COLUMBUS, OHIO – It feels like ancient history now. Way back in August, the Gophers played at Stanford, losing 3-1 to the Cardinal in the Stanford Invitational.
Both teams have evolved since then — particularly the Cardinal, which switched both its system and its lineup midway through the season. After a loss to Arizona left the team 10-5, coach John Dunning gave key roles to three freshmen and shifted to a 5-1 offense, with five attackers and one setter, from a 6-2 configuration. The changes reinvigorated ninth-ranked Stanford, propelling it to its 20th appearance in the Final Four and a date with the top-ranked Gophers in Thursday's NCAA semifinals at Nationwide Arena.
One of those freshmen, outside hitter Kathryn Plummer, was named a first-team All-America and national freshman of the year Wednesday. Senior middle blocker Inky Ajanaku also was named a first-team All-America, while junior opposite Merete Lutz was named to the third team.
"It's been a very interesting journey for our team,'' said Dunning, whose team is trying for its seventh NCAA championship. "We've been through a lot of different things, and it didn't all fit together right away.
"But it's been a pretty amazing ride the past two months. We've gotten better and better, and it's been fun to watch.''
Ajanaku, who returned for a fifth year after knee surgery last year, leads a young and lighthearted team. She is hitting .495 in the tournament with a team-high 58 kills.
Stanford, the No. 6 seed in the tournament, has four freshmen in the starting lineup and has overcome the loss of two prominent players to injuries.
It trailed No. 3 seed Wisconsin 2-0 in Saturday's regional final in Madison before rallying for its 113th NCAA tournament victory, the most of any team ever.
