University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Outside
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Outside
/ Volleyball
Outside
/ Volleyball
Six Gophers Make AVCA All-North Region
12/6/2022 10:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Landfair named Player of the Year; Booth Freshman of the Year
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota redshirt sophomore outside Taylor Landfair has been named AVCA North Region Player of the Year, the organization announced on Tuesday. Freshman middle Carter Booth was named AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year.
Landfair and Booth, along with senior libero CC McGraw and junior setter Melani Shaffmaster, earned All-North Region honors. Junior outside Jenna Wenaas and freshman outside Mckenna Wucherer earned All-North Region Honorable Mention. Booth, Landfair, McGraw and Shaffmaster will be up for All-America honors, which will be announced during the Final Four next weekend.
A Plainfield, Ill., native, Landfair had a sensational third season on campus, leading the conference and ranking in the top-20 nationally in both points (4.93) and kills (4.37) per set. She posted 27 10+ kill matches, including 19 15+ kill matches and five 20+ kill matches. She posted a career-high 28 kills in a four-set win over Oregon on Sept. 9. She added three 10+ dig matches and had 11 games with three-or-more blocks. The sophomore also hit .257 for the year. Landfair wins the player of the year award after appearing in just nine games last year, missing the other 23 games due to an ab injury.
Freshman middle blocker Carter Booth had one of the great rookie seasons in Minnesota history, leading the team and ranking fifth in the conference (12th nationally) in blocks per set (1.47). She played in 28 games, posting 2.86 points and 2.05 kills per set while hitting a scorching .380. Her .380 hitting percentage ranks No. 8 all-time for a single-season for a Minnesota player. Her 1.47 blocks per set ranks No. 7 all-time for any Gophers player and No. 1 for all Minnesota true freshman for a season. She's posted 135 blocks, including 14 solo blocks. She's just the fourth Gophers true freshmen in the past 16 years to post 100 blocks in her rookie season. A list that includes multiple-time All-Americans and Olympians Lauren Gibbemeyer (2007), Tori Dixon (2010) and Hannah Tapp (2014). Booth is the sixth Gopher, and first since Landfair in the spring of 2021, to win region rookie of the year.
Junior setter Melani Shaffmaster's improvement cannot be understated. After not receiving postseason honors last year, Shaffmaster took her game to another level in 2022. She posted 10.44 assists per set, a figure that ranked second in the Big Ten and 39th nationally. The 2022 All-Big Ten First Team honoree finished first in the Big Ten in double-doubles with 14 matches with 10+ assists and 10+ digs. The New Castle, Ind., native also posted 3+ blocks and 3+ kills 19 times each. She registered a team-best 29 service aces while ranking second on Minnesota with 2.69 digs per set. Her 0.81 blocks per set ranks fifth on the team and first among non-middle blockers.
Graduate libero CC McGraw caps off her career with her fourth AVCA All-North Region honor. The Prior Lake, Minn., native has led the team with 3.32 digs per set. She led the team in digs in 18 of 30 matches, posting 10+ digs 18 different times in 2022. She currently ranks No. 3 all-time at Minnesota with 1,907 digs, and can finish second with 21 more digs. CC is second on the team with 28 service aces and assists with 0.83 per set. McGraw's reception percentage of .931 was second highest on Minnesota among players with more than 350 chances.
Junior outside Jenna Wenaas earns All-North Region Honorable Mention accolades after posting 2.41 kills, 2.33 digs and 0.64 blocks per set. Wenaas posted three double-doubles, 11 double digit kill matches and seven double digit dig matches this season. She ranked third on the team in kills, digs and points per set. The Frisco, Texas native earns her second consecutive all-region honor. Wenaas' adjusted to a variety of roles this season, including spending some time at the opposite position.
Brookfield, Wis., native and No. 1 overall 2022 recruit Mckenna Wucherer finishes off an excellent rookie campaign with AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention. Wucherer averaged 2.76 kills per set, a figure that ranked second on the team behind only Taylor Landfair. She posted 10 10+ kill matches and hit .236 for the season. Wucherer also added 0.67 digs and 0.64 blocks per set, while her 3.10 points per set ranks second among all Gophers. Mckenna tallied a career-high 16 kills in a four-set win over a top-15 ranked Purdue team on Oct. 22 at the Pav. She also had 15 kills at Wisconsin on Oct. 29.
