Monday evening, University of Minnesota Athletics Director Mark Coyle announced Hugh McCutcheon will be taking on a newly created role as the assistant athletics director/sport development coach beginning January 1, 2023.

Earlier this month, McCutcheon shocked the volleyball world with his recent announcement that he will step down as the head coach for the Golden Gophers volleyball team. The announcement left many to wonder what is next for McCutcheon and the program.

“I am excited for Hugh to start this new role in January. His guidance and proven leadership will benefit all of our coaches as we continue to work to provide a holistic and world-class experience for our student athletes,” Coyle said.

In addition to announcing McCutcheon’s new role, Coyle also announced the search committee who will work to find the new head volleyball coach. The following people have been selected for the committee.

Mark Coyle – Director of Athletics
Julie Manning – Deputy AD/SWA
Tricia Budke – Director of HR/Chief of Staff
JT Bruett – Director of Lindahl Academic Center
Stephanie Davis – Associate AD/Event Management
Susan Goldstein – Associate Professor Carlson School of Management
Katie Harms – Living Spaces Specialist, Podcaster & U of M Benefactor
Melissa Maines – General Manager of Women’s Basketball
Tim McCleary – Sr. Associate AD/Business Operations/CFO
Peyton Owens III – St. Associate AD/Leadership & Inclusion

“Hugh has had success at the Olympic and collegiate level coaching both men and women, and I know he will be able to provide additional value to our programs starting in January. In the meantime, we will continue to do everything we can to support Hugh and his team as they finish the season.”

Oct 26. vs Michigan State

The Minnesota Golden Gophers played host to the Michigan State Spartans on Wednesday.

The first set started with Michigan State taking an early 3-1 lead over Minnesota. The Gophers, however, were able to tie it up at 15 after a block from Mckenna Wucherer. After a pivotal Carter Booth kill, Minnesota was leading for the first time since 7-6, putting the game at 17-16. A Taylor Landfair kill sealed the set for the Gophers at 25-20.

Set two had Jenna Wenaas and Wucherer putting up the first two points for Minnesota with two kills as both teams split the first four points. The Spartans started to play with some momentum, scoring five of the next six points.

A 10-1 point run gave Minnesota a dominant five point lead later in the set. The Gophers extended their lead to nine at 18-9 after a block party from CC Mcgraw. Minnesota went on to score seven of the last 11 points to take set two 25-14.

After an ace from Melani Shaffmaster and kills from Arica Davis, Landfair and Wenaas, the Gophers started off hot in set three, leading 4-1. The Spartans responded, but throughout the set, Minnesota was on fire. Julia Hanson finished the match with her first kill of the night, bringing the final set score to 25-11.

Freshman Booth made her return after missing the last two games due to an illness. She threw down eight kills and five blocks for Minnesota.

The win for the Gophers brings them to an all-time 60-19 record against Michigan State. Mcgraw hit her 95th career 10+ dig outing. She is now up to 1,768 for her career, which is just 102 behind Dalianliz Rosado for the No. 3 spot in program history.

Oct 29. vs Wisconsin

The Gophers traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, over Halloween weekend to take on their border rivals, the Wisconsin Badgers.

After spliting the first four points of the game, Landfair and Booth each led with kills for Minnesota.

After a few Minnesota scoring runs, the Badgers kept a five point lead at 20-15. The Badgers ultimately came out on top 25-20, with Sarah Franklin leading them in the first set with five kills.

The Badgers had the early advantage over the Gophers in set two after putting up four of the first five points. After tying the game at 13, a Gophers blocking error and Wisconsin ace helped to bring the Badgers ahead at 20-16. Minnesota cut Wisconsin’s lead to two, three different times, but in the end, the Badgers took set two 25-20.

A kill from Wenaas and an ace from McGraw put the Gophers up right away 2-0 to start set three. Wisconsin tied the score at eight just before Minnesota exploded onto a 5-0 point run putting them ahead 13-8.

Kills from Landfair, Wucherer and Davis helped to give Minnesota an astounding 18-13 lead. Minnesota’s momentum didn’t stop there as they scored four of the next five, and a block from both Booth and Landfair closed out the set for Minneaota 25-16.

