Kids ages 6 through 18 got personal golf lessons from Gophers sophomore Reese McCauley and senior Isabella McCauley as a part of Bank of America’s “Golf with Us” program on July 22.

Former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph joined the McCauley sisters and helped teach the kids about having fun with golf, rather than the technical skills that the McCauley sisters could show them.

“I’m going to teach you how to have fun, how to hit it as far as you possibly can,” Rudolph said. “I’m going to teach you what the game of golf can do for all of you, whether you wanna be a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse or a professional athlete.”

Rudolph added that golf can be an inaccessible sport, so his participation in the program was to help bridge that gap.

Golf became a younger generation’s sport after the COVID-19 pandemic, with the majority of players now being Gen Z, according to the National Golf Foundation. However, money is the largest obstacle for younger golfers.

Bank of America’s “Golf with Us” program partnered with Youth on Course for the event. The program allows kids to access over 2,000 golf courses for only $5. 

The program has been very successful in Minnesota, with over 3,600 kids enrolled since April.

Isabella McCauley said that she has been playing golf since she was 6 years old, and it has been fundamental in her life when building relationships.

“It’s not always like a team dynamic, but it’s different in the sense that when you’re out playing golf, you can be talking with your competitors or with your partners,” Isabella said. “And it’s really cool because you can just really build friendships.”

All three athletes said golf can be more than just skill building, and for young people, there are many life lessons to be learned while competing.

Reese said the most important thing she learned from golf was learning to deal with not winning.

“Golf is a very humbling sport,” McCauley said. “It is like a lot of sports because you know you are not gonna win every tournament, you are not gonna hit every good shot well.” 

The McCauley sisters had plenty of golfing expertise to share with the young golfers. Both received state championship titles, and each earned the title of Ms. Minnesota Golf in high school. 

Isabella made NCAA Regionals for the third time in three years, but was unable to qualify for the NCAA Championship. She said she hopes to change that in her senior season.

The Gophers women’s golf team will start its season right as the semester begins, playing its first and only tournament at home, Sept. 7-10.

The Gophers women’s volleyball team welcomes four incoming freshmen and two transfer students to their 2025-26 team. 

Freshmen Kelly Kinney and Jordan Taylor prepped for the upcoming season by competing against the best volleyball players in their age class internationally under their future head coach.

The International Volleyball Federation runs the Volleyball World Championships biennially with three categories: the under-17 age group, under-19 and under-21. The best volleyball players of each country first compete against one another for a roster spot and then are sent to compete against the best of each country.

After serving as an assistant coach last year, Gophers head coach Keegan Cook was selected to coach the United States’ U19 women’s volleyball team for the first time this year.

The U.S. team fell short to Bulgaria, but earned a silver medal. 

Although it was upsetting for the U.S. team not to take gold for the second year in a row, Kinney noted that the Bulgarian team had competed together for much longer than the U.S. team, who only had a week to prepare before competing.

Kinney played for the U19 team last year and grew her relationship with Cook and the Minnesota staff. She wanted to keep her college options open, but knew the University of Minnesota was the right decision soon after the recruitment process started.

“One of the phone calls I had with the staff, my mom ended up with tears in her eyes,” Kinney said in an interview with Gopher Sports. “I just knew it was the right decision.”

Though Kinney and Taylor both come from the South, they were both excited to leave their home states and enjoy the winter here.

Cook led the Gophers to a 21-11 finish last year and 13-7 in conference play. They lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but look to go further this year.

The Big Ten hosts some of the most competitive women’s volleyball teams. Cook said in an interview with B1G Today that the expansion and added travel can be more taxing for the players. 

“I was not too pleased with our overall record against those four West Coast schools,” Cook said. “Certainly, we would like to change that narrative this year.”

Cook added that the power of the Minnesota team is going to shift this year. They lost some incredibly talented seniors who made them special in terms of serving, blocking and transition, and now, they are adjusting to the shift.

“It is a full kind of reset of the offense here,” Cook said. “You might see more variety. You will certainly see a better receiving team.”

