Minnesota Golden Gophers 2024

[B1Gminnesotafan]

Minnesota Volleyball 2024

          

Roster

 1 Stella Swenson Setter 6-1 Fr. Plymouth, Minn./ Wayzata H.S, Minn.

 2 Sydney Schnichels Outside/Opposite 6-4 So. Willmar, Minn. / Willmar Willmar, Minn.
 3 Mckenna Wucherer Outside 6-1 Jr. Brookfield, Wis. / Brookfield Central Brookfield, Wis.
 4 Lauren Crowl Opposite 6-4 R-Jr. Eagan, Minn. / Eastview Eagan, Minn.
 5 Melani Shaffmaster Setter 6-3 5th. New Castle, Ind. / New Castle New Castle, Ind.

 6 Kate Thibault Libero/DS 5-5 So Watertown, Minn./ Watertown-Mayer, Minn.

 7 Phoebe Awoleye Middle Blocker 6-2 5th / Kansas City, Mo.

 8 Calissa Minatee Middle Blocker 6-1 So. Kansas City, Mo. / North Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. 

 9 Lydia Grote Outside/Opposite 6-2 5th. / Burbank, Calif

10 Elise McGhie Setter 5-10 5th. Kansas City, Mo. / St. Teresa's Academy Kansas City, Mo. Kansas
11 Chloe Ng Setter 5-9 R-So Vancouver, B.C. / York House Vancouver, B.C.

12 Zeynep Palabiyik Libero 5-4 So Istanbul, Turkey

13 Olivia Swenson 6-3 Outside/Opposite / Plymouth, Minn./ Wayzata H.S

15 Skylar Gray Libero/DS 5-10 Sr. Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove Maple Grove, Minn. 

16 Kali Engeman Middle Blocker 6-1 Sr Excelsior, Minn. / Minnetonka HS, Minn

21 Alex Acevedo Outside 6-2 R-Fr. Nampa, Idaho/ Skyview

22 Julia Hanson Outside/Opposite 6-1 Jr. Savage, Minn. / Prior Lake Savage, Minn.

Coaches:

Keegan Cook  Women's Volleyball Head Coach

Kristen Kelsay Associate Head Coach

Pedro Mendes Assistant Coach

Crissy Jones Schoonderwoerd Assistant Coach

Lost to graduation:

6 Kylie Murr Libero 5-6 5th Yorktown, Ind. / Yorktown Yorktown, Ind. Ohio State

New incoming 2024:

Stella Swenson 6'2" Setter from Plymouth, MN.
Olivia Swenson 6'3" Outside Hitter from Plymouth, MN.

Transfers in 2024:

Kali Engeman  6'1" Middle from Excelsior, Minn.  Gophers Sign Graduate Transfer Kali Engeman

Kate Thibault  5'4" Libero from Watertown, Minn Gophers Add Kate Thibault to 2024 Team

Alex Acevedo 6'2" Outside from Nampa, Idaho Gophers Add Dynamic Outside Hitter in Alex Acevedo

Transfers out 2024/ No longer on roster:

12 Taylor Landfair Outside 6-5 R-Sr. Plainfield, Ill.  -> Nebraska

20 Arica Davis Middle Blocker 5-11 Sr. Hillsborough, N.C. -> High Point

2024 Schedule

Date Time At Opponent Location Tournament Result
Aug 24 (Sat) 3:00 PM Home Iowa State Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread W 3-2
Sep 1  (Sun) 2:00 PM Neut Stanford Milwaukee, WI (Fiserv Forum) Intersport Volleyball Showcase -  Match Thread
Sep 2  (Mon) 6:30 PM Neut Texas Milwaukee, WI (Fiserv Forum) Intersport Volleyball Showcase -  Match Thread
Sep 6  (Fri) 7:00 PM Away Baylor Waco, TX Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge -  Match Thread
Sep 7  (Sat) 4:00 PM Neut TCU Waco, TX Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge -  Match Thread
Sep 10 (Tue) 7:00 PM Home St. Thomas Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Sep 12 (Thu) 7:00 PM Home LIU Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) Diet Coke Classic -  Match Thread
Sep 13 (Fri) 6:00 PM Home Auburn Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) Diet Coke Classic -  Match Thread
Sep 19 (Thu) 7:00 PM Away Green Bay Green Bay, WI -  Match Thread
Sep 20 (Fri) 5:00 PM Neut North Dakota Green Bay, WI -  Match Thread
Sep 21 (Sat) 12:00 PM Neut Chicago State Green Bay, WI -  Match Thread
Sep 25 (Wed) 8:00 PM Home Wisconsin Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Sep 28 (Sat) 5:30 PM Home Purdue Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Oct 4  (Fri) 9:00 PM Away UCLA Los Angeles, CA -  Match Thread
Oct 5  (Sat) 10:00 PM Away Southern California Los Angeles, CA -  Match Thread
Oct 11 (Fri) 6:30 OR 7 PM Home Indiana Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Oct 12 (Sat) TBA Home Maryland Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread

