case. We'd have Crowl and Schnichels at RS.

Need a solid, older MB, if nothing more to provide guidance and support to Davis and Minatee. And we need another defensive backrow player. Unless they're saying that McGhie will be that role in the fall.
Or Gray on the back row. Has anyone heard anything about the libero from Maryland. Has she been visiting anywhere. Would love to get her, but I am guessing she wants that libero jersey wherever she goes. A fan can dream though.
 

No one seems to know anything about Gomillion's plans. If she was visiting schools someone would know about it I would think. I doubt she'd consider coming to MN to be the DS, as much as we'd love it. I think we need another middle first and then pray Cook and his team can develop Gray or someone else to be a top notch backrow player this year.
 

Or Gray on the back row. Has anyone heard anything about the libero from Maryland. Has she been visiting anywhere. Would love to get her, but I am guessing she wants that libero jersey wherever she goes. A fan can dream though.
If KCook can convince her to play DS this upcoming year, then I think she'll still have two years remaining once Murr is gone. Also it wouldn't hurt to have a nice back-up in case anything should happen to Murr (god forbid).
 

Or Gray on the back row.
She is completely unproven. Not sure I want to role with only her as the lone DS.

Unless we're really planning to do a silly thing of only having 7 starters per match. I hope not.

Then again, Landfair and Wucherer were both #1 recruits. They both could've bullied Cook with demands about playing 6-rotations or else hitting the transfer portal, for all we know.


Maybe it's Elise McGhie as DS for the RS, and that leaves Gray to DS out one of the OH. That would probably work, but again assuming Gray is up to the challenge.
 



That seems to be the ONLY way Texas could win a title. They finally made the team Elliot-proof.

Count me in the group that hopes this sort of stuff causes programs to crash and burn. It's borderline unethical (and may not even be borderline).
It's certainly causing my interest D1 volleyball to crash and burn. As I've written in other posts, there appear to be teams of grad students competing in an undergraduate league.
 

It's certainly causing my interest D1 volleyball to crash and burn. As I've written in other posts, there appear to be teams of grad students competing in an undergraduate league.
Once Covid years are done, the grad students still only get 4 years to compete.
 

But they've gotten a taste of all-star teams now, as a way to win titles.

That can still be done pretty much just as easily. The transfer portal and volleyball always had a free transfer even without graduating. You still get another transfer on top of that, if you graduate and have eligibility left. With summer school every year and enrolling early for the first spring semester, it's easily possible to complete a bachelor's by the end of your 4th spring semester.


I think the cat's out of the bag.



I really would like to see it go now to that all transfers, except with a waiver only for extraordinary circumstances (sorry, the coach leaving is not good enough!), have to sit out the following Fall season.
 

I really would like to see it go now to that all transfers, except with a waiver only for extraordinary circumstances (sorry, the coach leaving is not good enough!), have to sit out the following Fall season.

I'm fine with graduate transferring since it isn't fair to force somebody to stay at an institution once they've finished their degree. It only became a big issue now because of all the Covid 5th years.

I would be totally for changing the transfer rules otherwise so a player must sit out a year if they switch schools -- but I wouldn't make it cost a redshirt year. It would just be a non-playing year. That would end these super teams since it's too hard to line up All Stars with a year lag.
 



Nope. Not for graduating early. That was your choice. You could’ve easily stretched it out and taken a normal course load so that you graduate at the end of the fall semester of your last season.

I won’t reward them for purposefully graduating early just so they can go transfer to an all-star team for their last year.

That’s TTA to Wisc.


These are women’s athletics were talking about. They graduate and do well in academics. That’s never been an issue for them.


Also, the normal thing is that they have five calendar years to participate in four season. That’s already the normal thing.

So it’s already within the standard eligibility setup that you can be at your first school for your first two years, transfer, sit out the third year, and then play the last two years.

That’s just fine. That’s how it should be, if you want to transfer in the middle.
 

Since we're sharing personal opinions, I'll throw mine in too.

I am all for the athletes having rights, whether to make money via NIL or transfer. For too long, the whole NCAA system was set up to use them and not give them any rights beyond their scholarships.

That said, I am selfishly sad that the landscape of this sport we all love has been changed by these few programs who are assembling portal all-star rosters with the goal of winning immediately (next year will be a roster of different all stars). In fairness, the teams and players are just taking advantage of the rules currently in place, as much as I dislike it. However, I will cheer hard against them and hope that the more traditional approach will ultimately be more successful. Perhaps the all-star teams will experience disruption in team culture as their current players grow unhappy with being recruited over and transfer out.
 

Nope. Not for graduating early. That was your choice. You could’ve easily stretched it out and taken a normal course load so that you graduate at the end of the fall semester of your last season.

I won’t reward them for purposefully graduating early just so they can go transfer to an all-star team for their last year.

That’s TTA to Wisc.

TTA graduated in 4 years. She's a Covid year mercenary.
 


TTA graduated in 4 years. She's a Covid year mercenary.
And? What I said holds.

