Four new Golden Gophers will join the team next season
MINNEAPOLIS – The Golden Gophers volleyball team has announced the signing of four new members of the team for the 2025 season.
The 2025 class is ranked by multiple recruiting sites as a top-10 class in the country.
Libero/defensive specialist McKenna Garr (Rush City, Minn./Rush City H.S.), opposite Carly Gilk (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park H.S.), outside Kelly Kinney (West Palm Beach, Fla./The King's Academy) and middle blocker Jordan Taylor (Houston, Texas/Langham Creek H.S.) have all signed on to be Minnesota Golden Gophers.
"The 2025 recruiting class will be a special group for our coaching staff," said head coach Keegan Cook. "Although they are not technically our first recruiting class, they are the first class that we recruited start to finish here at Minnesota and all of them verbally committed before we coached our first match in the Pav."
Garr, Gilk and Taylor will join the team in January of 2025 while Kinney will enroll in June of 2025.
(L-R): Jordan Taylor, Kelly Kinney, Carly Gilk and McKenna Garr on their visit.
"On paper, they are an outstanding group of accomplished young people covering almost every position group. In person, they are even more impressive. The 2025 recruiting class has character and competitive quality. The Minnesota volleyball community will love watching compete at the Pav!" Cook said.
Libero/Defensive Specialist McKenna Garr (Rush City, Minn./Rush City H.S./Northern Lights Volleyball Club)
A libero/defensive specialist out of Rush City, Minn., McKenna Garr looks to provide more quality backcourt play to the Gophers. Competing for Rush City H.S. the last four years, Garr is a three-time all-state and four-time all-conference player who was named a top five finalist for the Minnesota Ms. Baden award this fall.
Last year, she was voted as the top libero in Minnesota High School Volleyball. She made the all-state tournament team last year as well. In her high school career, she's tallied 354 kills, 1,324 digs, 256 aces, 314 assists and 10 blocks. Garr is her schools' record holder in both aces and digs. She led Rush City to three straight state tournament appearances, including earning a bid to the state championship match in 2023.
Garr on her official visit to the 'U'
"McKenna Garr separated herself from all of the other liberos we evaluated in the 2025 class as we sought to rebuild a key position group within the program," said Cook. "She excels both as both a receiver and a defender and will provide immediate depth to our back court. Most importantly, McKenna's ability to thrive in the biggest competitive moments stands out and bodes well for her future here at Minnesota."
On the AAU circuit, Garr competed for Northern Lights Volleyball Club. In 2024, she helped the team finish third at AAU Nationals in the open division and was named an AAU Nationals All-American. She also helped the team finish fifth at USAV Nationals in 2023 and third in 2021.
Garr helped lead Rush City H.S. to the state tournament in 2024.Why Minnesota: "I chose Minnesota because I grew up going to campus and watching games here. Experiencing the environment made me want to be a part of this."
Personal: The daughter of Jennifer Demenge and Jason Garr, she has one older sister, Summer. Her sister played volleyball in college at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her mom, Jennifer, played basketball and volleyball at Itasca College while her dad, Jason, played baseball collegiately at University of Wisconsin-Superior. A three-time honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society, McKenna plans on majoring in nursing at Minnesota.
Goals: "My goal is to play in a competitive and high-level atmosphere. I want to create memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. My goal for my future teammates and I is to win a Big Ten championship and hopefully so much more."
Opposite Carly Gilk (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park H.S./Minnesota Select Volleyball Club)
The 6-foot-2 opposite hitter out of Brooklyn Park, Minn., comes to the Gophers as the No. 1 ranked player in Minnesota in the 2025 class (Prep Dig). She is ranked as the No. 27 overall recruit in the country for graduating seniors.
Gilk led Champlin Park H.S. to the state championship match last weekend.
The 2024 Star Tribune All-Minnesota Player of the Year, Gilk is a three-time all-state honoree and a four-time all-conference selection. This fall, she is a Ms. Baden finalist in Minnesota after a senior year that included 455 kills (.301), 307 digs, 39 aces and 25 blocks. She led Champlin Park H.S. to the state tournament for the first time in her career. For her high school career, Gilk has posted 1,460 kills, 861 digs, 160 blocks, and 169 aces.
"Carly Gilk has developed into not only the most well-rounded six rotation volleyball players in Minnesota, but one of the most skilled opposites in the country," said Cook. "She has the offensive range and toolbox to score the ball anywhere along the net while also possessing rare ball control for an athlete at her position. Most importantly, Carly has tremendous competitive character and communication skills."
On the club circuit, Gilk played for Minnesota Select. In 2024, she was named a Senior Prep Volleyball Second Team All-American. Gilk was honored as a JVA All-American for the class of 2025 in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as well. She made Prep Volleyball's Top-100 list in 2023 and earned USAV Nationals All-Tournament honors as well.
