Gopher volleyball 2024

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(R)uffda! said:
Or just let Minatee play the whole time. It would help her development if she stays healthy.
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That's extremely exhausting as a middle, getting no breaks, having to fly side to side, jumping max effort etc. No way.

How do you have 6 on 6 scrimmage? Etc
 


WayOfTheGopher said:
Maybe they can convert either Crowl or Schnichels to play middle for the time being.
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"I know you came here to be developed as and play the position of Opposite .......... but let me ask you ... what do you think about ... Middle ...?"

:cautious:
 

Also, Crowl is the only one listed specifically as Opposite on the roster.

Yeah, Hanson and Wucherer are opposites come on ...
 

MplsGopher said:
"I know you came here to be developed as and play the position of Opposite .......... but let me ask you ... what do you think about ... Middle ...?"

:cautious:
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There are numerous examples of guys in football who get recruited at one position and end up playing a different one. If there are 5 Opposites, they all aren't going to see the court - asking one or two to switch positions doesn't seem like that big of a deal. If they really want to play and play for the Gophers, why wouldn't they switch?
 


GFBfan said:
There are numerous examples of guys in football who get recruited at one position and end up playing a different one. If there are 5 Opposites, they all aren't going to see the court - asking one or two to switch positions doesn't seem like that big of a deal. If they really want to play and play for the Gophers, why wouldn't they switch?
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There are not 5 opposites. Come on...

You really think Hansen and Wucherer are playing Oppo??? Grote and Crowl are the two. That's enough for 6 on 6.

OSwenson and Schnichels will be outsides normally for 6 on 6, though they can all rotate around on the pin positions to develop both. All OH spend a half-rotation hitting opposite anyway, and the Oppo in that half-rotation hit OH. They just stay after the serve, instead of running all the way across.


Middle is very different from pin hitter when it comes to blocking. A middle you want to be very fast laterally. Grote I could see, but not so sure on Crowl.
 

MplsGopher said:
There are not 5 opposites. Come on...

You really think Hansen and Wucherer are playing Oppo??? Grote and Crowl are the two. That's enough for 6 on 6.

OSwenson and Schnichels will be outsides normally for 6 on 6, though they can all rotate around on the pin positions to develop both. All OH spend a half-rotation hitting opposite anyway, and the Oppo in that half-rotation hit OH. They just stay after the serve, instead of running all the way across.


Middle is very different from pin hitter when it comes to blocking. A middle you want to be very fast laterally. Grote I could see, but not so sure on Crowl.
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I said 5 opposites as someone earlier had posted it (yet you didn't seem to have an issue with that post) then went on the official Gopher VB site and looked. Sure enough there are 5 the have opposite as their position, some of which also have outside as a second spot.

I don't know enough about the sport where I can say someone should play a certain position, but like I said earlier - if they have too many at one position, some of them aren't going to get to play unless they switch positions, so why wouldn't they want to do that or be asked to do that?

Regan Pittman was a pretty damn good middle and she wasn't fast laterally. She had good volleyball sense and timing.
 

GFBfan said:
I said 5 opposites as someone earlier had posted it (yet you didn't seem to have an issue with that post) then went on the official Gopher VB site and looked. Sure enough there are 5 the have opposite as their position, some of which also have outside as a second spot.
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I posted it. I just find it funny that there are 5 players listed with opposite as a position possibility (Grote, Crowl, Hanson, OSwenson, Schnichels), 4 setters (Mel, SSwenson, Ng, McGhie) but only 1 middle.

I am sure they will find at least one middle and one little in the portal, especially the middle now that Pedro is on board. Grote will probably be the emergency backup.

This roster is just ridiculously constructed thanks to Covid and the coaching change. Fans need to be patient and let it correct itself, you can get into bigger trouble long term if you're constantly filling holes instead of finding good fits.
 

We need a middle and she's a middle looking for a team. Plus she's also from Minnesota
 



I remember how much of a surprise Miyabe was when she transferred here. As stated somewhere, this coaching staff could certainly look at the Junior Colleges and see if any MB and/or DS/L want to transfer to Div 1 and would be capable of playing at that level.

Now that Pedro is on board KK can focus more on recruiting. Also, I agree that it would be nice to land players with 2 years left to play. Remember, the same needs will be there starting in 2025.
 


4EverAGopher said:
I remember how much of a surprise Miyabe was when she transferred here. As stated somewhere, this coaching staff could certainly look at the Junior Colleges and see if any MB and/or DS/L want to transfer to Div 1 and would be capable of playing at that level.