Though Cook said that they had a good defensive team last year, they need to work on their sideouts to be great. A sideout is when the receiving team wins a rally and earns the right to take over serving the ball.

It was Taylor’s first time competing for the U.S. in volleyball, but she quickly stepped into a starting role and, as a blocker, was top five in the tournament.

Taylor said that blocking is her specialty and her favorite way to contribute.

“Skill-wise, blocking is my favorite part of the game,” Taylor said. “Shutting down an opponent with a big block is what I thrive on. It’s such a momentum-changer for the team when I can come up with a block for my team.”

The turnaround is quick for Kinney and Taylor as they start training camp next week, but they said it is nothing unusual compared to their typical club season.The Gophers women’s volleyball team has its first official match August 25 against Texas A&M.

The Gophers women’s volleyball team welcomes four incoming freshmen and two transfer students to their 2025-26 team. 

Freshmen Kelly Kinney and Jordan Taylor prepped for the upcoming season by competing against the best volleyball players in their age class internationally under their future head coach.

The International Volleyball Federation runs the Volleyball World Championships biennially with three categories: the under-17 age group, under-19 and under-21. The best volleyball players of each country first compete against one another for a roster spot and then are sent to compete against the best of each country.

After serving as an assistant coach last year, Gophers head coach Keegan Cook was selected to coach the United States’ U19 women’s volleyball team for the first time this year.

The U.S. team fell short to Bulgaria, but earned a silver medal. 

Although it was upsetting for the U.S. team not to take gold for the second year in a row, Kinney noted that the Bulgarian team had competed together for much longer than the U.S. team, who only had a week to prepare before competing.

Kinney played for the U19 team last year and grew her relationship with Cook and the Minnesota staff. She wanted to keep her college options open, but knew the University of Minnesota was the right decision soon after the recruitment process started.

“One of the phone calls I had with the staff, my mom ended up with tears in her eyes,” Kinney said in an interview with Gopher Sports. “I just knew it was the right decision.”

Though Kinney and Taylor both come from the South, they were both excited to leave their home states and enjoy the winter here.

Cook led the Gophers to a 21-11 finish last year and 13-7 in conference play. They lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but look to go further this year.

The Big Ten hosts some of the most competitive women’s volleyball teams. Cook said in an interview with B1G Today that the expansion and added travel can be more taxing for the players. 

“I was not too pleased with our overall record against those four West Coast schools,” Cook said. “Certainly, we would like to change that narrative this year.”

Cook added that the power of the Minnesota team is going to shift this year. They lost some incredibly talented seniors who made them special in terms of serving, blocking and transition, and now, they are adjusting to the shift.

“It is a full kind of reset of the offense here,” Cook said. “You might see more variety. You will certainly see a better receiving team.”

Though Cook said that they had a good defensive team last year, they need to work on their sideouts to be great. A sideout is when the receiving team wins a rally and earns the right to take over serving the ball.

It was Taylor’s first time competing for the U.S. in volleyball, but she quickly stepped into a starting role and, as a blocker, was top five in the tournament.

Taylor said that blocking is her specialty and her favorite way to contribute.

“Skill-wise, blocking is my favorite part of the game,” Taylor said. “Shutting down an opponent with a big block is what I thrive on. It’s such a momentum-changer for the team when I can come up with a block for my team.”

The turnaround is quick for Kinney and Taylor as they start training camp next week, but they said it is nothing unusual compared to their typical club season.The Gophers women’s volleyball team has its first official match August 25 against Texas A&M.

The Gophers women’s volleyball team welcomes four incoming freshmen and two transfer students to their 2025-26 team. 

Freshmen Kelly Kinney and Jordan Taylor prepped for the upcoming season by competing against the best volleyball players in their age class internationally under their future head coach.

The International Volleyball Federation runs the Volleyball World Championships biennially with three categories: the under-17 age group, under-19 and under-21. The best volleyball players of each country first compete against one another for a roster spot and then are sent to compete against the best of each country.

After serving as an assistant coach last year, Gophers head coach Keegan Cook was selected to coach the United States’ U19 women’s volleyball team for the first time this year.