Gilk poses for a photo on her official visit.Why Minnesota: "I fell in love with Minnesota because of the amazing culture and people that are there! Keegan and Kristen have such amazing values and want to bring out the best in a person both on and off the court. I love the high level and competitive atmosphere that Minnesota has, and I know I will have some of the best teammates I could ask for. I also thought it was really special to be able to play the sport I love in front of so many hometown friends and family. Minnesota is such a great program, and I am so grateful to be a part of it."
Personal: The daughter of Shelley and Matt Gilk, she also has a twin brother, Luke, and two older siblings, Abby and Jack, who are also twins. Her mom, Shelley, played collegiate golf at Northern Illinois and eventually became a professional golfer. Her sister Abby played softball at Augustana College. A four-time honor roll student, Carly plans to major in business at Minnesota.
Goals: "I want to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year, be an All-American and earn any of the weekly awards given out by the Big Ten. For the team, I want to win the Big Ten championship and win a national championship. Outside of volleyball, I want to grow as a person to reach my maximum potential."
Outside Hitter Kelly Kinney (West Palm Beach, Fla./The King's Academy/Tribe Volleyball Club)
A 6-foot-2 outside out of the Sunshine State, Kelly Kinney comes in as a heralded recruit. The four-time Palm Beast Post All-District and Sun Sentinel All-Region selection was named an Under Armour All-American this fall.
A three-time MVP and team captain at The King's Academy, Kinney helped lead the team to five indoor district championships and two beach district championships.
Kinney is an outside hitter from West Palm Beach, Fla.
"Kelly Kinney is the explosive, skilled, and experienced outside hitter we sought to anchor our 2025 recruiting class," said Cook. "She arrives to us well-coached, with high level experiences at home and with the USA program abroad. Most importantly, Kelly's competitive composure, determination and ability to connect with her peers led us to this moment where we can officially call her a Gopher."
Kinney had a decorated prep career, tallying 1340 kills (.301 hitting), 769 digs, 148 aces and 115 blocks. As a senior in 2024, she posted 370 kills (.322), 189 digs, 45 aces and 21 blocks. She was ranked by Prep Volleyball as the No. 11 overall ranked player in the 2025 class, including the No. 1 ranking of any player in the south. She was named an All-American by Prep Volleyball, Volleyball Magazine and Prep Dig.
On the club circuit, Kinney led the 17U Tribe Volleyball Club to a 2024 AAU National Championship this summer. In 2023, she helped her team finish third at both AAU and GJNC nationals. She was named to the 2024 GJNC 16 Open All-Tournament Team.
Kinney has also spent significant time in the USA gym, taking part in the National Team Development Program from 2021-24. She played on the USA U19 National Team in both 2023 and 2024, helping the team win a gold medal at the NORCECA Continental Championship. She also took part in the 2023 USA U21 National Team's sixth place finish at the FIVB World Championships.
Kinney playing with Team USA last year.Why Minnesota: "I chose Minnesota because of the culture. The coaches and the players made me feel like I am part of a family, not just a volleyball program. As soon as I watched my first game at The Pav, I knew Minnesota is where I wanted to be."
Personal: The daughter of Alison Brady Kinney and Matt Kinney, Kelly has an older sister, Lily. Her dad, Matt, played college soccer at both Columbia University and Claremont McKenna College. Her sister, Lily, plays club volleyball at Florida State University. A five-time honor roll student and a Principal's List student, Kelly is undecided on what her major will be at Minnesota. She is a member of her school's National Honor Society and National English Honor Society.
Goals: "I want to win. I will push myself and my teammates to win the first ever National Championship for the University of Minnesota and win many Big Ten Championships."
Middle Blocker Jordan Taylor (Houston, Texas/Langham Creek H.S./Houston Juniors Volleyball Club)
A 6-foot-5 middle blocker out of Houston, Texas, Jordan Taylor brings talent, physicality and defensive ability to the Gophers. A three-time all-district selection at Langham Creek H.S., Taylor was also named the District 16-6A Outstanding Blocker of the Year three times in her career. She was named to the 2023 All-Greater Houston First Team by the Houston Chronicle.
Jordan and her mom, Tiffany, on her visit.
In her prep career, Taylor has tallied 1,741 kills (.345 hitting) and 654 blocks. She totaled 712 kills and 133 total blocks as a senior in 2024. She delivered a single-season career best 214 blocks as a junior in 2023.
"Jordan Taylor quickly caught and kept our attention early in the recruiting cycle," said Cook. "The more we learned about her, the faster it became clear to us that she is a Gopher. She has elite length, strong ability to run the slide, and the defensive presence to anchor our middle blocker group for years to come. Most importantly, Jordan's discipline, work ethic, consistency and passion to improve made it an easy decision to recruit her to Minnesota."
Taylor competed in club for Houston Juniors. She also has two years in the USA gym with the National Team Developmental Program.
Taylor competing for Langham Creek last year.Why Minnesota: "I chose Minnesota because of the environment on and off the court. I love the city and the campus. I also really like the culture the Minnesota volleyball team is building."
Personal: The daughter of Tiffany Taylor, Jordan is an only child. She made the All-Academic Team last year at her high school and intends to major in business at Minnesota.
Goals: "I hope to be an impact player once I get to Minnesota."