Oct 18 (Fri) 6:00 PM Away Rutgers Piscataway, NJ -  Match Thread
Oct 20 (Sun) TBA Away Penn State University Park, PA -  Match Thread
Oct 23 (Wed) 8:00 PM Home Northwestern Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Oct 27 (Sun) Noon Away Ohio State Columbus, OH -  Match Thread
Nov 1  (Fri) 5:00 PM Away Michigan State East Lansing, MI -  Match Thread
Nov 3  (Sun) TBA Away Michigan Ann Arbor, MI -  Match Thread
Nov 7  (Thu) 7:00 PM Home Washington Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Nov 9  (Sat) TBA Home Oregon Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Nov 14 (Thu) 7:30 OR 8 PM Away Nebraska Lincoln, NE -  Match Thread
Nov 17 (Sun) 2:00 PM Home Michigan Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Nov 20 (Wed) TBA Away Wisconsin Madison, WI -  Match Thread
Nov 23 (Sat) TBA Home Iowa Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread
Nov 27 (Wed) 7:00 PM Away Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL -  Match Thread
Nov 29 (Fri) TBA Home Ohio State Minneapolis, MN (Maturi Pavilion) -  Match Thread

2024 Spring Schedule

Friday, March 22 at St. Thomas (Schoenecker Arena, 6 p.m.)
Friday, April 5 vs. Iowa State (Faribault H.S., 7:30 p.m.)
Saturday, April 13 vs. Marquette (Maturi Pavilion, TBA)
Saturday, April 20 vs. Illinois (Waterloo, Wis., Waterloo H.S., 1:00 p.m.)

 

Links:

Minnesota Golden Gophers 2023

Minnesota Golden Gophers 2022

Minnesota Golden Gophers 2021

Minnestoa 2020 - Spring 2021 VT thread
Future of Minnesota VT thread
Minnesota Volleyball
Big Ten Conference


Position Breakdown: *Returning Starters

Setter:

Mel Shaffmaster* 5th year

Elise McGhie 5th year

Chloe Ng  RS-Sophomore

Stella Swenson Frosh

Outside Hitter:

Lauren Crowl RS Junior

Julia Hanson Junior

Mckenna Wucherer* Junior

Sydney Schnichels Sophomore

Lidia Grote* 5th year

Olivia Swenson Frosh

Alex Acevedo RS Frosh

Middle Blocker:

Calissa Minatee Sophomore

Phoebe Awoleye* 5th year

Kali Engeman RS Junior

Libero/DS

Skylar Gray Senior

Zeynep Palabiyik* Sophomore

Recruiting:

2025

Kelly Kinney 6'2" Outside hitter from West Palm Beach, FL link

Carly Gilk 6'2" Outside hitter from Brooklyn Park, MN link

Jordan Taylor 6'5" Middle Blocker from Houston, TX link

McKenna Garr 5'7" Libero from Rush City MN link

2026

Elena Hoecke 6'3" Middle Blocker from Maple Grove, MN  link

Makenna Crosson 6'3" Outside hitter from from San Jose, CA  link

Madi Kraft 5'4" Libero from Eagan, MN   link

[skolgophers]

Anyone else hoping all the stars align for our two OHs next season, two big portal additions(MB and L), and Stella starting? Or maybe it’s just me.

[GoGophs]

Goals for the off season:
1. lots of work on serve receive
2. get the middles producing offensively
3. more variation in the offense

[robtearle]

Of no importance at all, but why do Olivia and Stella have the semi-different last name from Samantha? 

