STrib: Gophers not Panicking After Early Losses

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Gophers volleyball team not panicking after resounding early losses

Coach Keegan Cook is staying calm after losses to Texas and Florida, but that doesn't mean the Gophers aren't urgently addressing issues ahead of another big weekend.

www.startribune.com

Jeff Day:

The mood of Minnesota sports fans changes as fast as its seasons, but Keegan Cook is new to the state, so forgive his confusion.

After losing to two of the best teams in the country, Cook was asked at his weekly media session if he still had hope that the Gophers volleyball team could compete at the highest level.

A smile broadened across his face, "We're already using the hope word here?"

Welcome to Minnesota, coach

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

And:

...and opponents are targeting her [Landfair] defense. Of the 269 serves the Gophers have received this season, 130 have gone to her. Cook vigorously defended Landfair's ability to effect the game in a multitude of ways and said her leadership is essential to whatever this team hopes to accomplish.

 

[GopherVB23]

Good article.

 

[MplsGopher]

Nothing has happened that would be worthy of panic.

Two of the teams we played are elite and we can’t hang with them, with the players we have and the way that this team is constructed/run.

Two of the teams we played are in the next tier down, where we are, and we lost to one and beat the other in five. Would love to see a rematch with Florida, I think we can take them.


We won’t win the conf and we won’t be a regional host.

Giving a good battle but ultimately losing in a regional final is the ceiling for this team.

Same old.

Shaff and Landfair have too many weaknesses to take us higher than that.

 

[PreacherRoe]

Nothing has happened that would be worthy of panic.

Two of the teams we played are elite and we can’t hang with them, with the players we have and the way that this team is constructed/run.

Two of the teams we played are in the next tier down, where we are, and we lost to one and beat the other in five. Would love to see a rematch with Florida, I think we can take them.


We won’t win the conf and we won’t be a regional host.

Giving a good battle but ultimately losing in a regional final is the ceiling for this team.

Same old.

Shaff and Landfair have too many weaknesses to take us higher than that.

Interesting. So what does Cook need to bring in for next year "to take us higher than that"? Any ideas anyone?

 

[MplsGopher]

DS out Landfair. That’s an easy night and day improvement.

Did she threaten to transfer out? Or does Cook just stubbornly think he knows better than everyone else who can see the obvious? We don’t know.

Schaff is what she is. Not elite at consistent placement of sets that her hitters need. Pretty damn good at the rest of it, but that first bit is the most important.