The U.S. team fell short to Bulgaria, but earned a silver medal. 

Although it was upsetting for the U.S. team not to take gold for the second year in a row, Kinney noted that the Bulgarian team had competed together for much longer than the U.S. team, who only had a week to prepare before competing.

Kinney played for the U19 team last year and grew her relationship with Cook and the Minnesota staff. She wanted to keep her college options open, but knew the University of Minnesota was the right decision soon after the recruitment process started.

“One of the phone calls I had with the staff, my mom ended up with tears in her eyes,” Kinney said in an interview with Gopher Sports. “I just knew it was the right decision.”

Though Kinney and Taylor both come from the South, they were both excited to leave their home states and enjoy the winter here.

Cook led the Gophers to a 21-11 finish last year and 13-7 in conference play. They lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but look to go further this year.

The Big Ten hosts some of the most competitive women’s volleyball teams. Cook said in an interview with B1G Today that the expansion and added travel can be more taxing for the players. 

“I was not too pleased with our overall record against those four West Coast schools,” Cook said. “Certainly, we would like to change that narrative this year.”

Cook added that the power of the Minnesota team is going to shift this year. They lost some incredibly talented seniors who made them special in terms of serving, blocking and transition, and now, they are adjusting to the shift.

“It is a full kind of reset of the offense here,” Cook said. “You might see more variety. You will certainly see a better receiving team.”

Though Cook said that they had a good defensive team last year, they need to work on their sideouts to be great. A sideout is when the receiving team wins a rally and earns the right to take over serving the ball.

It was Taylor’s first time competing for the U.S. in volleyball, but she quickly stepped into a starting role and, as a blocker, was top five in the tournament.

Taylor said that blocking is her specialty and her favorite way to contribute.

“Skill-wise, blocking is my favorite part of the game,” Taylor said. “Shutting down an opponent with a big block is what I thrive on. It’s such a momentum-changer for the team when I can come up with a block for my team.”

The turnaround is quick for Kinney and Taylor as they start training camp next week, but they said it is nothing unusual compared to their typical club season.The Gophers women’s volleyball team has its first official match August 25 against Texas A&M.

The Gophers women’s volleyball team welcomes four incoming freshmen and two transfer students to their 2025-26 team. 

Freshmen Kelly Kinney and Jordan Taylor prepped for the upcoming season by competing against the best volleyball players in their age class internationally under their future head coach.

The International Volleyball Federation runs the Volleyball World Championships biennially with three categories: the under-17 age group, under-19 and under-21. The best volleyball players of each country first compete against one another for a roster spot and then are sent to compete against the best of each country.

After serving as an assistant coach last year, Gophers head coach Keegan Cook was selected to coach the United States’ U19 women’s volleyball team for the first time this year.

The U.S. team fell short to Bulgaria, but earned a silver medal. 

Although it was upsetting for the U.S. team not to take gold for the second year in a row, Kinney noted that the Bulgarian team had competed together for much longer than the U.S. team, who only had a week to prepare before competing.

Kinney played for the U19 team last year and grew her relationship with Cook and the Minnesota staff. She wanted to keep her college options open, but knew the University of Minnesota was the right decision soon after the recruitment process started.

“One of the phone calls I had with the staff, my mom ended up with tears in her eyes,” Kinney said in an interview with Gopher Sports. “I just knew it was the right decision.”

Though Kinney and Taylor both come from the South, they were both excited to leave their home states and enjoy the winter here.

Cook led the Gophers to a 21-11 finish last year and 13-7 in conference play. They lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but look to go further this year.

The Big Ten hosts some of the most competitive women’s volleyball teams. Cook said in an interview with B1G Today that the expansion and added travel can be more taxing for the players. 

“I was not too pleased with our overall record against those four West Coast schools,” Cook said. “Certainly, we would like to change that narrative this year.”

Cook added that the power of the Minnesota team is going to shift this year. They lost some incredibly talented seniors who made them special in terms of serving, blocking and transition, and now, they are adjusting to the shift.

