Taylor Landfair finds a higher level as Gophers try to reach NCAA tournament

Taylor Landfair cannot hide on the volleyball court. She is 6-5 with arms stretching out from every angle, seeming to multiply when she's on the attack.

Her reputation precedes her in any gym. She was the No. 1 volleyball recruit in the country in 2020. In her freshman season with the Gophers, she made first-team All-Big Ten. Last season as a redshirt sophomore, she was named Big Ten Player of the Year.

This weekend she will stand at the center of the Gophers' hopes of making the NCAA tournament. They face Illinois on Friday, a crucial match between two teams tied for fifth place in the Big Ten. On Saturday, undefeated and No. 1 Nebraska comes to town to end the regular season.

Keegan Cook's first trip after being introduced as Minnesota's volleyball coach was to see Landfair and sell her on his vision. Her decision to stay at Minnesota was crucial and when the Gophers opened this year, she was undeniably the face of a program in transition.

But her junior season didn't open as expected. Landfair took on greater responsibilities in a system that prioritized her less offensively and struggled early on the attack and return game.

She had eight kills and six attack errors against Florida. Seven receiving errors against Texas. Eight kills and seven attack errors against Stanford. Nine kills and seven attack errors against Creighton. All nonconference losses.

More telling? In the midst of it all, Landfair grew as a player.

"I think in the beginning it was difficult; we didn't really know this new coaching staff," she said. "I think finding it in ourselves to step out of our comfort zone, to understand how they operate, to adapt to all the change.

"… I think we all came together and asked, 'What do we want our season to look like, and how are we going to allow this new coaching staff to help us reach the goals we want to reach?' I think that was the turning point for all of us."

The Gophers have won nine of their past 12 matches, a surge coinciding with Landfair playing the most well-rounded volleyball of her career.

She has posted career highs in aces and digs, and while her kills are down from last season, in conference play she has taken off — leading the Gophers with 3.90 points and 3.44 kills per set with a hitting percentage of .274.

"She has a lot of responsibility on the court, right?" Cook said. "She's a six-rotation outside hitter who is trying to score the ball, who we expect to serve and dig and pass. But one of her best qualities is if you ask for help, she will help."

For Landfair, trying to help her teammates has manifested in different ways. Her demeanor on the court is supportive, talkative and worn with a smile. When Arica Davis stuffs a block and lights up with energy, Landfair is hyped right alongside her. When freshman Zeynep Palabiyik hit her with a lofty, perfectly placed assist last weekend, Landfair torched a kill and was looking back in awe of the pass before the ball landed on the other side of the court.

That support has gone both ways.

Landfair put the effort in to improve her back-row play, steadying her passing and getting her lengthy body on the ground more. Senior libero Kylie Murr has helped with that process in her one season at the U.

"She takes a lot of our load and I wouldn't want to be her," Murr said of Landfair, laughing. "I remember coming here and 'Oh my gosh, player of the year, I can't wait to play with her.' She has lived up to everything I thought.

"She has really grown as a leader this season. Her skill has always been there, will always be there, but I think as a person she has really stepped up."

Across the board, players and coaches have called this season one of the more challenging and rewarding of their careers. For Cook, the bonds built are foundational, as important as any win. Landfair has embodied that.

"She has never been shy about saying you have to earn her trust," Cook said. "So OK, do the work, as a coach you have to do the work. You don't just get to coach people.

"I am appreciative for where we're at right now. She has given the gift of being allowed to be coached … and continues to put on some of her best performances late, which you love to see."

As the Gophers try to reach the postseason, it wouldn't be surprising if Landfair put on a few more.