With early enrollment (getting an "extra" spring semester), and players taking class every summer, you can certainly graduate with a bachelor's at the end of the spring semester after your junior (3rd year) season. Leaving you one more season of eligibility.

Sorry, again, that's not good enough for me. If you really want to go someone else and play that last season, then take a late redshirt and sit out, then come back the next fall.
 

I am all for the athletes having rights, whether to make money via NIL or transfer.
Free transfer with no sit-out is not a right.

Which sports league allows a player to say "I'm done with this team, I'm tearing up my contract and I'll just decide to go play somewhere else next year".

Not a thing, nor should it be.
 

Free transfer with no sit-out is not a right.

Which sports league allows a player to say "I'm done with this team, I'm tearing up my contract and I'll just decide to go play somewhere else next year".

Not a thing, nor should it be.
We get it, you don't like the new transfer rules. I also don't like what it has done to college volleyball fandom, but I'm attempting to separate athlete rights from fan preferences.

Not sure it's worth discussing further here.
 

I support every other right you've brought up. As do most people.

A one season sit-out doesn't physically prevent them from transferring to the new school and immediately starting on their graduate or finishing their bachelor's degree.

That's why they're doing the transfer, right???
 

A football player can play in four games or about a third of the season and receive a red shirt. (they have 80 scholarships so they don't need this rule) Women's volleyball was play one game and it's a season. Also summer school for football players is paid by the school. Volleyball was not.

Has there been a rule change???
 

Women's volleyball was play one game and it's a season.
That's what it is for all sports other than football. Step foot on the field, court, mat, etc. and you've participated in the season. So it counts as one of your maximum four seasons that you get to participate in, over a five calendar year period.

If you simply don't participate in a season, one of those five years, that's considered a "redshirt". Most common in football the first year.

There is a completely separate thing, which isn't a redshirt at all but commonly gets referred to as a "medical redshirt", that you can qualify for if you have a season-ending injury and you participated only in the first 30% of games/matches of the season schedule (can't return later in the year or for playoffs). You have to apply for this with the NCAA, and if granted what it does is extends your clock so it is now six calendar years, and the season doesn't count, so you still have it.

Also summer school for football players is paid by the school. Volleyball was not.
Not aware of any such rule that limits scholarship benefits to only Fall and Spring semesters, for any sport.

Sounds very old school, where I guess athletes would just "go home" all summer and live at home?

I'm guessing it hasn't been that way for a long time.
 

No one seems to know anything about Gomillion's plans. If she was visiting schools someone would know about it I would think. I doubt she'd consider coming to MN to be the DS, as much as we'd love it. I think we need another middle first and then pray Cook and his team can develop Gray or someone else to be a top notch backrow player this year.
If Murr won’t be on campus till summer, who will the gophers play in the back row during their spring season? The only back row player on the roster is Gray.
 


There's our middle.

Signed and played as a true freshman for Georgia in 2020, all-SEC Freshman team. Played every set for them in 2021. Transferred to LMU (same conference as San Diego and BYU) for 2022. Coach there was Kylin Munoz who is now coach for Gophers, so that is the connection.

Will be interesting to see if all three middles get significant time, or if she beats out Minatee or Davis.
 


Sounds like Weske is transferring to Rice. I for one am hoping this Coaching Staff continues searching for an experienced Opp, another MB and 1-2 DS/L. Remember, injuries can happen to any player at any time. I would be happy with a roster of 16.

As someone stated on VB, do we want this program settling for 3rd or 4th in the BIG next season or do we want to continue to be able to compete for a Conference Championship etc.? There was talk that someone didn't feel Weske was needed on this Gopher team.

Again, Wenaas back right court performance last season, is going to be hard to replace.
 

This team has an incredible core of players (Big Ten Player of the Year, Big Ten Libero of the Year, 1st team All Big Ten setter, Wucherer). I trust that there will be one or two more additions, and judging from the last MB transfer, probably nobody we're talking about right now.

Wisconsin, Nebraska and Penn State are all loaded for 2023. There's no reason Minnesota can't compete with them but third or fourth place in the Big Ten could easily be the National Champion depending on how the tournament goes.
 

Sounds like Weske is transferring to Rice. I for one am hoping this Coaching Staff continues searching for an experienced Opp, another MB and 1-2 DS/L. Remember, injuries can happen to any player at any time. I would be happy with a roster of 16.

As someone stated on VB, do we want this program settling for 3rd or 4th in the BIG next season or do we want to continue to be able to compete for a Conference Championship etc.? There was talk that someone didn't feel Weske was needed on this Gopher team.

Again, Wenaas back right court performance last season, is going to be hard to replace.
We do not need an opp.

Back right offense in women's college volleyball is not just unnecessary, it's needlessly risky.


Even superwoman Samedy I feel like either hit a great shot ... or hit it into the bottom of the net on the D sets with 50/50 probability.

Stick to what is known and works at this level. That's how you win titles. Trying to play the game in the style of the women's Olympic team, is part of what Hugh did that cost us.


DS out a solid RS front court player for the defense. Lots of subs in the women's game. Use them
 




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