University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
DS/Libero
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Photo by: Eric Miller
Gopher Spotlight: 2019 Senior Class
11/25/2019 8:54:00 AM | Volleyball
Hear from the 2019 Gopher Volleyball senior class as we celebrate their collegiate careers at the end of the regular season. Taylor Morgan has been with the program for five years, while Alexis Hart and Lauren Litzau have been with the program for four. Kylie Miller transferred from UCLA to Minnesota this year to close out her collegiate career. Although their collegiate careers are coming to a close, the Gophers still have a lot of season left! Thank you, seniors for your contributions to the program.
Outside Hitter Alexis Hart (Kansas City, Mo.)
"First off I would like to say how blessed and thankful I am for my time here at Minnesota. I would not be here if it wasn't for my grandparents, my incredibly strong mother, and countless many others who always supported my dreams. These past four years have gone by so fast and I will forever be grateful for the many relationships and friendships over the years. Thank you to the coaching staff for helping me become a better volleyball player, but most important a better version of myself. I also want to thank Ronni (Beatty-Kollasch) and Coach Y (Sara Wiley) for helping me become stronger and faster. To my teammates, thank you for all the special memories and pushing me to become the best person as a teammate and a friends on and off the court. Lastly, I want to thank all the fans who have been here and supported us throughout the years. Without you guys, the Pav would not be the place it is. Again, thank you everyone for making this possible. Go Gophers! Ski-U-Mah!"
Defensive Specialist Lauren Litzau (Greendale, Wis.)
"Being a part of Gopher Volleyball has been a transformative experience that I am so grateful for. It has taught me to be disciplined, embrace the challenge, learn from my successes and failures, and be perseverant. Thank you to the coaches and staff for their investment in me as a volleyball player and person. Thank you to my family, especially my parents, for their unconditional love and support. This support and investment is something I could never repay, but will take with me always. To the fans, thank you for your support and packing the Pav each night to cheer us on. To all my teammates, I'm so grateful for the work we've put in together, for the commitment, and for the relationships we've formed. I'll always treasure this time and wow has it flown by! "
Setter Kylie Miller (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
"I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me become the person and the player I am today. Since I started playing volleyball at age 10, I have been surrounded by some incredible people including players, coaches, support staff, parents, fans and my own family. My teammates have been, and continue to be, some of my best friends in the world. I have been lucky to have some of the best coaches anywhere. When I think about the best coaches, I don't remember the skills they taught me as much as the way they supported me, trusted me and helped me achieve my potential as a player and a person. The life lessons I have learned from my coaches here will stay with me for the rest of my life. Of course, I couldn't have done any of this without the love and support of my family. They have made sacrifices that have allowed me to play volleyball. They have always been close by to support me and have traveled around the country to cheer for me and my teammates. I cannot thank the Minnesota community enough for welcoming me with open arms from day one. I am thrilled to be a part of this team and this program. Thank you to my teammates for your dedication, hard work and shared goals. Thank you, coaches for believing in me. Thank you, fans for making playing here an experience second to none. I am excited about the road ahead for this team and to see what we can accomplish together through the stretch run this season. Go Gophers!"
Middle Blocker Taylor Morgan (Blaine, Minn.)
"First, I want to say thank you God for blessing me and keeping me for these past five years. Thank you to my family for supporting me and being so understanding of my crazy life and schedule. All of the love and support that you guys have given me, I could never repay. I love you guys with all of my heart. Thank you to my team. Thank you for being so fun to be around and making my last year here so enjoyable. Thank you, staff for teaching me new things not only in volleyball, but also in life. Over the years that I have been here, I have learned so much and have grown so much. From learning a brand new technique my freshmen year, to learning how to relate with people, I am so grateful. All of the ups and downs have shaped me into the person I am today. Lastly, thank you to the fans. Every home game you give the best and most energy. You all are truly the best fans in the Big Ten. Thank you all again, you all hold a special place in my heart."
Outside Hitter Alexis Hart (Kansas City, Mo.)
"First off I would like to say how blessed and thankful I am for my time here at Minnesota. I would not be here if it wasn't for my grandparents, my incredibly strong mother, and countless many others who always supported my dreams. These past four years have gone by so fast and I will forever be grateful for the many relationships and friendships over the years. Thank you to the coaching staff for helping me become a better volleyball player, but most important a better version of myself. I also want to thank Ronni (Beatty-Kollasch) and Coach Y (Sara Wiley) for helping me become stronger and faster. To my teammates, thank you for all the special memories and pushing me to become the best person as a teammate and a friends on and off the court. Lastly, I want to thank all the fans who have been here and supported us throughout the years. Without you guys, the Pav would not be the place it is. Again, thank you everyone for making this possible. Go Gophers! Ski-U-Mah!"
Defensive Specialist Lauren Litzau (Greendale, Wis.)
"Being a part of Gopher Volleyball has been a transformative experience that I am so grateful for. It has taught me to be disciplined, embrace the challenge, learn from my successes and failures, and be perseverant. Thank you to the coaches and staff for their investment in me as a volleyball player and person. Thank you to my family, especially my parents, for their unconditional love and support. This support and investment is something I could never repay, but will take with me always. To the fans, thank you for your support and packing the Pav each night to cheer us on. To all my teammates, I'm so grateful for the work we've put in together, for the commitment, and for the relationships we've formed. I'll always treasure this time and wow has it flown by! "
Setter Kylie Miller (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
"I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me become the person and the player I am today. Since I started playing volleyball at age 10, I have been surrounded by some incredible people including players, coaches, support staff, parents, fans and my own family. My teammates have been, and continue to be, some of my best friends in the world. I have been lucky to have some of the best coaches anywhere. When I think about the best coaches, I don't remember the skills they taught me as much as the way they supported me, trusted me and helped me achieve my potential as a player and a person. The life lessons I have learned from my coaches here will stay with me for the rest of my life. Of course, I couldn't have done any of this without the love and support of my family. They have made sacrifices that have allowed me to play volleyball. They have always been close by to support me and have traveled around the country to cheer for me and my teammates. I cannot thank the Minnesota community enough for welcoming me with open arms from day one. I am thrilled to be a part of this team and this program. Thank you to my teammates for your dedication, hard work and shared goals. Thank you, coaches for believing in me. Thank you, fans for making playing here an experience second to none. I am excited about the road ahead for this team and to see what we can accomplish together through the stretch run this season. Go Gophers!"
Middle Blocker Taylor Morgan (Blaine, Minn.)
"First, I want to say thank you God for blessing me and keeping me for these past five years. Thank you to my family for supporting me and being so understanding of my crazy life and schedule. All of the love and support that you guys have given me, I could never repay. I love you guys with all of my heart. Thank you to my team. Thank you for being so fun to be around and making my last year here so enjoyable. Thank you, staff for teaching me new things not only in volleyball, but also in life. Over the years that I have been here, I have learned so much and have grown so much. From learning a brand new technique my freshmen year, to learning how to relate with people, I am so grateful. All of the ups and downs have shaped me into the person I am today. Lastly, thank you to the fans. Every home game you give the best and most energy. You all are truly the best fans in the Big Ten. Thank you all again, you all hold a special place in my heart."
2025 Season Recap
Tuesday, January 27
Best of Julia Hanson
Monday, December 22
Gophers Preview NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Tuesday, December 09
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Reach Sweet Sixteen
Tuesday, December 09