VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW, WEEK OF 9/8/2023: Four of Nation’s Best on Display at Stanford

STANFORD, Calif. – Before Pacific Athletic Conference (PAC-12) foes go their separate ways, there is one last time for the league to showcase the high level of volleyball the league has been known for when Stanford plays host to the final Big Ten/PAC-12 Challenge. The showcase will be held Sept. 8-9 at Maples Pavilion on the Stanford campus.

Oregon announced earlier this year that this will its final year in the conference and will join the Big Ten in 2024. Stanford, meanwhile, was left when several other schools in the league announced plans to move to the Big 12 and instead will join California as members of the American Athletic Conference next year.

Two of the best teams in the Big Ten will take on the PAC-12 representatives in the Challenge.

Minnesota, ranked No. 10 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, will tangle with No. 6 Oregon to open the event. That match is scheduled to get underway at 4:30 p.m. (PT) on Sept. 8, while No. 15 Ohio State will tangle with host Stanford at 7 p.m. The Cardinal are ranked No. 5 in the latest poll.

The following day will feature Ohio State and Oregon meeting at 4:30 prior to Minnesota and Stanford squaring off at 7 p.m.

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

Minnesota is a work in progress as the 2023 season moves into its third week. But make no mistake, the Gophers figure to be in the hunt for a national championship when the postseason rolls around.

The Gophers are being led by first-year coach Keegan Cook, who is just the fourth coach since 1995 at the school.

He replaced longtime coach Hugh McCutcheon, who resigned following the 2022 season. In 11 seasons with the Gophers, McCutcheon’s teams combined for a 277-74 (.789) overall record and advanced to the Final Four three times, while posting 10 Sweet 16 and five Elite Eight appearances along the way. The Gophers also won a pair of Big Ten championships under McCutcheon’s leadership.

Laura Bush spent the 2011 season as the interim coach following the retirement of legendary coach Mike Hebert, who spent 15 years at the helm of the Minnesota program and laying the foundation for the Gophers as one of the nation’s elite programs. Minnesota posted a 381-137 (.736) overall record and 11 NCAA tournament appearances.

Cook took over at Minnesota following eight highly successful seasons (2015-22) at the University of Washington, where he led the Huskies to a 198-56 (.780) record. His teams won four PAC-12 championships and advanced to the Final Four in the spring of 2021 after the 2020 season was cut short. He reached the 200-win plateau in his career earlier this season when the Gophers defeated Baylor.  

Minnesota, which has been ranked in the top 10 in the final national poll in each of the last eight seasons, is led by Taylor Landfair (6-5, R-Jr., OH), the reigning player of the year in the Big Ten. She leads Minnesota with an average of 3.07 points per set this season, including 35 kills (2.50 kps), which ranks her second on the team in that department.

Landfair is also fourth on the team with 28 digs and has tallied five service aces.

Mckenna Wucherer (6-1, So., OH), the MVP of last year’s Big 12/Big Ten Challenge, has returned and starting the season off strong for the Gophers. She has already racked up 53 kills (3.79 kps) and is leading her team in scoring with 4.11 points per match. Her nine kills paced the Gophers in their loss to Florida earlier this season.

After missing the first six matches in her first collegiate season because of an injury, Wucherer returned and finished second on the team with 2.79 kills per set and ended the season by being named to the all-freshman conference team.

Minnesota also has one of the best setters in the nation in the fold once again in the form of Melani Shaffmaster (6-3, Sr., S), who has moved into eighth place on the school’s all-time assist ledger with 3,140. 

Last season, the talented Shaffmaster tallied 30 or more assists 25 times, including 11 times with 40 or more and three times reaching the 50-assist threshold.

Two other Gophers are already making their presence felt in 2023 after transferring to Gold Country.

Phoebe Awoleye (6-2, Sr., MB), a transfer from Loyola Marymount, combined for 16 blocks (2.29 bps) and five kills in the two matches against TCU and Baylor to open the season for Minnesota and earning all-tournament honors. She currently ranks fourth in the nation with 1.79 blocks per set. One of just three conference players to record 10 blocks in a match this season, she is the only one to do so in a three-match set.

Ohio State transfer Kylie Murr (5-6, 5^th, L) tallied 27 digs against the Horned Frogs in the season opener. She was the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year in 2022 while playing for the Buckeyes and leading the conference with 530 digs (4.69 dps). Murr’s 2,007 career digs is the sixth most among all active collegiate players.