“It is a full kind of reset of the offense here,” Cook said. “You might see more variety. You will certainly see a better receiving team.”

Though Cook said that they had a good defensive team last year, they need to work on their sideouts to be great. A sideout is when the receiving team wins a rally and earns the right to take over serving the ball.

It was Taylor’s first time competing for the U.S. in volleyball, but she quickly stepped into a starting role and, as a blocker, was top five in the tournament.

Taylor said that blocking is her specialty and her favorite way to contribute.

“Skill-wise, blocking is my favorite part of the game,” Taylor said. “Shutting down an opponent with a big block is what I thrive on. It’s such a momentum-changer for the team when I can come up with a block for my team.”

The turnaround is quick for Kinney and Taylor as they start training camp next week, but they said it is nothing unusual compared to their typical club season.The Gophers women’s volleyball team has its first official match August 25 against Texas A&M.

The Gophers women’s volleyball team welcomes four incoming freshmen and two transfer students to their 2025-26 team. 

Freshmen Kelly Kinney and Jordan Taylor prepped for the upcoming season by competing against the best volleyball players in their age class internationally under their future head coach.

The International Volleyball Federation runs the Volleyball World Championships biennially with three categories: the under-17 age group, under-19 and under-21. The best volleyball players of each country first compete against one another for a roster spot and then are sent to compete against the best of each country.

After serving as an assistant coach last year, Gophers head coach Keegan Cook was selected to coach the United States’ U19 women’s volleyball team for the first time this year.

The U.S. team fell short to Bulgaria, but earned a silver medal. 

Although it was upsetting for the U.S. team not to take gold for the second year in a row, Kinney noted that the Bulgarian team had competed together for much longer than the U.S. team, who only had a week to prepare before competing.

Kinney played for the U19 team last year and grew her relationship with Cook and the Minnesota staff. She wanted to keep her college options open, but knew the University of Minnesota was the right decision soon after the recruitment process started.

“One of the phone calls I had with the staff, my mom ended up with tears in her eyes,” Kinney said in an interview with Gopher Sports. “I just knew it was the right decision.”

Though Kinney and Taylor both come from the South, they were both excited to leave their home states and enjoy the winter here.

Cook led the Gophers to a 21-11 finish last year and 13-7 in conference play. They lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but look to go further this year.

The Big Ten hosts some of the most competitive women’s volleyball teams. Cook said in an interview with B1G Today that the expansion and added travel can be more taxing for the players. 

“I was not too pleased with our overall record against those four West Coast schools,” Cook said. “Certainly, we would like to change that narrative this year.”

Cook added that the power of the Minnesota team is going to shift this year. They lost some incredibly talented seniors who made them special in terms of serving, blocking and transition, and now, they are adjusting to the shift.

“It is a full kind of reset of the offense here,” Cook said. “You might see more variety. You will certainly see a better receiving team.”

Though Cook said that they had a good defensive team last year, they need to work on their sideouts to be great. A sideout is when the receiving team wins a rally and earns the right to take over serving the ball.

It was Taylor’s first time competing for the U.S. in volleyball, but she quickly stepped into a starting role and, as a blocker, was top five in the tournament.

Taylor said that blocking is her specialty and her favorite way to contribute.

“Skill-wise, blocking is my favorite part of the game,” Taylor said. “Shutting down an opponent with a big block is what I thrive on. It’s such a momentum-changer for the team when I can come up with a block for my team.”

The turnaround is quick for Kinney and Taylor as they start training camp next week, but they said it is nothing unusual compared to their typical club season.The Gophers women’s volleyball team has its first official match August 25 against Texas A&M.

The Gophers women’s basketball team added two new sisters for the upcoming season, graduate student Tracey Bershers and incoming freshman Zoey Bershers.

The pair is ready to bring their talent to the Gophers, find their place and compete on the women’s basketball team.

Due to the starting five being all returners, the two will have to work hard to gain some serious minutes. Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said in a recent interview with KMSP that all of the recruits are doing just that.

