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No. 18 Gophers to Compete in Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge
9/5/2024 12:57:00 AM | Volleyball
The Gophers are 5-1 in the past three seasons in this challenge
WACO, Texas. -- The No. 18 Minnesota Golden Gophers are looking to build on their momentum from a historic 3-2 victory on Monday night over top-ranked Texas when they go to Waco, Texas for the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge to take on No. 23 Baylor and TCU. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+, live from Baylor's home arena in the Ferrell Center.
GAME INFORMATION
No. 18 Minnesota at No. 23 Baylor
Friday, Sept. 6
7 p.m. CT
Ferrell Center
Waco, Texas
TV: ESPN+ Lincoln Rolse (Play-By-Play) and Katie Smith (Analyst)
Live Stats
GAME INFORMATION
No. 18 Minnesota vs. TCU
Saturday, Sept. 7
4 p.m. CT
Ferrell Center
Waco, Texas
TV: ESPN+ Kurtis Quillen (Play-By-Play) and Camryn Freiburg (Analyst)
Live Stats
NOTES TO KNOW
Minnesota leads Baylor, 5-1, and TCU, 5-0
First Meeting: 1981 (Baylor) and 2005 (TCU)
Last Meeting: 2023 (Baylor and TCU)
HEADING INTO THE MATCH
4,000 -- Redshirt Senior setter Melani Shaffmaster passed 4,000 career assists with her 27th assist on Sunday vs. Stanford. She is the eighth Gopher ever to reach 4,000 and one of four Gophers in history to record 4,000 career assists and 1,000 career digs.
216 -- Keegan Cook won his 200th career match as a head coach on Aug. 26, 2023 vs. Baylor. He'll be looking for wins 217 and 218 this weekend against Baylor and TCU.
130 -- Minnesota had been ranked in 130 straight AVCA polls, dating back to Sept. 7, 2015, before the Oct. 16, 2023 poll. The 'U' was unranked for eight straight weeks to end the '23 season. They have been ranked 18th in both polls this season.
28 -- 2023 marked the Gophers' 28th all-time NCAA appearance. Only 10 schools have made more postseason trips than the 'U'.
28 -- The 'U' clinched its 28th straight winning season with a win over OSU on Nov. 18. The last time they didn't have a winning season was in 1995 (13-17, 7-13 Big Ten). In the 53-year history of Gopher volleyball, the team has had only five losing seasons.
24 -- The 'U' made its 24th NCAA Tournament in the last 25 seasons, including its ninth straight, in 2023.
19 -- Melani Shaffmaster led the Big Ten with 19 double doubles last season. She has 60 in her career, the most of any B1G setter.
14 -- The Gophers have won at least one postseason match in 14 straight NCAA Tournaments. The last time they were eliminated in the first round was in 2007 (3-1 loss to Sacramento State). The Gophers are 27-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
14 -- Minnesota tallied 14 blocks in each of its first two matches, tying its season-high from last season. It's the first time since 2016 the Gophers have tallied 28 total blocks in their first two matches of the year.
13 -- When making NCAA's, the 'U' had made at least the Sweet 16 13 straight times before last season.
11 -- Phoebe Awoleye ranks 11th among active DI players with 1.24 bps and ranks 4th with 484 total blocks.
6 -- Of the last nine B1G Players of the Year were Gophers. Taylor Landfair (2022), Stephanie Samedy (2020-21), Sam Seliger-Swenson (2018), Sarah Wilhite (2016) and Daly Santana (2015) were winners.
4 -- Melani Shaffmaster ranks fourth among active DI players with 4,057 career assists. She's one of four athletes in the country that has totaled 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs in her career.
3 -- Minnesota is hoping to go unbeaten in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge for the third straight season.
2 -- The Gophers were just 2-11 against ranked opponents last season, taking wins over then No. 15 Baylor and No. 6 Oregon. Minnesota is 1-1 this year after splitting against No. 5 Stanford and No. 1 Texas.
LAST TIME OUT
• No. 18 Minnesota fell to No. 5 Stanford in five sets in the season-opener before taking down No. 1 Texas in five sets on Monday in the State Farm Women's College Volleyball Showcase. The Gophers led each team 2-1 after three sets. After failing to put away Stanford on Sunday, the Gophers ripped off a 15-7 fifth set win over Texas for their first win over a No. 1 team since 2019 and first over Texas since 2017. It was the Gophers fifth win all-time (5-18) against a No. 1 ranked team and second-ever over a non-conference opponent.