Gophers Results/Schedule (0-0 Big Ten/2-2 Overall)

BIG TEN/BIG 12 CHALLENGE
W-TCU 3-1
W-BAYLOR 3-0
L-TEXAS 3-1
L-at Florida 3-0

Big Ten/PAC 12 Challenge at Stanford, Calif.
Sept. 8 vs. Oregon
Sept. 9 at Stanford

DIET COKE CLASSIC
Sept. 14 HIGH POINT
Sept. 16 CREIGHTON
Sept. 21 at Iowa
Sept. 24 at Nebraska
Sept. 29 MICHIGAN
Sept. 30 PENN STATE
Oct. 6 at Maryland
Oct. 7 at Rutgers
Oct. 11 at Michigan
Oct. 15 NORTHWESTERN
Oct. 20 RUTGERS
Oct. 22 MICHIGAN STATE
Oct. 26 at Purdue
Oct. 29 at Wisconsin
Nov. 3 at Ohio State
Nov. 5 at Northwestern
Nov. 10 PURDUE
Nov. 12 at Indiana
Nov. 17 IOWA
Nov. 18 OHIO STATE
Nov. 24 ILLINOIS
Nov. 25 NEBRASKA

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

With plenty of season left to go, Ohio State will be looking for strong performances against two of the top teams in the country to help soften the blow of losing two straight matches to nationally ranked Georgia Tech to fall to 3-2 on the season heading into this weekend’s action.

And it appears the Buckeyes have all the ingredients to snap that losing skid and set the tone for another successful season under the leadership of Jen Oldenburg as coach. In her fourth season at the helm of her alma mater, Oldenburg, the Big Ten coach of the year in 2020 after leading OSU to a 16-4 overall record in an abbreviated season, has compiled a 68-22 (.756) record and three straight appearances in the national tournament, including advancing to the Elite Eight in last year’s tournament before ending the season with a 22-10 (15-5 Big Ten) record. The Buckeyes were ranked among the top 10 in the nation all season a year ago.

Headlining the list of Buckeye standouts this season is Emily Londot (6-3, Sr., OH), the AVCA Northeast Region player of the year in 2022. A first-team all-Big Ten and second-team All-American last season, she is pacing OSU with 96 kills (5.05 kps) and is averaging 5.53 points per set for the Buckeyes. She has already registered a pair of 20-kill matches and a two double-doubles on the young new season.

She is joined by Mia Tuman (6-0, Fr., S) who has emerged as a bright spot for the Buckeyes over the first two weeks of the season. The newcomer has tallied 192 assists (10.67 aps) and has recorded three double-doubles in the first five matches of her collegiate career. She is tied for fourth on the team with three service aces.

Sydney Taylor (5-9, Jr., DS) leads OSU with an average of 3.42 digs per set this season.

Buckeyes Results/Schedule (Big Ten 0-0/3-2 Overall)

NKU Tournament at Highland Heights, Ken.
W-at Northern Kentucky 3-0
W-vs. Bowling Green 3-2
W-vs. East Tennessee 3-0

SPORTS IMPORTS CLASSIC
L-GEORGIA TECH 3-1
L-GEORGIA TECH 3-1

Big Ten/PAC 12 Challenge at Stanford, Calif.
Sept. 8 at Stanford
Sept. 9 vs. Oregon
Sept. 14 at Texas
Sept. 15 at Baylor
Sept. 22 at Nebraska
Sept. 24 at Iowa
Sept. 27 WISCONSIN
Oct. 1 MARYLAND
Oct. 6 at Rutgers
Oct. 7 at Penn State
Oct. 13 ILLINOIS
Oct. 15 PURDUE
Oct. 18 at Wisconsin
Oct. 21 at Indiana
Oct. 25 NORTHWESTERN
Oct. 29 at Michigan
Nov. 3 MINNESOTA
Nov. 4 INDIANA
Nov. 8 MICHIGAN STATE
Nov. 12 at Maryland
Nov. 15 at Illinois
Nov. 18 at Minnesota
Nov. 24 PENN STATE
Nov. 25 RUTGERS

OREGON DUCKS

Oregon and coach Matt Ulmer are looking to take that final step to a national championship this season. 

The Ducks are off to a great start. They have swept five of their six opponents so far this season, including a sweep of then-No. 13 San Diego in the opening match of the season in Hawai’i.

Ulmer, who is in his seventh season at the helm of the Oregon program, owns a 119-63 (.654) record and has led the Ducks to a pair of appearances in the Elite Eight, including last season before ending their season with a 26-6 overall record after securing a program-record 17 wins in conference play. It was the second time in Ulmer’s tenure at the school his team had placed second in the tough PAC-12.

A trio of standouts are leading the way for Oregon through the first six matches of the season. Mimi Colyer (6-3, So., OH). She has a team-leading 92 kills (4.84 kps) and tops the team with 5.84 points per set in 2023. She has tallied 11 of the team’s 36 service aces so far this year and ranks third on the team with 42 digs (2.21 dps), while also adding 14 total blocks.

