Reusse: Expanded Big Ten makes Gophers’ volleyball schedule even more grueling

The major collegiate conferences with which America was familiar for a century have either expanded or exploded in what seems almost an instant in our sports history.

The Big Ten had been poaching teams for a while and then destroyed the Pac-12 by stealing Oregon, Washington, Southern Cal and UCLA, with this being Year 1 of the 18-team conference.

This was all done for football money, of course, and the Big Ten finds itself feeling rather giddy in that area this week with four of the top five teams in the country: 1. Oregon; 2. Ohio State; 4. Penn State and 5. Indiana (believe it or not).

Here’s a bulletin: Football isn’t the sport toughened up by the West Coast invasion. Oregon, yes, until it gets beat no later than the semifinals in the playoffs, but Southern Cal, UCLA and Washington are all subpar at the moment.

The activity made more difficult with the 18-team expansion was already the Big Ten’s deepest major sport: women’s volleyball.

Nebraska football might have been in the tank for two decades and now five coaches, but with John Cook now in Year 25, the Huskers are the envy of all others in volleyball. Wisconsin might have flushed away a lot of money to replace the competent Paul Chryst with the discombobulated Luke Fickell as football coach, but with Kelly Sheffield in charge, the Badgers volleyball team has been Nebraska’s most-fierce challenger.

Last week, Gophers coach Keegan Cook’s team had played very poorly to lose a four-set home match to Washington, his former school. Oregon was arriving next, with a team challenging for the top 10.

“There were already no easy weekends in the Big Ten, and those are four strong programs,” Cook said. “Oregon has all the assets to be great; Washington, being a coach there, knowing the coaches and some of the players, they are always going to be tough competitors.

“And then the two teams in Los Angeles … lots of athletes there for USC and UCLA.”

Cook was named to replace Hugh McCutcheon as the Gophers coach on Dec. 12, 2022. The new guy didn’t exactly get a gift on Christmas Day:

That’s when Carter Booth, the Gophers’ magnificent, 6-7 freshman middle blocker, let it be known that she would be transferring to Wisconsin. Laney Choboy, a defender and a top-rated recruit for 2023, also had reacted to McCutcheon’s departure by changing her commitment to Nebraska.

Cook has been left chasing the Big Ten’s two Big Reds from farther behind than was McCutcheon.

On Wednesday, he received official commitments for 2025 from four recruits: Minnesota’s Carly Gilk (Champlin Park) and McKenna Garr (Rush City), plus Kelly Kinney (Florida) and Jordan Taylor (Texas).

The Gophers also have redshirted the Swenson twins as 2024 freshmen. Olivia (outside hitter) has had an injury. Stella, a setter as was older sister/superstar Samantha Seliger-Swenson, has been sitting on the sideline anxiously during matches.

Last week’s giveaway to Washington and then a blowout against Oregon made it unlikely the Gophers will have a chance to host NCAA first- and second-round matches at Maturi Pavilion. And what’s up Thursday night in Lincoln, Neb., could reduce further that chance.

The Nebraska lineup includes Taylor Landfair, the Big Ten Player of the Year for McCutcheon in 2022. She showed little of the same fire for Cook in 2023, then announced she was transferring. She stuck around to get her degree at Minnesota in spring semester 2024, then headed for Lincoln.

This will be the 6-5 Landfair’s first match vs. the Gophers. The Cornhuskers are 24-1, with a 21-match winning streak. In its past nine matches, Nebraska is 27-1 in sets.

Landfair noted a change in playing tactics with Keegan Cook in early comments about the transfer: “Neither side is right or wrong, both coaches and athletes have decisions to make, and each should be true to what they feel best.”

Looking ahead to this match, she was quoted in Lincoln thusly: “Honestly, I feel like I have no bad blood with any of the girls, so I’m just really excited. I’m eager to do this with my new team and just see how it all goes.”

The Gophers will be seeing Landfair coming off her best play for Nebraska: Over nine days starting Nov. 1, the Huskers had three-set sweeps vs. Wisconsin, Oregon and Washington and Landfair had 36 kills.

Good luck, Gophers. And remember: SMU somehow swept the Huskers back on Sept. 3, so miracles do happen.