The #11 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers Volleyball team kicks off the 2025 season on Monday night in Sioux Falls when they take on #9 ranked Texas A&M at the Sanford Pentagram at 7:30 PM. It begins year three of the Keegan Cook era, and one where the Gophers will hope to fair better than they did in their first two seasons under Cook. Minnesota comes into the season with high expectations, and several new faces that whether highly ranked freshmen or incoming transfers will look to make immediate
contributions.
So Who is Gone From 2024?
The Gophers finished with a 21-11 overall record a year ago and went 13-7 in Big Ten play which resulted in a sixth place finish. Minnesota advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they were bounced by the Kentucky Wildcats. Minnesota lost a trio of All-Big Ten performers from last season’s roster. Gone is setter Melani Shaffmaster who was an All-Big Ten First Team member and an Honorable Mention All American. She used up her eligibility and is playing professionally in Germany. Joining her in Germany is opposite hitter Lydia Grote. She spend two years with the Gophers after transferring in from Cal and was All-Big Ten First Team a season ago. Second Team All-Big Ten middle blocker Phoebe Awoleye also graduated and is in Portugal playing professionally.
Also moving on from the Gophers due to graduation were backup setter Elise McGhie and defensive specialist Skylar Grey. Minnesota lost a pair of players into the transfer portal as well as redshirt senior middle blocker Kali Engeman is now at San Diego, and redshirt sophomore outside hitter Sydney Schnickels left Minnesota and is now with the Michigan Wolverines.
Who is Back from Last Year’s Squad?
Leading the way in returnees for Minnesota is senior outside hitter Julia Hansen. She had the best year of her career as a junior ranking #53 in the country and #7 in the Big Ten with 4.01 kills per set in 2024. She had 27 10+ kill matches in 2024 with 15 consecutive to end the season. She was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection a year ago and added Honorable Mention All-American honors. She is one of two Gophers this year to be named to the 20 player Preseason All-Big Ten roster.
Joining her on that list is fellow senior outside hitter McKenna Wucherer. McKenna struggled in 2024 with a back injury that kept her out of six matches and limited her ability in many others. If she is back to full strength, she gives the Gophers two of the best attackers in the conference.
Redshirt Senior opposite hitter Lauren Crowl also returns to give the Gophers depth on the outside. Crowl also missed time with injuries a season ago but at 6’4 gives Minnesota size at the net.
The Gophers have four juniors returning, three of whom saw significant action in 2024. Libero Zeynep Palabikik stepped into the role last season and found her stride, especially late in the season. She started in all 32 matches, leading the team with 3.86 digs per set and tallied 1.32 assists and 0.14 aces per set. She ended the year with ten straight matches with double-digit digs. Joining her in returning is middle blocker Calissa Miniaee. She played in all 32 matches as a rotational player recording 1.52 kills, 0.98 blocks and 0.25 digs per set. Defensive specialist Kate Thibault transferred back to her home state from Oregon last year and played in all 32 matches posting 1.79 digs and 0.31 assists per set. Chole Ng is a backup setter who saw action in five matches last year.
Minnesota returns one sophomore in Alex Acevedo. The Idaho native outside hitter Played in 30 matches, recording 0.74 kills, 1.38 digs, 0.09 blocks and 0.35 aces per set in her first year as a Gopher.
Who is New in 2025?
Minnesota’s roster features two redshirt freshman—with a very familiar name, four true freshmen, and than a pair of transfers from other Big Ten schools who will all look to fight for playing time.
First the two redshirt freshmen in twins Stella and Olivia Swenson. Sisters of Gopher legend and four-time All-American setter Samantha Selleger-Swenson, Stella and Olivia look to have big roles in 2025. Stella will start at setter for the Gophers and has the ability to be early as good as her sister. Olivia will play a more limited role as a 6’3 defensive specialist, but will find time in different rotations.
Minnesota brought in one of the more talented freshman classes in the Big Ten this fall. The list is headlines by middle blocker Jordan Taylor. The 6’5 Houston native will play immediately and had tons of international experience at the U-19 level. She is joined by another top ranked freshman in Kelly Kinney a 6’2 outside hitter from Florida. Kinney was a Top-15 national recruit and also played on the U-19 National team this summer coached by Keegan Cook. A pair of Minnesota natives join then in 6’2 opposite hitter Carley Gilk from Champlin Park. The top ranked recruit in Minnesota was Minnesota Ms. Volleyball in 2024. Rush City’s McKenna Garr finishes the freshman class. The 5’7 libero can earn playing time in the back end of Minnesota’s lineup.
The Gophers brought a pair of transfers from other Big Ten schools who also should play immediately. Grad Transfer middle blocker Lourdes Myers joins the Gophers after three seasons at Purdue. The 6’3 myers averaged 1.31 kills (.342), 1.0 blocks and 0.24 digs per set in her three years in West Lafayette and had her best season in 2024, hitting .356 with 1.28 kills and 1.06 blocks per set. Joining her is junior setter Georgia Lee from Rutgers. Lee saw limited action in two seasons with the Scarlet Knights and will be the backup to Swenson likely.
So… What are the Pundits Saying about the Gophers?
Minnesota does have the attention of the Big Ten as a team back on the rise. The Gophers were picked fourth in the preseason Big Ten Coaches Poll behind only NCAA Champion Penn State, NCAA Final Four participant Nebraska, and the rival to the east Wisconsin. Minnesota will look to continue a streak of ten-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, but look to advance to the second weekend for the first time under Keegan Cook. The Gophers opened the season ranked #11 in the preseason coaches poll, and the fourth ranked team in the conference. Minnesota has a slightly easier non-conference schedule compared to their usual slate with only three ranked opponents—the season opener against #9 Texas A&M, a match against #24 Dayton in the Diet Coke Classic, and a road tilt at #21 Marquette to close out the non-conference. However, as usual the Big Ten slate will more than make up for it. The Gophers will face eight ranked opponents in the conference schedule including a pair of matches against #15 Purdue and #8 Wisconsin. Minnesota will face both at home to end the regular season the day before and the day after Thanksgiving. Minnesota also lucks out as they are slated to face the remaining six ranked conference opponents at The Pav rather than on the road. That includes back to back matches against Preseason #1 Nebraska, and #2 Penn State in November. Five of the Gophers nine November matches are against ranked teams, with four of the five in in Top 10.
How About the Opener vs Texas A&M?
Minnesota kicks off the season Monday night from Sioux Falls against the #9 ranked Aggies. Texas A&M returns most of their lineup from a season ago where they lost to Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Star seniors Logan Lednicky and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla were named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List this season. Lednicky was a Second Team All-American a year ago after averaging 4.47 kps. Kos-Okpalla earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention. Both were named First Team All-SEC.
Minnesota will look to break a long trend on Monday. The last time the Gophers won a season opener agaisnt a team ranked in the Top 10 was 2002 when they took down No. 8 Pepperdine in three sets. Minnesota is just 1-7 all-time in season-openers against top-10 ranked teams and have lost their last four after the 2002 win including 3-2 to #5 Stanford a year ago. . They also will look to break a losing trend against the Aggies. The Gophers trail the all-time series, 6-2. All eight matches have been at neutral sites, and they last met at the Stanford Invite to open the 2015 season. The Aggies won the match, 3-2. Minnesota’s only wins in the series came in a one set playoff during the 1982 National Volleyball Invitational Championship and a 3-1 victory in 2008 at Creighton. This will be first time both teams are ranked when they face one another.
After their match on Monday, the Gophers return home to open the season at The Pav. Minnesota will face Cal Poly on Friday night, Ball State on Saturday evening and St. Thomas Sunday afternoon.