With Wisconsin on the verge of victory, it was clear from the start set four would be nothing short of a “barn burner.” Wisconsin came out hot scoring nine of the first 13 points.

A kill from Franklin helped put the Badgers up 18-11, but the Gophers were not quite finished. Three kills from Davis and one more from Landfair cut the lead to 19-16. The Gophers came within one at 24-23. After a long rally, and hard fought match, Wisconsin came out on top 25-23, winning the set and match.

Davis played her best match as a Gopher with a season best of eight kills, hitting .545. This match would be the first time all season Minnesota has out-hit, out-blocked and out-dug its opponent.

The Gophers will return home to take on the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 vs. Iowa

The Gophers jumped out to a strong 5-2 lead over Iowa Wednesday night after a kill from Ellie Husemann and two blocks from Taylor Landfair. After an Iowa timeout, the Hawkeyes rallied together to go on a 7-4 run putting them down by only three.

Iowa tied the set at 22, but kills from Landfair and Naya Gros sealed the set for Minnesota with a final set score of 25-22.

Minnesota started set two on fire, scoring six of the first eight points. The Gophers showed no signs of slowing down with an 8-0 run that put them up 11-2. Iowa had some moments throughout the set, but Jenna Wenaas would eventually seal it for Minnesota with a kill to put the final score at 25-15.

The Gophers were able to maintain their momentum, scoring six of the first seven points in set three. They continued to look unstoppable scoring 12 of the next 16 points, resulting in an 18-8 lead.

The Gophers were never really in danger of losing the set. Wenaas ended it after a block and two kills to put the final set score at 25-11.

The Gophers now have an all time record of 84-11 against the Hawkeyes and have won 50 straight matches against Iowa dating back to 1995. CC McGraw led the team in digs. She’s now up to 1,736 in her career, which is just two behind Jessica Granquist for fourth all time in Minnesota program history.

Oct. 22 vs. Purdue

After getting swept in West Lafayette, Indiana, late last month, the Gophers were hoping to even things out in a top 15 rematch.

The two teams met at Maturi Pavillion and began by switching off who had the lead for the first few points of the game. The Boilermakers began to pull away with a 15-12 lead.

A pivotal kill from Mckenna Wucherer, a block from Husemann and a Purdue attack error cut the lead to 22-20. Purdue managed to make it to set point at 24-21, but blocks from Gros and Wenaas tied the set at 24, and two Purdue attack errors led Minnesota to take set one 27-25.

Purdue began set two on fire, scoring five of the first six points. A Wenaas kill and Husemann block helped to bring Minnesota within one point of the Boilermakers at 5-4. The Boilermakers had a seven point lead just before a late scoring run brought the Gophers back in the game at 22-19. A Purdue attack error brought Minnesota within one point, but a block from Purdue’s Raven Colvin and Madeline Koch would ultimately seal Purdue’s set two win 25-23.

The Gophers started set three with a 4-2 advantage over Purdue after pivotal kills from Arica Davis and Wucherer, with an ace by Melani Shaffmaster. Lauren Crowl also hit her first kill in Big Ten play, helping to put the Gophers up 11-6.

After exchanging runs, a kill from Gros and a Purdue attack error sealed set three for Minnesota 25-22, forcing a fourth set.

The two teams continued going back and forth, but Minnesota would get its first two point lead at 10-8 in set four. The Gophers would ultimately come out on top after Wucherer threw down her 16th kill to claim the set and match for Minnesota.

For Shaffmaster, this was her second 20+ dig match. Mcgraw passed Granquist for the No. 4 spot all-time at Minnesota in digs. This match brought her to 1,753 for her career in digs.

The Gophers return to Maturi Pavilion on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for another rematch against Michigan State after beating them in East Lansing earlier this month.

Last week, the Gophers men’s golf team returned from California after competing in the two-day Alister Mackenzie Invitational. After day one, the Gophers were set in third place with Harvard University in first, but that quickly changed the following day.

