Gophers volleyball stays competitive in Big Ten play while getting key players healthy

Gophers volleyball coach Keegan Cook had to compete without a healthy team for most of the Big Ten season so far, but his players worked together to keep themselves afloat during a tough early stretch.

The No. 14 Gophers (9-5, 2-2 Big Ten) started the conference season with three of their first four matches against ranked opponents, which included falling Saturday at No. 20 USC.

After rallying for a five-set victory at UCLA a week ago, the Gophers were a bit worn out playing the Trojans the following day. Having several days to prepare for the next match came at the right time before entering a homestand against Indiana on Friday and Maryland on Saturday.

“We were hoping this week we could get back to status quo with our health and our systems,” Cook said. “That way we’ll have a shot against two teams that are improving quickly with Indiana and Maryland.”

Senior Melani Shaffmaster is playing as well as any setter in the country after recovering from a knee injury that bothered her last year. She also overcame a dislocated finger after last month’s loss vs. TCU.

Junior outside hitter Mckenna Wucherer ranks third on the team in kills per set, but she hasn’t been able to return from an unspecified injury. She has missed three full matches since sitting out most of the Big Ten-opening victory vs. Wisconsin on Sept. 25.

Wucherer, who scored the winning point to upset No. 1 Texas in Milwaukee on Sept. 2, had double figures in kills in four of her first six matches. But she hasn’t been available since playing briefly in the first set vs. the Badgers and being replaced in the lineup by redshirt freshman Alex Acevedo.

“We’ve got a plan to move her back into it,” Cook said. “Hopefully, it comes to fruition, but she’s got a lot of volleyball left here and beyond. So, we’re trying to make wise decisions for her.”

Cook said junior outside hitter Julia Hanson has embraced a larger offensive role in Wucherer’s absence. Hanson, who missed part of the victory over UCLA due to illness, leads the team with 3.42 kills per set. Senior Lydia Grote also picked up her aggression at the net by averaging 15.8 kills in the last four matches.

“I love this gym and playing at home,” Hanson said of Maturi Pavilion. “The last time we played at home [in a Sept. 28 loss to Purdue] it didn’t go our way, so we’re really excited to be back and show our fans what we’ve got.”

Getting back above .500 in the Big Ten for the Gophers means Hanson and Grote will likely continue to carry a heavy offensive load. But Shaffmaster’s steady all-around play now that she’s healthy is probably the biggest factor in staying in contention.

Shaffmaster became the first Gopher in program history with 4,000 assists, 1,000 digs, 300 kills and 300 blocks last weekend during the trip to Los Angeles.

“She’s actually one of the best defenders as a setter that I’ve ever seen,” Hanson said. “I really don’t think Melani gets enough credit for her defense.”