28TH NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
• The 2023 season marked the 28th year the Golden Gophers advanced to the NCAA tournament. Receiving an at-large bid, the Gophers advanced to the tournament in nine straight seasons and 24 of the last 25 overall. As a program, Minnesota has had 28 straight winning seasons, dating back to 1995.
• Minnesota has hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament each of the past eight years and in 12 of the last 13 seasons (missed NCAA's in 2014). The last time Minnesota made the NCAA's and didn't host the first two rounds was in 2009. Minnesota went on to make the Final Four that season after traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., for the first two rounds before hosting Colorado State and Florida State in a regional at the Pav.
• In the first round of NCAA Tournament's, Minnesota is 27-1 all-time. In the second round Minnesota is 20-7.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
• The Bears are led by 10th-year head coach Ryan McGuyre. In 2023, Baylor went 17-13 (10-8 Big 12) and earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, the team's eighth-straight appearance in the tournament (12th ever). BU beat James Madison in round one before falling to Kentucky in the Round of 32.
• The Bears are led by 2023 All-Big 12 First Team honoree Elise McGhee, a senior outside that posts 2.92 kills per set. Kendal Murphy, the cousin of Mckenna Wucherer, leads the team at 3.33 kills per set. Senior libero Lauren Briseno, a 2023 Second Team All-Big 12 performer, paces the defense with 3.83 digs per set.
• Baylor was voted to finish third in the 2023 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll behind Kansas, BYU, Arizona State and TCU. McGhee and Briseno were each named Preseason All-Big 12.
SCOUTING TCU
• TCU is led by third-year head coach Jason Sullivan, who came to TCU after serving as an associate head coach at Baylor. He has led the Horned Frogs to back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids, making the Round of 32 in each season. They defeated Florida State before falling to Arkansas in four sets last season.
• Senior outside Melanie Parra leads TCU with 4.25 kills per set from the outside hitter position. She is coming off a monster season in 2022 in which she was named First Team All-Big 12 and an AVCA Third Team All-American.
• TCU was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll behind only Kansas, BYU and Arizona State. Parra was named Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and is joined by Jalyn Gibson on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Parra was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week Monday after averaging 5.44 points per set last weekend.
MINNESOTA'S HISTORY VS. BAYLOR AND TCU
• Minnesota is 5-1 all-time against Baylor. The lone loss came in the 2021 season opener, a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the then No. 10 Bears. The Gophers defeated Baylor 3-0 at the Pav in last year's Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. Mckenna Wucherer led the 'U' with 14 kills while Melani Shaffmaster had 21 assists and 13 digs.
• Minnesota also took down Baylor 3-2 in the 2021 Sweet 16 in Madison, Wis. They also won in 2010 and 1981.
• The Gophers are 5-0 all-time against TCU. The two teams have played the last three seasons in the Big 10/Big 12 Challenge, with the 'U' sweeping two of the three times. The 'U' also beat TCU two other times, in 2005 and 2008. Last year, Mckenna Wucherer had 16 kills (.419) and six digs to pace the Gophers in a four-set win.
GOPHERS RANKED 18TH TO START 2024
• The Gophers entered the 2024 season with a No. 18 overall ranking in the Preseason AVCA poll.
• The Gophers have been ranked in the preseason poll in nine straight seasons and 23 of the last 25.
• The last time Minnesota was unranked in a preseason poll was before the 2015 season in which they went on to make the Final Four.
• 18th was Minnesota's lowest preseason ranking since coming in at No. 22 in 2006. They came in at 18 again on Monday, Sept. 2, prior to the win over No. 1 Texas on Labor Day evening.
SHAFFMASTER SETS THE TABLE
• A 2022 First Team All-B1G selection, Melani Shaffmaster ranks No. 8 in program history in assists (4,057). She became the eighth Gopher to pass 4,000 with her 27th assist on Sept. 1 against No. 5 Stanford. She started her 2024 season with a massive performance in an upset of No. 1 Texas, posting 44 assists, 17 digs, six kills, four aces and three blocks. She had 40 assists and eight digs on Sunday vs. No. 5 Stanford.
• Melani ranks 4th among active Division I players in assists and 69th in digs (1,161). She is one of just four active players in the country to have recorded 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs.
• On Oct. 22, 2023, Mel became the fourth Gopher all-time to record 3,500 assists and 1,000 digs. She joined Sharon Oesterling (1986-89), Samantha Seliger-Swenson (2015-18) and Lindsey Taatjes (2001-04) on the list.