As a team, the Gophers finished in second place with a final score of 856, just 13 strokes behind the tournament champions, University of California, Berkeley.

Senior Antoine Sale finished the tournament with four birdies, which put him at a score of one under par. Overall, Sale went 67-70-71 over the course of the three-round event, which put him within the top three individual scorers of the tournament.

Junior Ben Warian hit five birdies in the third round, finishing with a score of 71, just one under par. Overall, his scores were 70-74-71, which put him in a tie for 15th place.

Graduate student Lincoln Johnson tied with his senior teammate Harrison Arnold for 20th place. Both hit four birdies in the fourth round. Arnold had a score of two over par in the third round, whereas Johnson was just one over par.

Graduate student Jacob Pederson added two birdies in the third round during a one over par performance. Pederson’s three-round score was 72-75-73, putting him in a tie for 33rd place.

Lastly, sophomore Bennett Swavely competed in the tournament as an individual tied for 36th place with a three-round score of 74-72-75.

The Gophers will travel to Windermere, Florida for the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational later this month for their last tournament of the fall season.

Hugh McCutcheon announced Sunday the 2022 season will be his last as head coach for Gophers volleyball.

“Hugh is a respected leader in volleyball, the coaching profession and in our department. We understand and support his decision to step away at the end of the season, and we thank him for his tremendous contributions to our program, University and state,” said Minnesota Athletics Director Mark Coyle.

McCutcheon agreed to a contract extension in late December 2021, which tied him to the program through the 2025 season.

“Hugh appreciates the support from our amazing fans and understands the questions that people might have, but his sole focus right now is on the team and the rest of the season. Out of respect for our program and our student-athletes, he will defer any questions about this decision until the end of the season,” Coyle said.

According to Gopher Athletics, a nationwide search for Minnesota’s next head coach will be conducted at the conclusion of the season. At that time, associate head coach Matt Houk will serve as interim head coach.

Currently, McCutcheon is in his 11th season with the Gopher volleyball team. They are 10-6 overall and 5-3 in Big Ten play this season.

The Golden Gophers volleyball team hosted the Ohio State Buckeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini at Maturi Pavilion on Wednesday and Saturday. They fell short in three sets against the Buckeyes but returned to the winning column against the Fighting Illini.

Oct 12 vs. Ohio State

Wednesday’s matchup began with the Buckeyes scoring the first four points of the game, giving them an early lead. Minnesota was behind most of the set but managed to narrow Ohio State’s lead to 14-13 after a kill from Taylor Landfair. Minnesota managed to get within one point again, but Ohio State ultimately won the first set 25-20

Minnesota scored three straight points to begin the second set. Ohio State, however, did not allow Minnesota to run away and went on a 5-1 point run.

After a mid-set media timeout, Ohio State went up by as much as six points, and an attack error from Taylor Landfair closed out the set for Ohio State 25-21.

Set three had the Buckeyes taking an early lead as they scored five of the first six points. After an attack error from Jenna Wenaas, it was 8-2 in favor of the Buckeyes. Gophers head coach Hugh McCutheon called a timeout to regroup his team.

Minnesota was able to find a rhythm and go on a 4-0 point run, which cut its deficit to three. After going back and forth, a kill from Carter Booth finally cut the Gophers’ deficit to 23-22. Ohio State, however, was able to cap it off and win the set and game with a final set score of 25-22.

That evening, the Gophers hit a season low of .097 with 28 attacking errors. They are now 48-37 all-time against Ohio State.

Oct 15. vs Illinois

Saturday afternoon volleyball began with Minnesota taking a 4-2 lead over Illinois. Kills from Landfair, Booth and Wenaas strengthened Minnesota’s lead 15-10 just before a media timeout. Minnesota began to lead, going up as much as 19-11 and eventually taking the first set 25-19.

Early kills from Landfair and Wenaas helped give Minnesota the initial lead in the second set.
Illinois was not about to let Minnesota get by so easily this time and went up 18-15. After a few exchanges of points, Minnesota would ultimately take the set 25-23.

