Tough Question

[Hoolio]

Open question to all the Scaffmaster haters on this site. I'm curious who's going to get the blame every time the Gophs lose next year.

 

[NateDawgUM]

 

[WayOfTheGopher]

Open question to all the Scaffmaster haters on this site. I'm curious who's going to get the blame every time the Gophs lose next year.

It's obviously gonna be...

 

[Hoolio]

That question was legit. The level of Schaffmaster angst on this site and on Volleytallk is off the charts. I am so sick of the setting the middles argument. It's intellectually lazy. Which middle did you want her to set more? Neither of them this season were great hitters. In fact neither of them are even average. When Booth was here she got set a bunch because she could kill it at a high level. And please don't forget our passing this year was shaky. When the setter is running all over the court to get to the ball her options are limited. Bottom line, Shaffmaster may not be great but she is very very good. Perhaps Stella will end up being great, I hope for her sake she is. If she's just very good I'm sure she'll get scapegoated in here too.

 

[NateDawgUM]

I'm a Shaffmaster fan. She was terrible at setting the middle. You can't put it all on the middles.

Fun with stats:

Regan Pittman hit .400 in 2018 being set by SSS.
Regan Pittman hit .355 in 2019 being set by Kylie Miller and Bayley McMenimen
Regan Pittman hit .290 in 2020 being set by Melani Shaffmaster.

Shaffmaster picked up the slack by being great in many areas. She set the team for 5 years, there was varying success. She had a great career, she represented Minnesota fantastically. It's time for everyone to move on.

I think it's unfortunate that Shaffmaster's time at Minnesota coincided with a big step back in passing, which is the one area that is 100% not her fault. Her legacy will be strong and we'll see her as a player who kept the program steady in a period of transition.

 

[(R)uffda!]

Not a Mel hater, but Cook is firmly planted on the hot seat. A third straight season like the last two falls squarely on his shoulders. (As does the season just concluded.)

 

[(R)uffda!]

Last 10 years:

2015 semi-finalist
2016 semi-finalist
2017 round of 16
2018 round of 16
2019 semi-finalist
2020 round of 16 (bye in 1st round)
2021 round of 8
2022 round of 16
2023 round of 32
2024 round of 32

Just stating the facts.

 

[NateDawgUM]

Last 10 years:

2015 semi-finalist
2016 semi-finalist
2017 round of 16
2018 round of 16
2019 semi-finalist
2020 round of 16 (bye in 1st round)
2021 round of 8
2022 round of 16
2023 round of 32
2024 round of 32

Just stating the facts.

2014 MISSED TOURNAMENT

(coaching transitions are hard)

 

[(R)uffda!]

2014 MISSED TOURNAMENT

(coaching transitions are hard)

2nd year? National semi-finalist.

 

[Hoolio]

So it looks like the answer to my initial question is Keegan Cook.

 

[walleye]

From Gophersports.com (https://gophersports.com/news/2024/12/6/volleyball-gophers-kentucky-recap)

Quote from Melani Shaffmaster after the Kentucky match:

"I have been at Minnesota my whole time in college, so five whole years with Keegan and all the staff that's been changing," said senior setter Melani Shaffmaster. "I've loved it since I got there, I loved it on my visit a long time ago. I think this year especially, I've never been on a team where the team is so good. I've been to Sweet 16s and Elite Eights in the past but you just know you are with a really special group when you can just feel it. I think obviously it sucks to lose - but at the end of the day, it was a lot of fun to be with these guys."

 

[walleye]

Last 10 years:

2015 semi-finalist
2016 semi-finalist
2017 round of 16
2018 round of 16
2019 semi-finalist
2020 round of 16 (bye in 1st round)
2021 round of 8
2022 round of 16
2023 round of 32
2024 round of 32

Just stating the facts.