“We have five newcomers who I think are doing a great job of not taking a back seat and trying to challenge and prove their ability to help us grow,” Plitzuweit said.

This is Tracey’s final year of eligibility. She comes as a transfer student from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 

The two sisters were born and raised in Arkansas. Although basketball was not their favorite sport growing up, being raised in a basketball-centered household made their love for the sport grow.

Their older sister, Sara Bershers, plays for UAB and played with Tracey for the past three years. Their father was their coach growing up, until they hit high school.

Zoey was the No. 3-ranked player in high school in the state of Arkansas. The 6-foot-3-inch center was the No. 1-ranked post player.

It is graduate student and center Sophie Hart’s final year with the Gophers, and the addition of another center will add necessary depth to the bench. 

The two are still adjusting to the Gophers’ system and Minnesota, but Zoey said she is excited for the upcoming season and happy to have Tracey for support.

“It’s been a big difference coming from high school,” Zoey said. “It’s different in a lot of ways that I wouldn’t have thought. It’s been a huge thing having Tracey here.”

Tracey affirmed her sister’s perspective, but due to it being her last year, she just wants to make it the best possible one.

“I think just with it being my last year, I’m trying to make the most out of it and enjoy it as much as I can,” Tracey said. “Just be able to help the team in any way I can.”

Both sisters are post players, and Tracey has been using her previous collegiate experience to help guide her sister to success.

Tracey was not initially expecting to sign in Minnesota, but is happy to be playing with family once again and the family-like way the Gophers women’s basketball team is run.

“Choosing Minnesota was bigger than just basketball,” Tracey said. “From day one, the coaches made me feel like family, and I truly believe in the vision they have for me and this program.” 

Tracey added that there’s no better place for her to grow, compete, and be part of something special.

The Gophers women’s basketball team added two new sisters for the upcoming season, graduate student Tracey Bershers and incoming freshman Zoey Bershers.

The pair is ready to bring their talent to the Gophers, find their place and compete on the women’s basketball team.

Due to the starting five being all returners, the two will have to work hard to gain some serious minutes. Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said in a recent interview with KMSP that all of the recruits are doing just that.

“We have five newcomers who I think are doing a great job of not taking a back seat and trying to challenge and prove their ability to help us grow,” Plitzuweit said.

This is Tracey’s final year of eligibility. She comes as a transfer student from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 

The two sisters were born and raised in Arkansas. Although basketball was not their favorite sport growing up, being raised in a basketball-centered household made their love for the sport grow.

Their older sister, Sara Bershers, plays for UAB and played with Tracey for the past three years. Their father was their coach growing up, until they hit high school.

Zoey was the No. 3-ranked player in high school in the state of Arkansas. The 6-foot-3-inch center was the No. 1-ranked post player.

It is graduate student and center Sophie Hart’s final year with the Gophers, and the addition of another center will add necessary depth to the bench. 

The two are still adjusting to the Gophers’ system and Minnesota, but Zoey said she is excited for the upcoming season and happy to have Tracey for support.

“It’s been a big difference coming from high school,” Zoey said. “It’s different in a lot of ways that I wouldn’t have thought. It’s been a huge thing having Tracey here.”

Tracey affirmed her sister’s perspective, but due to it being her last year, she just wants to make it the best possible one.

“I think just with it being my last year, I’m trying to make the most out of it and enjoy it as much as I can,” Tracey said. “Just be able to help the team in any way I can.”

Both sisters are post players, and Tracey has been using her previous collegiate experience to help guide her sister to success.

Tracey was not initially expecting to sign in Minnesota, but is happy to be playing with family once again and the family-like way the Gophers women’s basketball team is run.

“Choosing Minnesota was bigger than just basketball,” Tracey said. “From day one, the coaches made me feel like family, and I truly believe in the vision they have for me and this program.” 

Tracey added that there’s no better place for her to grow, compete, and be part of something special.

The Gophers women’s basketball team added two new sisters for the upcoming season, graduate student Tracey Bershers and incoming freshman Zoey Bershers.

The pair is ready to bring their talent to the Gophers, find their place and compete on the women’s basketball team.