The start of the third set had the Gophers giving up the first three points, but they quickly rebounded scoring the next six. Illinois, however, would score nine of the next 12 points giving them the lead at 12-9. Kills from Naya Gros, Melani Shaffmaster, and a CC McGraw ace tied the game at 12.

The two teams went back and forth until kills from Landfair and Wenaas sparked a three point run for the Gophers, putting the score at 18-15. The Fighting Illini cut the score close at 24-23 in the later part of the set, but a kill from Wenaas sealed the match for Minnesota with the final set score at 25-23.

Minnesota has now won seven consecutive matches against Illinois and have moved to an overall record of 43-40. Taylor Landfair attained double digits in kills for the 16th time this season and has become one of two players in the country to make double digit kills in every match.

The Gophers will hit the road this week as they travel to Iowa City on Wednesday, Oct. 19 to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at 6 p.m.

The Golden Gophers traveled east this past weekend, taking on the two Michigan schools in the Big Ten conference. They played their first game on Friday in Ann Arbor against the Wolverines. They took on the Spartans in East Lansing on Sunday.

Oct 7. vs Michigan

The Gophers kicked off the first game of the weekend with a back-and-forth battle, but a kill from Taylor Landfair with blocks from Naya Gros and Mckenna Wucherer sparked a Gophers point run, putting them ahead 11-5.

Wucherer shortly after threw down her first kill of the night to put the Gophers up 17-6. From there, it was smooth sailing for Minnesota as they closed out the set with a 25-12 victory.

Set two was far more intense. After an early 4-2 Michigan lead, no team led by more than one point until a kill from Wucherer, followed by blocks from Gros and Shaffmaster put the Gophers up 17-14. An ace from Michigan’s Kendall Murray cut the Gophers’ lead to two points, putting the game at 22-20. The Gophers narrowly escaped with the victory after a kill from Landfair sealed the score 25-22.

Much like the first set, Minnesota largely dominated the third set. The Gophers had an early 6-3 lead that was later built on by two kills and a solo block from Landfair, putting the Gophers up 10-5. Minnesota ended the set with a six-point scoring run that was capped off with a Gros kill bringing the final set score to 25-13.

This game brought Minnesota to a 60-16 record against Michigan and a 12-3 record under head coach Hugh McCutcheon. Landfair hit double digits in kills for the 13th time this season and 31st time in her career. This was also her 12th time getting 15+ kills in a match.

Oct 9. vs Michigan State

After a sweep in Ann Arbor on Friday, the Gophers headed to the Breslin Center in East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans.

After two kills from Jenna Wenaas and three Spartan attack errors, Minnesota took an early 5-2 lead in the first set. After a four-point Gophers scoring run, the Spartans managed to get within three points of the Gophers’ lead, putting the score at 11-8.

Two kills from Landfair and one each from Gros and Shaffmaster helped the Gophers lead by six points at 20-14. After a late push from Michigan State, Minnesota was able to close out the set 25-19.

Blocks from Gros and Wenaas, along with a kill and ace from Wenaas, put the Gophers up 11-5 in the second set. Minnesota was on fire the rest of the set and closed it out at 25-15 with a solo block from Gros.

Much like the last set, the Gophers built a strong early lead by scoring eight of the first nine points in the third set. Michigan State put up two more points to bring them within six points of the Gophers, but Minnesota would quickly recover to put its lead at 19-8. It closed out the set 25-14: Minnesota’s second sweep of the weekend.

The Gophers were led by Shaffmaster, who had 33 assists and seven digs. Gros led the team in blocks with five over the course of the match. This is also her third time this year with five or more blocks.

Minnesota returns to Maturi Pavillion on Wednesday to take on No. 6 ranked Ohio State at 7 p.m.

One of the newest members of the Golden Gopher volleyball team, freshman McKenna Wucherer, was the nation’s top recruit in 2022. Wucherer’s decision to commit to Minnesota has paid off for both her and the Gophers thus far.

“I have super lofty goals,” Wucherer said. “I want to play professionally overseas, and I want to play in the Olympics.”