[B1Gminnesotafan]

Dec 3, 2023 10:12:44 GMT -5 robtearle said:

Of no importance at all, but why do Olivia and Stella have the semi-different last name from Samantha? 

It might be my mistake.  Someone help me out here.  It is a combined family due to a family tragedy so that could be it.

[robtearle]

Dec 3, 2023 10:20:23 GMT -5 B1Gminnesotafan said:

Dec 3, 2023 10:12:44 GMT -5 robtearle said:

Of no importance at all, but why do Olivia and Stella have the semi-different last name from Samantha? 

It might be my mistake.  Someone help me out here.  It is a combined family due to a family tragedy so that could be it.

Well, Samantha's biography page at the team web site uses Seleger-Swenson, the signing announcement for Stella and Olivia uses just Swenson, and both list the same two names for their parents. I think what you have posted here is consistent with that. 

[maigrey]

Dec 3, 2023 10:20:23 GMT -5 B1Gminnesotafan said:

Dec 3, 2023 10:12:44 GMT -5 robtearle said:

Of no importance at all, but why do Olivia and Stella have the semi-different last name from Samantha? 

It might be my mistake.  Someone help me out here.  It is a combined family due to a family tragedy so that could be it.

I remember seeing this at one point, but I can't find it and I've spent the last 30 minutes googling it. I believe it was to honor her mother who was a volleyball player as well.

[jeepers]

Dec 3, 2023 10:20:23 GMT -5 B1Gminnesotafan said:

Dec 3, 2023 10:12:44 GMT -5 robtearle said:

Of no importance at all, but why do Olivia and Stella have the semi-different last name from Samantha? 

It might be my mistake.  Someone help me out here.  It is a combined family due to a family tragedy so that could be it.

I don't think it has anything to do with the tragedy involving their aunt. I think it's simply that Samanta chose (or it was chosen for her) to use her mother's hyphenated name and the younger ones only use their father's name. Not really much more to it than that, and probably not really worth speculation beyond it.

[skolgophers]

Anyone have any inside info on Julia Hansons instagram post? The comments are concerning me but I may be reading too far into it.

[GoGophs]

Dec 3, 2023 19:26:27 GMT -5 skolgophers said:

Anyone have any inside info on Julia Hansons instagram post? The comments are concerning me but I may be reading too far into it.

No info but it’d be odd that she would tag the gopher volleyball account if she was transferring

[skolgophers]

Dec 3, 2023 19:39:03 GMT -5 GoGophs said:

Dec 3, 2023 19:26:27 GMT -5 skolgophers said:

Anyone have any inside info on Julia Hansons instagram post? The comments are concerning me but I may be reading too far into it.

No info but it’d be odd that she would tag the gopher volleyball account if she was transferring

That’s a good point. I didn’t notice that when I saw it. Hoping she stays 🤞

[comet]

Uh oh, people are commenting on Julia's post.

 " No"

"Gonna miss u..."

That doesn't sound good.

[gophsstudent]

Dec 3, 2023 20:01:33 GMT -5 comet said:

Uh oh, people are commenting on Julia's post.

 " No"

"Gonna miss u..."

That doesn't sound good.

Julia Hanson is arguably the player most likely to transfer out as she would be an excellent starter at just about any non top school in the country, and by excellent starter I mean likely a star player.

However I don’t think those comments are concerning. One is from Murr, saying “nooooo” and Murr is leaving. The other is a volleyball GA who is graduating and said he would miss her. I don’t think anything about those two comments insinuate a transfer.

[comet]

Dec 3, 2023 20:26:14 GMT -5 gophsstudent said:

Dec 3, 2023 20:01:33 GMT -5 comet said:

Uh oh, people are commenting on Julia's post.

 " No"

"Gonna miss u..."

That doesn't sound good.

Julia Hanson is arguably the player most likely to transfer out as she would be an excellent starter at just about any non top school in the country, and by excellent starter I mean likely a star player.

However I don’t think those comments are concerning. One is from Murr, saying “nooooo” and Murr is leaving. The other is a volleyball GA who is graduating and said he would miss her. I don’t think anything about those two comments insinuate a transfer.

Ok. We'll see I guess.

[craftylefty]

McKenna: “best serving sub ever.” 😘

Regina George vibes right there lol