Due to the starting five being all returners, the two will have to work hard to gain some serious minutes. Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said in a recent interview with KMSP that all of the recruits are doing just that.

“We have five newcomers who I think are doing a great job of not taking a back seat and trying to challenge and prove their ability to help us grow,” Plitzuweit said.

This is Tracey’s final year of eligibility. She comes as a transfer student from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 

The two sisters were born and raised in Arkansas. Although basketball was not their favorite sport growing up, being raised in a basketball-centered household made their love for the sport grow.

Their older sister, Sara Bershers, plays for UAB and played with Tracey for the past three years. Their father was their coach growing up, until they hit high school.

Zoey was the No. 3-ranked player in high school in the state of Arkansas. The 6-foot-3-inch center was the No. 1-ranked post player.

It is graduate student and center Sophie Hart’s final year with the Gophers, and the addition of another center will add necessary depth to the bench. 

The two are still adjusting to the Gophers’ system and Minnesota, but Zoey said she is excited for the upcoming season and happy to have Tracey for support.

“It’s been a big difference coming from high school,” Zoey said. “It’s different in a lot of ways that I wouldn’t have thought. It’s been a huge thing having Tracey here.”

Tracey affirmed her sister’s perspective, but due to it being her last year, she just wants to make it the best possible one.

“I think just with it being my last year, I’m trying to make the most out of it and enjoy it as much as I can,” Tracey said. “Just be able to help the team in any way I can.”

Both sisters are post players, and Tracey has been using her previous collegiate experience to help guide her sister to success.

Tracey was not initially expecting to sign in Minnesota, but is happy to be playing with family once again and the family-like way the Gophers women’s basketball team is run.

“Choosing Minnesota was bigger than just basketball,” Tracey said. “From day one, the coaches made me feel like family, and I truly believe in the vision they have for me and this program.” 

Tracey added that there’s no better place for her to grow, compete, and be part of something special.

The Gophers women’s basketball team added two new sisters for the upcoming season, graduate student Tracey Bershers and incoming freshman Zoey Bershers.

The pair is ready to bring their talent to the Gophers, find their place and compete on the women’s basketball team.

Due to the starting five being all returners, the two will have to work hard to gain some serious minutes. Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said in a recent interview with KMSP that all of the recruits are doing just that.

“We have five newcomers who I think are doing a great job of not taking a back seat and trying to challenge and prove their ability to help us grow,” Plitzuweit said.

This is Tracey’s final year of eligibility. She comes as a transfer student from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 

The two sisters were born and raised in Arkansas. Although basketball was not their favorite sport growing up, being raised in a basketball-centered household made their love for the sport grow.

Their older sister, Sara Bershers, plays for UAB and played with Tracey for the past three years. Their father was their coach growing up, until they hit high school.

Zoey was the No. 3-ranked player in high school in the state of Arkansas. The 6-foot-3-inch center was the No. 1-ranked post player.

It is graduate student and center Sophie Hart’s final year with the Gophers, and the addition of another center will add necessary depth to the bench. 

The two are still adjusting to the Gophers’ system and Minnesota, but Zoey said she is excited for the upcoming season and happy to have Tracey for support.

“It’s been a big difference coming from high school,” Zoey said. “It’s different in a lot of ways that I wouldn’t have thought. It’s been a huge thing having Tracey here.”

Tracey affirmed her sister’s perspective, but due to it being her last year, she just wants to make it the best possible one.

“I think just with it being my last year, I’m trying to make the most out of it and enjoy it as much as I can,” Tracey said. “Just be able to help the team in any way I can.”

Both sisters are post players, and Tracey has been using her previous collegiate experience to help guide her sister to success.

Tracey was not initially expecting to sign in Minnesota, but is happy to be playing with family once again and the family-like way the Gophers women’s basketball team is run.

“Choosing Minnesota was bigger than just basketball,” Tracey said. “From day one, the coaches made me feel like family, and I truly believe in the vision they have for me and this program.” 

Tracey added that there’s no better place for her to grow, compete, and be part of something special.