MINATEE MAKING MIDDLE MAGIC
• After playing sparingly as a true freshman in 2023, Calissa Minatee has stepped into a big role as a starter at middle blocker. She posted a career-high seven blocks in a five set loss to No. 5 Stanford on Sept. 1 before going for a career-high nine kills (.571) and six blocks in a win over No. 1 Texas Sept. 2.
• Minatee has combined with teammate Phoebe Awoleye to register 26 blocks in two matches.
SCHEDULE TO TEST MINNESOTA ONCE AGAIN
• Opponent-wise, Minnesota will play 10 matches against top-25 ranked teams in 2024. They'll play five matches against preseason top-five ranked teams, squaring off against No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Wisconsin (twice) and No. 5 Stanford. They'll also take on top-10 ranked teams Penn State (7), Purdue (8) and Oregon (10). The Gophers will travel to No. 21 USC and No. 24 Baylor this year as well.
• Other teams on Minnesota's schedule that made the NCAA Tournament last year include LIU, Auburn and TCU.
• 13 of Minnesota's 30 matches will come against teams that competed in the postseason in 2023.
'U' TRANSFERS LOOK TO GIVE GOPHERS OPTIONS
• To bolster their depth, head coach Keegan Cook and his staff added three transfers. Two of them came from Oregon in outside Alex Acevedo (redshirt freshman) and libero/defensive specialist Kate Thibault (sophomore). They join middle blocker and Georgia Tech transfer Kali Engeman (graduate student). Both Engeman (Excelsior, Minn.) and Thibault (Watertown, Minn.) return home after starting their careers elsewhere.
• Acevedo, who redshirted at UO in 2023, was named Idaho's 4A Player of the Year in 2022 by coaches in the state and was rated as the No. 13 recruit in the Class of 2024 by PrepVolleyball.com.
• Thibault played in 19 matches for Oregon on a team that finished 29-6 (16-4 Pac-12) and made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 1.34 digs, 0.31 aces and 0.08 assists per set, recorded two 10+ dig matches and established four-or-more digs eight times.
• Engeman played in five matches during her time at Ga. Tech, posting nine kills (0.75 kills per set), seven blocks (0.54 bps) and five digs (0.42 dps). She played in four matches in 2023, including posting a career-high five kills, two blocks and two digs on Oct. 8 at Virginia. She missed the entire 2022 season due to a knee injury and she has two years of eligibility remaining at Minnesota.
WUCHERER LOOKS TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP
• A Brookfield, Wis., native, Mckenna Wucherer has been a key component to the Gophers volleyball program the past two years, but she's prepped to become a focal point as a junior in 2024.
• The star outside began her season with 14 kills, 10 digs and two aces vs. No. 5 Stanford and 12 kills, nine digs and a pair of aces in an upset over No. 1 Texas in her hometown of Milwaukee.
• In 2023, Wucherer earned her second consecutive AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention after leading the team with 3.24 kills per set (career-high). Wucherer also posted career-bests in digs (1.78), assists (0.28) and aces (0.08) per set while leading Minnesota with 22 10+ kill matches.
• She was named MVP of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge on Aug. 26 after going for 30 kills, 11 digs and two aces on over .450 hitting in wins over TCU and No. 15 Baylor. She was also named to the Diet Coke Classic All-Tournament Team on Sept. 16. Wucherer posted four double doubles on the season, including a 21-kill, 10-dig match in a five set win over No. 6 Oregon on Sept. 8.
• The junior was the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2022, according to multiple recruiting sites.
HANSON HOPES TO SHOW HER STUFF
• A junior out of Savage, Minn., Julia Hanson has been patiently waiting for her chance to shine on the outside for Minnesota. She played situationally as a freshman in 2022, appearing in 10 matches (1.38 kills per set) and all 30 matches in 2023, but notching just 0.64 kills and 1.08 digs per set.
• She's stepped up multiple times in big games when her team has needed her most. On Nov. 12, 2023 at Indiana, she tallied a career-high 19 kills with six digs and an ace. She came off the bench to play front row and led the team in kills in a crucial win in Bloomington.
• As a freshman in 2021, her best match came at then top-ranked Texas where she went for 14 kills (.375) and two blocks in her third ever match.
• She's shined as a full-time starter in 2024, leading the team in kills against No. 5 Stanford (14) and No. 1 Texas (19) to begin the season. She recorded 19 kills and 13 digs for her first ever double-double in an upset win over UT on Sept. 2.
