Spring Season & Roster 2023

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2023​



#Full NamePos.Ht.Academic YearHometown / High SchoolHometownPrevious School
2Sydney SchnichelsOutside/Opposite6-4Fr.Willmar, Minn. / WillmarWillmar, Minn.
3Mckenna WuchererOutside6-1So.Brookfield, Wis. / Brookfield CentralBrookfield, Wis.
4Lauren CrowlOpposite6-4R-So.Eagan, Minn. / EastviewEagan, Minn.
5Melani ShaffmasterSetter6-3Sr.New Castle, Ind. / New CastleNew Castle, Ind.
10Elise McGhieSetter5-10Sr.Kansas City, Mo. / St. Teresa's AcademyKansas City, Mo.Kansas
11Chloe NgSetter5-9R-Fr.Vancouver, B.C. / York HouseVancouver, B.C.
12Taylor LandfairOutside6-5R-Jr.Plainfield, Ill. / Plainfield CentralPlainfield, Ill.
15Skylar GrayLibero/DS5-10Jr.Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple GroveMaple Grove, Minn.
16Calissa MinateeMiddle Blocker6-1Fr.Kansas City, Mo. / North Kansas CityKansas City, Mo.
20Arica DavisMiddle Blocker5-11Jr.Hillsborough, N.C. / North Raleigh Christian AcademyHillsborough, N.C.Ohio State
22Julia HansonOutside/Opposite6-1So.Savage, Minn. / Prior LakeSavage, Minn.
 

Tough to do full on scrimmage with only 2 middles, 3 outsides, and one backrow.

Do we have more freshmen coming in the fall?
 




MNBob said:
The two freshmen will be starting early this month. Sydney Schnichels at right side and Calissa Minatee at middle blocker.
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Right, but those are already known and listed on the spring roster, and included in my two middles.

Crowl and Schnichels give us two solid frontcourt right sides, and I expect them to battle for that starting spot. I would assume a DS will be needed for whichever wins, but maybe not? Or maybe we won't have a DS to spare for that?
 














Athletes In Leadership: Taylor Landfair​


gophersports.com

Athletes In Leadership: Taylor Landfair - University of Minnesota Athletics

2022 Big Ten Volleyball Player of the Year Taylor Landfair shares her thoughts on "Sustainability" in the latest episode of Athletes in Leadership presented ...
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Athletes In Leadership: CC McGraw​


gophersports.com

Athletes In Leadership: CC McGraw - University of Minnesota Athletics

In our premiere episode of Athletes in Leadership features Gophers Volleyball athlete CC McGraw discussing her experience being a Gopher student-athlete and ...
gophersports.com gophersports.com
 


Just a FYI -

My understanding from the past at the Open USA Tryouts is that the White Wave is considered the top tier, then the Red Wave and lastly the Blue Wave.

AM Sessions today - Crowl, Shaffmaster and Wucherer were in the White Wave and Davis in the Blue Wave.

PM Sessions today - Shaffmaster and Wucherer remain in the White Wave. Crowl is now playing in the Red Wave and Davis remained in the Blue Wave.

If interested, these can be viewed on a BallerTV subscription.
 

Final Waves this morning at USA tryouts.

White Wave players are:

AnitaAnwusiLSUMBB-0
RavenColvinPurdueMBB-9
AnnaDixonFloridaOPPBK-69
SophieFischerGeorgiaMBB-14
MorganGeddesIndianaOHR-21
MaryGeorgiadesHoustonLY-10
SamanthaHastingsLoyola MarymountLY-12
JordanIliffMissouriOPPBK-75
LaurenJardineUtahOHR-31
BreannaKelleyFloridaMBB-25
JaniceLeaoMiamiMBB-28
ErinLivingstonBYUOHR-35
JessicaMruzikPenn StateOHR-38
KennediOrrNebraskaSG-76
Glenna KatePriorBYUOPPBK-79
EliaRubinStanfordOHR-46
MelaniShaffmasterMinnesotaSG-80
AlexisStuckyFloridaSG-83
 

4EverAGopher said:
Final Waves this morning at USA tryouts.

White Wave players are:

AnitaAnwusiLSUMBB-0
RavenColvinPurdueMBB-9
AnnaDixonFloridaOPPBK-69
SophieFischerGeorgiaMBB-14
MorganGeddesIndianaOHR-21
MaryGeorgiadesHoustonLY-10
SamanthaHastingsLoyola MarymountLY-12
JordanIliffMissouriOPPBK-75
LaurenJardineUtahOHR-31
BreannaKelleyFloridaMBB-25
JaniceLeaoMiamiMBB-28
ErinLivingstonBYUOHR-35
JessicaMruzikPenn StateOHR-38
KennediOrrNebraskaSG-76
Glenna KatePriorBYUOPPBK-79
EliaRubinStanfordOHR-46
MelaniShaffmasterMinnesotaSG-80
AlexisStuckyFloridaSG-83
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Interesting to see the embattled Orr hanging with the top setters. Nice to see Mel in there, too. Surprised Wucherer has slipped out of this group.
 

