Five things learned about Gophers volleyball leaving spring season

Gophers volleyball played more spring matches this year than it did the first two seasons under coach Keegan Cook.

Those six matches allowed the Gophers to see the potential of several newcomers and what life is like without fifth-year senior setter Melani Shaffmaster, one of the program’s all-time assist leaders.

Cook, who reached the NCAA tournament second round in his first two years at Minnesota, incorporated newcomers, made offensive adjustments with a talented new setter and saw even more growth in All-Big Ten first-team outside hitter Julia Hanson this spring.

“It’s probably the best 12 weeks of teaching and learning that we’ve had in our time here,” Cook said. “Just the depth of relationships allows the coaches to coach more and allows the players to learn better.”

Here are five things learned from the Gophers’ spring volleyball season:

Shaffmaster, a three-time All-Big Ten setter, left big shoes to fill, and the Gophers also decided a “big offensive overhaul” was needed to create better opportunities for this year’s team to succeed.

Tempo was something the Gophers worked on during spring competition, including against Iowa, St. Thomas and Creighton. Their final match was April 26 at North Dakota.

Cook said Stella Swenson set more than 1,100 balls during spring matches this year to help prepare her to take over the starting setter role.

The two-time Star Tribune Girls Volleyball Player of the Year arrived a year ago with high expectations after a storied career at Wayzata, which included three consecutive state titles.

After she redshirted last year, it’s now Swenson‘s time to show her potential as the program’s next great setter. Shaffmaster had been the U’s starter since her freshman year in 2021.

“It was a great decision by her and for us to do that,” Cook said of Swenson redshirting. “It’s going to pay off. That year of preparation.”

Swenson was also named Wednesday to the U21 Pan Am Cup Team USA training roster.

Gilk (Champlin Park) and Garr (Rush City) were two of the top senior volleyball prospects in the state last year. Garr was considered the best libero in Minnesota’s high school ranks. The 6-2 Gilk was the No. 1 senior and ranked 27th nationally in the 2025 class.

One of the biggest surprises this spring was the 6-5 Taylor, a long and athletic middle blocker from Houston. Middle blocker Lourdès Myers, a graduate transfer from Purdue, was a key addition as well.

“This spring let us know we brought in some good freshmen,” Cook said. “[Myers] has certainly made an impact for us already.”

Top incoming freshman Kelly Kinney from Florida is the 11th-ranked senior in the country. The 6-2 All-America outside hitter won’t join the team until the summer, but Kinney and Taylor will play for Cook on the U.S. U19 team at the world championship in July.

Hanson was arguably the biggest breakout player in the Big Ten last season when she led the Gophers with four kills per set and recorded double figures in kills in 27 of the team’s 32 matches in 2024.

The graduation of All-Big Ten senior outside hitter Lydia Grote means possibly leaning on Hanson even more to carry the offensive load this season.

“She’s got big aspirations,” Cook said. “The committee probably did us a big favor by not making her a third-team or second-team All-American. She’s pretty motivated. This is the best I’ve seen her learn with my time with her.”

Senior outside hitter Mckenna Wucherer’s goal is to play a full season, so she sat out this spring to make sure she can be as healthy as possible to finish her Gophers career.

Wucherer, who averaged a team-best 3.24 kills per set in 2023, did her best to contribute while missing six games with a back injury last season.