UP NEXT
Minnesota hosts St. Thomas on Tuesday, Sept. 10 before taking on LIU and Auburn in the Diet Coke Classic at Maturi Pavilion on Sept. 12 and 13.
GAME INFORMATION
No. 18 Minnesota at No. 23 Baylor
Friday, Sept. 6
7 p.m. CT
Ferrell Center
Waco, Texas
TV: ESPN+ Lincoln Rolse (Play-By-Play) and Katie Smith (Analyst)
Live Stats
GAME INFORMATION
No. 18 Minnesota vs. TCU
Saturday, Sept. 7
4 p.m. CT
Ferrell Center
Waco, Texas
TV: ESPN+ Kurtis Quillen (Play-By-Play) and Camryn Freiburg (Analyst)
Live Stats
NOTES TO KNOW
Minnesota leads Baylor, 5-1, and TCU, 5-0
First Meeting: 1981 (Baylor) and 2005 (TCU)
Last Meeting: 2023 (Baylor and TCU)
HEADING INTO THE MATCH
4,000 -- Redshirt Senior setter Melani Shaffmaster passed 4,000 career assists with her 27th assist on Sunday vs. Stanford. She is the eighth Gopher ever to reach 4,000 and one of four Gophers in history to record 4,000 career assists and 1,000 career digs.
216 -- Keegan Cook won his 200th career match as a head coach on Aug. 26, 2023 vs. Baylor. He'll be looking for wins 217 and 218 this weekend against Baylor and TCU.
130 -- Minnesota had been ranked in 130 straight AVCA polls, dating back to Sept. 7, 2015, before the Oct. 16, 2023 poll. The 'U' was unranked for eight straight weeks to end the '23 season. They have been ranked 18th in both polls this season.
28 -- 2023 marked the Gophers' 28th all-time NCAA appearance. Only 10 schools have made more postseason trips than the 'U'.
28 -- The 'U' clinched its 28th straight winning season with a win over OSU on Nov. 18. The last time they didn't have a winning season was in 1995 (13-17, 7-13 Big Ten). In the 53-year history of Gopher volleyball, the team has had only five losing seasons.
24 -- The 'U' made its 24th NCAA Tournament in the last 25 seasons, including its ninth straight, in 2023.
19 -- Melani Shaffmaster led the Big Ten with 19 double doubles last season. She has 60 in her career, the most of any B1G setter.
14 -- The Gophers have won at least one postseason match in 14 straight NCAA Tournaments. The last time they were eliminated in the first round was in 2007 (3-1 loss to Sacramento State). The Gophers are 27-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
14 -- Minnesota tallied 14 blocks in each of its first two matches, tying its season-high from last season. It's the first time since 2016 the Gophers have tallied 28 total blocks in their first two matches of the year.
13 -- When making NCAA's, the 'U' had made at least the Sweet 16 13 straight times before last season.
11 -- Phoebe Awoleye ranks 11th among active DI players with 1.24 bps and ranks 4th with 484 total blocks.
6 -- Of the last nine B1G Players of the Year were Gophers. Taylor Landfair (2022), Stephanie Samedy (2020-21), Sam Seliger-Swenson (2018), Sarah Wilhite (2016) and Daly Santana (2015) were winners.
4 -- Melani Shaffmaster ranks fourth among active DI players with 4,057 career assists. She's one of four athletes in the country that has totaled 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs in her career.
3 -- Minnesota is hoping to go unbeaten in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge for the third straight season.
2 -- The Gophers were just 2-11 against ranked opponents last season, taking wins over then No. 15 Baylor and No. 6 Oregon. Minnesota is 1-1 this year after splitting against No. 5 Stanford and No. 1 Texas.
LAST TIME OUT
• No. 18 Minnesota fell to No. 5 Stanford in five sets in the season-opener before taking down No. 1 Texas in five sets on Monday in the State Farm Women's College Volleyball Showcase. The Gophers led each team 2-1 after three sets. After failing to put away Stanford on Sunday, the Gophers ripped off a 15-7 fifth set win over Texas for their first win over a No. 1 team since 2019 and first over Texas since 2017. It was the Gophers fifth win all-time (5-18) against a No. 1 ranked team and second-ever over a non-conference opponent.
28TH NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
• The 2023 season marked the 28th year the Golden Gophers advanced to the NCAA tournament. Receiving an at-large bid, the Gophers advanced to the tournament in nine straight seasons and 24 of the last 25 overall. As a program, Minnesota has had 28 straight winning seasons, dating back to 1995.