Now that Pedro is on board KK can focus more on recruiting. Also, I agree that it would be nice to land players with 2 years left to play. Remember, the same needs will be there starting in 2025.
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Miyabe was the JoCo PoY coming here. I was actually surprised she didn't end up with a bigger role.
 

(R)uffda! said:
Miyabe was the JoCo PoY coming here. I was actually surprised she didn't end up with a bigger role.
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Well I thought so too, but she came here under Hugh. He just didn't switch out players. His starters were his starters. He would stay with them year after year after year unless there was an injury or the like and he had to go to his bench.
 



4EverAGopher said:
I see she didn't play much at all last season. Does anybody know why? Injury or low on GA Tech's depth chart of MB's?
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No idea, played a little bit according to this:

GT bio doesn't even have anything for 2023, and says she did not play 2022:
https://ramblinwreck.com/sports/w-volley/roster/season/2023-24/kali-engeman/

Wonder if she has already graduated GT or perhaps will graduate after the spring? Grad transfers can enter the portal any time they want, would explain how entering Jan 1x when the normal window closed Jan 1 I believe?
 

MplsGopher said:
No idea, played a little bit according to this:

GT bio doesn't even have anything for 2023, and says she did not play 2022:
https://ramblinwreck.com/sports/w-volley/roster/season/2023-24/kali-engeman/

Wonder if she has already graduated GT or perhaps will graduate after the spring? Grad transfers can enter the portal any time they want, would explain how entering Jan 1x when the normal window closed Jan 1 I believe?
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She redshirt her first year, she'll be a RS Junior this coming year I think. Don't quote me on this.🤔
 

WayOfTheGopher said:
She redshirt her first year, she'll be a RS Junior this coming year I think. Don't quote me on this.🤔
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Actually the GT bio says she appeared in one match in the 2021 season, in fact only one set.

In the NCAA that's enough to have the whole season count against you as one of your four seasons, unless you apply for a hardship waiver (usually for an injury early enough in the year). It does not mention if she was injured later that year.

Then said she did not participate in 2022. So it could be that she redshirt that year (2nd overall year) instead, to "get back the lost year" of 2021? Wild guess.

She should have two years left to play.
 

(^^Aside: unlike with football, where you can play in up to five games including post season and still get to count it as a redshirt year.

I think it's absolutely silly that all other sports, the moment your foot touches the field/court/course/mat, that's a used season of eligibility. Even if you barely play, and then never get to play again that year.

They should make it like football gets to do, on all other sports.)
 

Here we sit at Jan 15 with no one (at least that is known publicly) added to the 2024 roster. Hoping for some good news soon!
 



jham13 said:
Sorry but look how last season turned out. Just sayin!
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Looks like Penn State is the new landing spot for Nebraska girls. They just got their second MB transfer, this one from Iowa State(grew up in Nebraska). When will we be able to land a transfer?
 

NateDawgUM said:
Which is exactly where they were last season, and they ended up signing Murr, Grote and Awoleye.
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OK but that was with a new coach search? I have completely forgotten when KCook was announced. But would think it would take longer to stand up at a new school than you’re already here.
 


Nipomo 56 said:
Looks like Penn State is the new landing spot for Nebraska girls. They just got their second MB transfer, this one from Iowa State(grew up in Nebraska). When will we be able to land a transfer?
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When we have a starting setter who can set a middle.
 



That’s not the point. The point is it is very difficult to develop chemistry when transfers arrive in August. More difficult anyhow. It would really help to have the 2024 team together this spring.
 

Just read Morris to Oregon is a wrap. See if social media can soon verify that or not.

Right now the situation at Minnesota has really hurt us when trying to land top recruits. Let's face it...many players in the portal want to be on a winning high ranked program roster that can vie for a NCAA Championship and I don't blame them.

The MN Volleyball Program really needs a "face lift". We cannot maintain our players, which just adds to that mentality. Hate to say it, but if we cannot improve our Big Ten standing and ranking next season, the outlook for 2025 will be very grim too.
 
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One thing we do know is that we want players who WANT to be here. If that means going back to recruiting mostly Minnesota kids, so be it. I can get behind a team if the players are committed to the program. Much harder when everyone is just looking for the greener grass. Impossible when your coach is constantly poaching players. You're just cheering for a uniform then.
 


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