Gopher volleyball looks to continue winning momentum against Baylor, TCU
MINNEAPOLIS — Gopher volleyball's win over the No. 1-ranked team in the country was a testament to the hard work and belief that the team has been developing, but they can't rest, as they'll face Baylor and TCU this weekend.
The win over back-to-back national champion Texas was Minnesota's first victory over a top-ranked team since 2019. But the question for head coach Keegan Cook becomes: "can you respond to a good performance with great motivation?"
He expects his team to do so as they head to Waco for the Big Ten/Big 12 challenge.
At No. 23 Baylor, they'll have to contend with a pair of experienced outside hitters — one of whom, Kendal Murphy, is Minnesota outside hitter Mckenna Wucherer's cousin. Cook acknowledged that the team will have to prepare for the Bears' home court atmosphere and strong serving.
TCU, though unranked, has one of the most lethal outside hitters in the country in Melanie Parra, who averages 4.25 kills per set. The Horned Frogs poked holes in No. 2-ranked Nebraska's offense and pushed the Cornhuskers to four sets last week in Lincoln.
"Both these teams are hungry to either establish or reestablish their position in volleyball, so we quickly go from hunting to being hunted," Cook said.
The team is hoping to grow in a few areas; set distribution in particular. There were long stretches in the opening matches where the team relied too heavily on the left side, and though eventually they saw everyone contribute, it was "not enough variety" for Cook's taste.
The Gophers aren't shy about wanting to be there, competing, in the final weekend of the NCAA tournament this December. And an early tone-setting win can lay the groundwork for the rest of the year.
"You're trying to teach a team to believe in themselves, and to believe before something happens. And we've been having that conversation for six straight months, but something happens when you win. Belief becomes real. You can feel it," Cook said.
They'll remember those feelings — a resounding 15-7 win in the fifth set, Cook's first-ever locker room dousing, a buzzing bus ride back and not being able to sleep when they arrived home — as the team looks to build on their success.
"Obviously it's just the beginning of the year, we're just super excited for what's to come, that kind of just showed who Minnesota volleyball really is," Wucherer said.
"Really glad (the win) happened at the beginning of the season, so we know what we're capable of," Melani Shaffmaster said. The senior setter reached 4,000 career assists over the weekend, the eighth Gopher to reach the milestone.
Now the team is making sure to reset, refocusing with some productive practices and taking future games one match at a time.
The volleyball season has only just started but it's already been upended: three of the top five teams have fallen, including No. 2 Nebraska, who was defeated by an unranked SMU on Tuesday. That same day No. 7 Penn State blew No. 4 Louisville away with a dominant 3-set victory.
Cook has used the word "parity" to describe the landscape of college volleyball, as the talent spreads out among up-and-coming programs.
"We're seeing great volleyball across the country and I expect that to continue," Cook said. "People are committing at a really high level and it's getting harder and harder to separate yourself from the pack."
The Gophers face Baylor at 7 p.m. on Friday and TCU at 4 p.m. on Saturday. After the trip down south, the Gophers will have their home opener against St. Thomas on Tuesday.