Hannah Pukis (5-11, RS-Sr., S) has already amassed 208 assists (10.95 aps) to lead the team in that department by a wide margin. She has 49 digs (2.58 dps) and a team-leading 15 total blocks and six aces, while adding 21 kills (1.11 kps). Teammate Georgia Murphy (5-6, Sr., L) leads the Ducks with 51 digs (2.68 dps).

Ducks Results/Schedule( PAC-12 0-0/6-0 Overall)

Rainbow Wahine Classic at Honolulu, Hi.

W-vs. San Diego 3-0
W-vs. Northwestern 3-0
W-at Hawai’i 3-0

San Diego State Invitational at San Diego, Calif.

W-at San Diego State 3-1
W-vs. UC-Santa Barbara 3-0
W-vs. Pepperdine 3-0

Big Ten/PAC 12 Challenge at Stanford, Calif.
Sept. 8 vs. Minnesota
Sept. 9 vs. Ohio State

Panther Challenge at Pittsburgh, Penn.
Sept. 14 at Pittsburgh
Sept. 15 vs. James Madison

Sept. 17 at Marquette
Sept. 22 OREGON STATE
Sept. 24 at UCLA
Sept. 29 WASHINGTON
Oct. 1 WASHINGTON STATE
Oct. 6 at Colorado
Oct. 8 at Utah
Oct. 13 ARIZONA
Oct. 15 ARIZONA STATE
Oct. 20 CALIFORNIA
Oct. 22 STANFORD
Oct. 27 at Washington State
Oct. 29 at Washington
Nov. 3 UTAH
Nov. 5 COLORADO
Nov. 9 at Stanford
Nov. 11 at California
Nov. 17 ARIZONA STATE
Nov. 19 ARIZONA
Nov. 21 SOUTHERN CAL
Nov. 25 at Oregon State

STANFORD CARDINAL

Don’t be surprised if Stanford is one of the four teams advancing at season’s end in search of a national championship.

The Cardinal is that loaded.

Coach Kevin Hambly is in his seventh season at the helm of the Cardinal program and owns a 146-34 (.811) record since taking over on The Farm. He has led his teams to four conference championships and has added a pair of national championships during his time at the school. His 2018 and 2019 teams combined for a staggering 64-5 record in claiming the back-to-back titles. Stanford advanced to the national semifinal in 2017 before winning the next two national titles.

Hambly, who spent eight seasons as the coach at Illinois, has a 321-120 (.728) career record. He posted a 178-86 (.674) record while leading the Illini before taking over at Stanford in 2017.

Kendall Kipp (6-5, 5^th, OH) leads the high-octane Stanford attack this season as six players are averaging more than two kills per set on the young season. The talented veteran, one of six Cardinal standouts to earn all-conference honors last season, has already registered 59 kills (4.84 kps) and tops the team with an average of 5.27 points per set. She also paces the team with 11 total blocks on the season.

Kami Miner (6-0, Jr., S) is also off to a torrid start for Hambly’s troops. She has tallied 191 assists (11.9 aps) and 46 digs (2.88 dps) this season while also leading the team with five service aces. Teammate Elena Oglivie (5-10, Sr., L) is providing Miner and the Cardinal with plenty of support on the young season. She has recorded a team-high 55 digs (3.44 dps), while Elia Rubin (6-1, So., OH) is second on the team with 58 kills and is averaging 4.09 points per set and chipping in with 40 digs (2.50 dps).

Miner, Oglivie and Rubin all joined Kipp on the all-conference team last season.

Cardinal Results/Schedule (PAC-12 0-0/4-1 Overall)

W-at Northern Colorado 3-0
W-at Colorado State 3-1
L-FLORIDA 3-0
W-at Texas 3-0
W-at Rice 4-0

BIG TEN/PAC 12 CHALLENGE
Sept. 8 OHIO STATE
Sept. 9 MINNESOTA

Sept. 12 NEBRASKA
Sept. 17 at Louisville
Sept. 19 at California
Sept. 24 at Colorado
Sept. 29 ARIZONA STATE
Oct. 1 ARIZONA
Oct. 6 at Washington
Oct. 8 at Washington State
Oct. 13 SOUTHERN CAL
Oct. 15 UCLA
Oct. 20 at Oregon State
Oct. 22 at Oregon
Oct. 27 at Arizona
Oct. 29 at Arizona State
Nov. 3 WASHINGTON STATE
Nov. 5 WASHINGTON
Nov. 9 OREGON
Nov. 11 OREGON STATE
Nov. 17 at UCLA
Nov. 19 at Southern Cal
Nov. 22 UTAH
Nov. 24 CALIFORNIA