Wucherer is patient and said she knows college can fly by in the blink of an eye. She said she comes into the gym every day knowing it is a moment to get better and applies every moment in the gym and practicing with the team to the game.

Wucherer’s breakout performance came on Sept. 17 when the Gophers took on Washington State. She had a career-high of 15 kills against the Cougars.

When asked how she goes about preparing for games, Wucherer said she is “not a superstitious person” and prepares by “warming up like I know I’m going to play.”

Despite her success, Wucherer is still a very young player and made her collegiate debut when Minnesota hosted Pepperdine in the 2022 Diet Coke Classic. She was out of play for the first part of the season due to an injury.

“It was definitely hard on me since I’ve never had a serious injury for the past 18 years of my life,” she said.

Wucherer managed to come in mid-season just before Big Ten matchups would start and throw down 13 kills in her first NCAA volleyball game.

“Being able to come back in such a big moment and just before the Big Ten season started was a huge deal for me,” Wucherer said. “Being able to contribute back to my teammates and coaches and [see] how much they have done for me while I was injured was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Wucherer had an early connection to the sport, making it clear why she has such a passion and drive for the game along with her work ethic on the court.

According to Wucherer, her mother and both of her sisters played volleyball, so she wanted to “continue the legacy.”

“When they started trying out, I was like, ‘Maybe I should just give this a shot,’” Wucherer said. “I didn’t really know what sports I liked back then, and volleyball was really the only sport I mainly played throughout my entire life.”

Wucherer’s passion for the game does not stop there. She made it clear how devoted and reliant she is on her teammates and coaches for her success.

“Being in it with my teammates all the time and trusting that we can be a really good team if we believe it is basically my biggest strategy,” Wucherer said.

Wucherer has proven herself to be a valuable asset to the team so far as they continue with their Big Ten matchups this season. Gopher fans can watch her at the next home game when they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Oct. 12 at Maturi Pavillion.

Sept 28. vs. Northwestern

After sweeping the defending NCAA champions at home, the Gophers went into Wednesday’s game confident and hungry for another win but ultimately fell short against Northwestern in five sets.

The evening kicked off with a four-point score run from Minnesota to give them an early lead. Blocks from Carter Booth and Melani Shaffmaster along with kills from Jenna Wenaas and Mckenna Wucherer put the Gophers on top at 10-7. The Wildcats took the lead after a 4-1 run at 18-16. Minnesota came close to tying the game at 24-22, but Northwestern would come out on top after Desiree Becker’s kill closed the first set 25-22.

Minnesota had a rough start in the second set. Two attack errors, a service error and two service aces for Northwestern gave the Wildcats the lead at 8-5. Following a timeout, the Gophers managed to lead at 11-8. Minnesota held onto the lead for the rest of the set, and Elise McGhie capped it off with her second ace of the match bringing the final set score to 25-21.

Minnesota was on fire at the start of set three, scoring six of the first seven points. The Gophers shut down a Northwestern run with two kills from Wenaas and one kill each from Booth and Wucherer, resulting in a 25-17 set three win.

Set four had both teams going back and forth, and the two teams split the first four points. After jumping out to an 18-13 lead, the Wildcats would run away with the lead and the win to take set four 25-20 forcing a fifth and final set.

The fifth set was a bumpy start for Minnesota, but they still led 7-6. After one final Minnesota timeout, it came down to the wire, and a kill from Hanna Lesiak led Northwestern to take the fifth set 15-13 and the match.

While the Gophers fell short, Wucherer hit double digit kills (16) for the fourth time in five games and McGhie hit a season high with two aces in one game.

Oct. 1 vs. Iowa

Maturi Pavillion was the place to be for Sunday afternoon volleyball between the Gophers and Iowa Hawkeyes.

After splitting the first ten points of the game, Minnesota went on a pivotal run, scoring six points highlighted by two kills from Wucherer and Wenaas, putting them up 20-13. From there Minnesota simply marched on to victory to take the first set 25-19.

After splitting the first 12 points of the second set, a block from Taylor Landfair tied the set at 13. A kill from Booth, a Shaffmaster ace and an Iowa hitting error finally gave Minnesota the lead again at 20-19. The Gophers narrowly ran away with the set at 25-22.