• Minnesota has hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament each of the past eight years and in 12 of the last 13 seasons (missed NCAA's in 2014). The last time Minnesota made the NCAA's and didn't host the first two rounds was in 2009. Minnesota went on to make the Final Four that season after traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., for the first two rounds before hosting Colorado State and Florida State in a regional at the Pav.
• In the first round of NCAA Tournament's, Minnesota is 27-1 all-time. In the second round Minnesota is 20-7.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
• The Bears are led by 10th-year head coach Ryan McGuyre. In 2023, Baylor went 17-13 (10-8 Big 12) and earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, the team's eighth-straight appearance in the tournament (12th ever). BU beat James Madison in round one before falling to Kentucky in the Round of 32.
• The Bears are led by 2023 All-Big 12 First Team honoree Elise McGhee, a senior outside that posts 2.92 kills per set. Kendal Murphy, the cousin of Mckenna Wucherer, leads the team at 3.33 kills per set. Senior libero Lauren Briseno, a 2023 Second Team All-Big 12 performer, paces the defense with 3.83 digs per set.
• Baylor was voted to finish third in the 2023 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll behind Kansas, BYU, Arizona State and TCU. McGhee and Briseno were each named Preseason All-Big 12.
SCOUTING TCU
• TCU is led by third-year head coach Jason Sullivan, who came to TCU after serving as an associate head coach at Baylor. He has led the Horned Frogs to back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids, making the Round of 32 in each season. They defeated Florida State before falling to Arkansas in four sets last season.
• Senior outside Melanie Parra leads TCU with 4.25 kills per set from the outside hitter position. She is coming off a monster season in 2022 in which she was named First Team All-Big 12 and an AVCA Third Team All-American.
• TCU was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll behind only Kansas, BYU and Arizona State. Parra was named Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and is joined by Jalyn Gibson on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Parra was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week Monday after averaging 5.44 points per set last weekend.
MINNESOTA'S HISTORY VS. BAYLOR AND TCU
• Minnesota is 5-1 all-time against Baylor. The lone loss came in the 2021 season opener, a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the then No. 10 Bears. The Gophers defeated Baylor 3-0 at the Pav in last year's Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. Mckenna Wucherer led the 'U' with 14 kills while Melani Shaffmaster had 21 assists and 13 digs.
• Minnesota also took down Baylor 3-2 in the 2021 Sweet 16 in Madison, Wis. They also won in 2010 and 1981.
• The Gophers are 5-0 all-time against TCU. The two teams have played the last three seasons in the Big 10/Big 12 Challenge, with the 'U' sweeping two of the three times. The 'U' also beat TCU two other times, in 2005 and 2008. Last year, Mckenna Wucherer had 16 kills (.419) and six digs to pace the Gophers in a four-set win.
GOPHERS RANKED 18TH TO START 2024
• The Gophers entered the 2024 season with a No. 18 overall ranking in the Preseason AVCA poll.
• The Gophers have been ranked in the preseason poll in nine straight seasons and 23 of the last 25.
• The last time Minnesota was unranked in a preseason poll was before the 2015 season in which they went on to make the Final Four.
• 18th was Minnesota's lowest preseason ranking since coming in at No. 22 in 2006. They came in at 18 again on Monday, Sept. 2, prior to the win over No. 1 Texas on Labor Day evening.
SHAFFMASTER SETS THE TABLE
• A 2022 First Team All-B1G selection, Melani Shaffmaster ranks No. 8 in program history in assists (4,057). She became the eighth Gopher to pass 4,000 with her 27th assist on Sept. 1 against No. 5 Stanford. She started her 2024 season with a massive performance in an upset of No. 1 Texas, posting 44 assists, 17 digs, six kills, four aces and three blocks. She had 40 assists and eight digs on Sunday vs. No. 5 Stanford.
• Melani ranks 4th among active Division I players in assists and 69th in digs (1,161). She is one of just four active players in the country to have recorded 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs.
• On Oct. 22, 2023, Mel became the fourth Gopher all-time to record 3,500 assists and 1,000 digs. She joined Sharon Oesterling (1986-89), Samantha Seliger-Swenson (2015-18) and Lindsey Taatjes (2001-04) on the list.
MINATEE MAKING MIDDLE MAGIC
• After playing sparingly as a true freshman in 2023, Calissa Minatee has stepped into a big role as a starter at middle blocker. She posted a career-high seven blocks in a five set loss to No. 5 Stanford on Sept. 1 before going for a career-high nine kills (.571) and six blocks in a win over No. 1 Texas Sept. 2.