No. 2 Minnesota plays No. 3 Ohio State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
Landfair and Booth, along with senior libero CC McGraw and junior setter Melani Shaffmaster, earned All-North Region honors. Junior outside Jenna Wenaas and freshman outside Mckenna Wucherer earned All-North Region Honorable Mention. Booth, Landfair, McGraw and Shaffmaster will be up for All-America honors, which will be announced during the Final Four next weekend.
A Plainfield, Ill., native, Landfair had a sensational third season on campus, leading the conference and ranking in the top-20 nationally in both points (4.93) and kills (4.37) per set. She posted 27 10+ kill matches, including 19 15+ kill matches and five 20+ kill matches. She posted a career-high 28 kills in a four-set win over Oregon on Sept. 9. She added three 10+ dig matches and had 11 games with three-or-more blocks. The sophomore also hit .257 for the year. Landfair wins the player of the year award after appearing in just nine games last year, missing the other 23 games due to an ab injury.
Freshman middle blocker Carter Booth had one of the great rookie seasons in Minnesota history, leading the team and ranking fifth in the conference (12th nationally) in blocks per set (1.47). She played in 28 games, posting 2.86 points and 2.05 kills per set while hitting a scorching .380. Her .380 hitting percentage ranks No. 8 all-time for a single-season for a Minnesota player. Her 1.47 blocks per set ranks No. 7 all-time for any Gophers player and No. 1 for all Minnesota true freshman for a season. She's posted 135 blocks, including 14 solo blocks. She's just the fourth Gophers true freshmen in the past 16 years to post 100 blocks in her rookie season. A list that includes multiple-time All-Americans and Olympians Lauren Gibbemeyer (2007), Tori Dixon (2010) and Hannah Tapp (2014). Booth is the sixth Gopher, and first since Landfair in the spring of 2021, to win region rookie of the year.
Junior setter Melani Shaffmaster's improvement cannot be understated. After not receiving postseason honors last year, Shaffmaster took her game to another level in 2022. She posted 10.44 assists per set, a figure that ranked second in the Big Ten and 39th nationally. The 2022 All-Big Ten First Team honoree finished first in the Big Ten in double-doubles with 14 matches with 10+ assists and 10+ digs. The New Castle, Ind., native also posted 3+ blocks and 3+ kills 19 times each. She registered a team-best 29 service aces while ranking second on Minnesota with 2.69 digs per set. Her 0.81 blocks per set ranks fifth on the team and first among non-middle blockers.
Graduate libero CC McGraw caps off her career with her fourth AVCA All-North Region honor. The Prior Lake, Minn., native has led the team with 3.32 digs per set. She led the team in digs in 18 of 30 matches, posting 10+ digs 18 different times in 2022. She currently ranks No. 3 all-time at Minnesota with 1,907 digs, and can finish second with 21 more digs. CC is second on the team with 28 service aces and assists with 0.83 per set. McGraw's reception percentage of .931 was second highest on Minnesota among players with more than 350 chances.
Junior outside Jenna Wenaas earns All-North Region Honorable Mention accolades after posting 2.41 kills, 2.33 digs and 0.64 blocks per set. Wenaas posted three double-doubles, 11 double digit kill matches and seven double digit dig matches this season. She ranked third on the team in kills, digs and points per set. The Frisco, Texas native earns her second consecutive all-region honor. Wenaas' adjusted to a variety of roles this season, including spending some time at the opposite position.
Brookfield, Wis., native and No. 1 overall 2022 recruit Mckenna Wucherer finishes off an excellent rookie campaign with AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention. Wucherer averaged 2.76 kills per set, a figure that ranked second on the team behind only Taylor Landfair. She posted 10 10+ kill matches and hit .236 for the season. Wucherer also added 0.67 digs and 0.64 blocks per set, while her 3.10 points per set ranks second among all Gophers. Mckenna tallied a career-high 16 kills in a four-set win over a top-15 ranked Purdue team on Oct. 22 at the Pav. She also had 15 kills at Wisconsin on Oct. 29.
No. 2 Minnesota plays No. 3 Ohio State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
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