Yes, those are the facts. It is not entirely Cook's fault or McCutcheon's fault. It's also Coyle's fault for not doing more with the NIL and our fault for not demanding more and supporting Dinkytown Athletes. The landscape has changed in women's volleyball. Prior to 2004, the west coast schools dominated the sport. Since then, Texas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Stanford have dominated. The Gophers have never been on top, although they were 2nd in 2004, but we carry on like we are at the top. While the Gopher's success has dipped the last couple of years, there is more parity among college teams and you find great players on more teams. Girl's volleyball has grown by 9-12% in the last ten years and club teams have mushroomed. Yes, a few colleges are still dominant but there is a lot of parity after that. The NIL and the transfer portal has changed the landscape so that the rich get richer. The Gophers have recently lost at least three elite players to the rich. Texas bought two national championships through the transfer portal and NIL money. We are not prepared to play that game and have to settle for the next tier of players who will come for other reasons or less NIL. So, until Wonder Woman and her sister miraculously show up at Minnesota, we will not be at the top tier until we play the NIL game.

 

[(R)uffda!]

Which is sad. Because I was always a fan of the program. I just assumed the players were too. Once they started leaving to chase titles elsewhere? I can't pretend it didn't affect me. But if the players aren't loyal to the program, why am I supposed to be? And that's in general, not specifically about Minnesota.

I never thought I was cheering for a uniform. But it sure does feel like that is what is expected of me now.

This is also why I appreciate players like Mel, Wookie and Julia -- the ones who stuck around.

Anyhow, I absolutely hate what college athletics has become. It's worse in other sports, but the Badgers, Longhorns and Huskers have ruined it. Those programs don't even NEED to steal players. But they still do it. Is it fun to root against them? Like rooting against the Dodgers and Yankees? To some extent. But I have no interest in being a fan of the Washington Generals. I just don't.

 

[NateDawgUM]

2nd year? National semi-finalist.

You must be confused, Hugh made the Sweet 16 in his second year, not the Final Four. All the Final Fours under Hugh were with either SSS or Samedy.

Hopefully Stella Swenson can provide the same shot in the arm to the program as her sister.

 

[(R)uffda!]

I was going by what others were saying, that they missed the tournament in his 1st year. It was actually his third. Although I can't swear by that either. He made the tournament in 2012 and 2013 (regional finalist and regional semi-finalist) according to the Gopher website. But I think Laura was interim head coach in 2012. [Edit: Laura was coach in 2011. Although I thought Mike coached throught 2011, it looks like 2010 was his last season.]

The Gopher website really is pathetic. I can't do this by memory alone.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

2011	Laura Bush (Interim)	20-12	.625	11-9	.550	5th	Third Round
2012	Hugh McCutcheon	27-8	.771	15-5	.750	T2nd	Fourth Round
2013	Hugh McCutcheon	29-7	.806	15-5	.750	3rd	Fourth Round
2014	Hugh McCutcheon	19-12	.613	9-11	.450	8th
2015	Hugh McCutcheon	30-5	.857	18-2	.900	1st	NCAA Semifinal
2016	Hugh McCutcheon	29-5	.853	17-3	.850	T2nd	NCAA Semifinal
2017	Hugh McCutcheon	28-6	.824	15-5	.750	3rd	Third Round
2018	Hugh McCutcheon	27-4	.871	19-1	.950	1st	Third Round
2019	Hugh McCutcheon	27-6	.818	17-3	.850	T2nd	NCAA Semifinal
2020-21	Hugh McCutcheon	16-3	.813	15-2	.882	2nd	Third Round
2021	Hugh McCutcheon*	23-9	.719	15-5	.750	T3rd	NCAA Regional Final
2022	Hugh McCutcheon (277-74)	22-9	.710	15-5	.750	T3rd	Third Round
2023	Keegan Cook	17-13	.567	12-8	.600	5th	Second Round

 

[(R)uffda!]

They lost to Stanford in the 3rd round in 2013. FWIW.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

They lost to Stanford in the 3rd round in 2013. FWIW.

It confirms your earlier comment about the Gopher website being pathetic

 

[(R)uffda!]

Could be worse, of course. I offer you $765 million over 15 years as an example. An example, mind you. I'm not offering you $765 million. I just can't swing it right now.