• Minatee has combined with teammate Phoebe Awoleye to register 26 blocks in two matches.
SCHEDULE TO TEST MINNESOTA ONCE AGAIN
• Opponent-wise, Minnesota will play 10 matches against top-25 ranked teams in 2024. They'll play five matches against preseason top-five ranked teams, squaring off against No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Wisconsin (twice) and No. 5 Stanford. They'll also take on top-10 ranked teams Penn State (7), Purdue (8) and Oregon (10). The Gophers will travel to No. 21 USC and No. 24 Baylor this year as well.
• Other teams on Minnesota's schedule that made the NCAA Tournament last year include LIU, Auburn and TCU.
• 13 of Minnesota's 30 matches will come against teams that competed in the postseason in 2023.
'U' TRANSFERS LOOK TO GIVE GOPHERS OPTIONS
• To bolster their depth, head coach Keegan Cook and his staff added three transfers. Two of them came from Oregon in outside Alex Acevedo (redshirt freshman) and libero/defensive specialist Kate Thibault (sophomore). They join middle blocker and Georgia Tech transfer Kali Engeman (graduate student). Both Engeman (Excelsior, Minn.) and Thibault (Watertown, Minn.) return home after starting their careers elsewhere.
• Acevedo, who redshirted at UO in 2023, was named Idaho's 4A Player of the Year in 2022 by coaches in the state and was rated as the No. 13 recruit in the Class of 2024 by PrepVolleyball.com.
• Thibault played in 19 matches for Oregon on a team that finished 29-6 (16-4 Pac-12) and made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 1.34 digs, 0.31 aces and 0.08 assists per set, recorded two 10+ dig matches and established four-or-more digs eight times.
• Engeman played in five matches during her time at Ga. Tech, posting nine kills (0.75 kills per set), seven blocks (0.54 bps) and five digs (0.42 dps). She played in four matches in 2023, including posting a career-high five kills, two blocks and two digs on Oct. 8 at Virginia. She missed the entire 2022 season due to a knee injury and she has two years of eligibility remaining at Minnesota.
WUCHERER LOOKS TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP
• A Brookfield, Wis., native, Mckenna Wucherer has been a key component to the Gophers volleyball program the past two years, but she's prepped to become a focal point as a junior in 2024.
• The star outside began her season with 14 kills, 10 digs and two aces vs. No. 5 Stanford and 12 kills, nine digs and a pair of aces in an upset over No. 1 Texas in her hometown of Milwaukee.
• In 2023, Wucherer earned her second consecutive AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention after leading the team with 3.24 kills per set (career-high). Wucherer also posted career-bests in digs (1.78), assists (0.28) and aces (0.08) per set while leading Minnesota with 22 10+ kill matches.
• She was named MVP of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge on Aug. 26 after going for 30 kills, 11 digs and two aces on over .450 hitting in wins over TCU and No. 15 Baylor. She was also named to the Diet Coke Classic All-Tournament Team on Sept. 16. Wucherer posted four double doubles on the season, including a 21-kill, 10-dig match in a five set win over No. 6 Oregon on Sept. 8.
• The junior was the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2022, according to multiple recruiting sites.
HANSON HOPES TO SHOW HER STUFF
• A junior out of Savage, Minn., Julia Hanson has been patiently waiting for her chance to shine on the outside for Minnesota. She played situationally as a freshman in 2022, appearing in 10 matches (1.38 kills per set) and all 30 matches in 2023, but notching just 0.64 kills and 1.08 digs per set.
• She's stepped up multiple times in big games when her team has needed her most. On Nov. 12, 2023 at Indiana, she tallied a career-high 19 kills with six digs and an ace. She came off the bench to play front row and led the team in kills in a crucial win in Bloomington.
• As a freshman in 2021, her best match came at then top-ranked Texas where she went for 14 kills (.375) and two blocks in her third ever match.
• She's shined as a full-time starter in 2024, leading the team in kills against No. 5 Stanford (14) and No. 1 Texas (19) to begin the season. She recorded 19 kills and 13 digs for her first ever double-double in an upset win over UT on Sept. 2.
UP NEXT
Minnesota hosts St. Thomas on Tuesday, Sept. 10 before taking on LIU and Auburn in the Diet Coke Classic at Maturi Pavilion on Sept. 12 and 13.
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