Like I've said before:

Shaff has all the other qualities that you would see in an elite setter: height, blocking, hitting, and solid defense too.

It's just the two main qualities that matter where she is not elite, at least what she has shown on the court so far. Bettering bad passes and overall quality of sets. At least to middles, she has never shown it consistently. When she gets a good pass, she can do a nice fast set to the pin.
 

Maybe Orr just performs so much better away from JCook. I always wonder how much the MENTAL part of a game is involved in a player's on court performances Both Hames and Evans are gone for different reasons and with all the talent Nebraska has, it will be interesting to watch their battle for the BIG title this fall.

Not surprised at all to see Shaffmaster make it to that Final White Wave Roster. I am hoping Murr stays healthy and can bring more passing consistency to Shaff's setting game. Gophers_4Life is right about the qualities she brings to the table as an elite setter. Just reminding everyone they are EXACTLY WHAT COACH KARCH IS LOOKING FOR. It will also be interesting to see if the Gopher's New Coaching Staff can improve her game where it is much needed....her connetion to the middles.

I have not seen Florida play all that much. But when I have, Stucky is going to get better as one of the Elite in the NCAA. Lastly this reminder......as disappointed we Minnesota fans can be season to season, here is another team that has not been able to get over the hump no matter how many OUTSTANDING PLAYERS are on their roster year after year after year.
 

Would you rather have players who are on-paper “exactly what Karch is looking for” in the style of women’s OLYMPIC volleyball, or

players who are built to and do win championships in the style of women’s COLLEGIATE volleyball???


I go latter. Hugh went former.


Ladies on the women’s national team are brilliant and incredible …. but how many collegiate natty’s did they win?
 

Gophers_4life said:
Ladies on the women’s national team are brilliant and incredible …. but how many collegiate natty’s did they win?
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5 of the 12 players on the Tokyo gold medal team were National Champions in college -- it's not that rare.
 

What IS rare is winning the national championship. I think someone doesn't really appreciate that fact. I know someone views players and coaches as failures if they don't.
 

NateDawgUM said:
5 of the 12 players on the Tokyo gold medal team were National Champions in college -- it's not that rare.
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There are 12 players on the court? Huh. Suspicious that you did it like, rather than the known starters and leaders of the team. Maybe it's 5 out of 7, but suspect it's the other way since you did it out of 12.
 

(R)uffda! said:
What IS rare is winning the national championship. I think someone doesn't really appreciate that fact. I know someone views players and coaches as failures if they don't.
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How about even getting to the natty???

I'll toss out 2014 as an outlier and 2020-21 for covid. That's still 9 seasons and zero natty game appearances.

Not good enough. Not even close.

Only three national semi's. One of which we lucked into (2019). Not good enough. Not even close.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_McCutcheon#Head_Coaching_record
 

sptimes said:
Interesting to see the embattled Orr hanging with the top setters. Nice to see Mel in there, too. Surprised Wucherer has slipped out of this group.
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Wucherer might be a disappointment to you and others but she does need more time where she can stay healthy and show us that the back court is part of her game. She is only a sophomore.

Many pro volleyball teams have 6R OH players and that is exactly what Karch wants for the USA team. KRob-Cook, Plummer, Franti, Wilhite-Parsons, Larson, Bartsch, Hill are just some of those USA players .

This was a USA Team tryout and some of these college players that are up and coming need more time to develop their game. So Wucherer not making it to the Final White Wave in hopes of possibly being chosen to play for a USA National Team does not surprise me at all.
 

4EverAGopher said:
Many pro volleyball teams have 6R OH players and that is exactly what Karch wants for the USA team.
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Because Olympic and Pro women's volleyball have relatively few subs.

Women's collegiate (in the US at least) has lots of subs.


So it's not the same thing.


Use the subs. The "littles" are critical to winning championships. Defense wins championships.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Because Olympic and Pro women's volleyball have relatively few subs.

Women's collegiate (in the US at least) has lots of subs.


So it's not the same thing.


Use the subs. The "littles" are critical to winning championships. Defense wins championships.
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At this point Gophers_4life, if KCook ends up with the same coaching beliefs as Hugh, I am not sure what you are going to do.

Volleyball is changing.....how about all these HS girls well over 6' not playing basketball but switching to volleyball? College teams are seeking TALL SETTERS more now than ever. 6' on up seems to be the going height for a setter in a succesful program. Yes, the littles keep getting littler or are disappearing.

And we all know how COVID with 5th Year Grads have upset this sport having it become in some cases All-Star Teams (Pitt-Wisconsin-Texas to name a few).
 

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