Set three began with Iowa jumping out to an 11-5 lead. After a mid-set Iowa timeout, the Gophers finished up a 7-0 run that was capped off by a kill from Naya Gros. The Hawkeyes were focused on winning the game, but the Gophers were not about to give up so easily, tying the game again at 23. The Hawkeyes, however, managed to take the win 26-24 and force a fourth set.

It was pretty clear from the start of the fourth set that the Gophers were not happy about set three, so they began with a 7-2 lead. The Hawkeyes started to fight back, but kills from Booth and Gros put the Gophers ahead 14-8. The Hawkeyes would get no closer than a seven-point margin the rest of the set, leading to a Gopher victory 25-17.

The Gopher’s win against Iowa is their 49th straight win in the series, and they are now 16-0 against the Hawkeyes under Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon.

The Gophers will travel east to Ann Arbor and East Lansing, Michigan next, where they will take on the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, Oct. 7 and the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday, Oct. 9.

Sept. 23: vs. No. 11 Purdue

Last Friday, the Gophers traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana for their first Big Ten Conference game of the season. They returned with a loss in three sets to the No. 11 ranked Purdue Boilermakers.

The first set of the game had the two teams splitting the first 12 points. After the Gophers jumped out to an 11-8 lead, Purdue responded with a 7-0 scoring run to take the lead over the Gophers 15-11.

After a pair of blocks from Carter Booth, a Freshman middle blocker for the Gophers, Minnesota came within five points of Purdue at 23-18, but ultimately Purdue would come out on top in the first set with a score of 25-18.

The Boilermakers took an early lead in set two by scoring four of the first six points. Minnesota responded with a 9-2 scoring run, highlighting kills from senior Ellie Husemann and blocks from Booth and junior Melani Shaffmaster. Following a timeout, Purdue was on fire, going on a 10-5 scoring run. Purdue would eventually come out on top with a final set score of 25-23.

Right away, it was clear set three was going to be a battle for both teams as neither was able to come within one point of the other until Purdue jumped out 11-9.

The battle continued as the set quickly evened at 19. A pair of big kills from Gopher Mckenna Wucherer and a Purdue attack error would tie the game at 22. The two teams would go back and forth until a kill from Raven Colvin closed it for Purdue, taking the set, the match and the sweep.

Wucherer stood out among the Gophers as she reached double digits in kills for the third consecutive time to start her collegiate volleyball career. She led the Gophers in kills in the first set (4) and is proving to be a promising addition to the Gophers Volleyball team.

Sept. 25: vs. No. 6 Wisconsin

The Golden Gophers traveled back home to take on their rivals and defending NCAA champion the Wisconsin Badgers.

After early kills from Wucherer, Taylor Landfair, and blocks from Jenna Wenaas and Husemann, Minnesota jumped out to a 4-1 lead in set one. Wisconsin answered, tying the set at 10.
Following a late-set timeout, blocks from Wucherer and Husemann, a Wisconsin service error and an ace from Rachel Kilkelly pulled the Gophers to win the first set, 25-21.

Set two began a little bit more intense with both teams splitting the first eight points. The Gophers quickly gained momentum and used that to their advantage, leading 16-11, causing a Badger timeout and eventually costing them the victory. The Gophers closed out the set at 25-16.

The third set of gameplay was a dog fight to the very end for both teams. After splitting the first 12 points of the game, Minnesota took the first edge leading 9-7. The Badgers responded, causing Minnesota to call a timeout, following a mid-set 5-2 Badger run that put the Badgers ahead 19-15.

The tension was high in the building and after a back and forth rally, Shaffmaster threw down a kill on an overpass to take the set and match for Minnesota in what seemed like a fairytale 29-27 finish.

The last time Minnesota swept Wisconsin was Sept. 26, 2018. The Gophers remain 11-0 in Big Ten home openers at Maturi Pavilion under head coach Hugh McCutcheon and broke a six-game losing streak against Wisconsin.