Reusse: Gophers volleyball team resets with legacy setter Stella Swenson in the middle of matters

The Gophers were starting the stretch drive of the Big Ten volleyball schedule last November with a visit from Washington. That is the school from which coach Keegan Cook had arrived as Hugh McCutcheon’s replacement in December 2022.

This was the first time facing the Huskies as a conference opponent, which gave an added edge to the evening for Cook — although he does not seem the type to allow self-serving emotions to become part of any story.

Maturi Pavilion was far from full that night, and as the match progressed, the crowd’s volume went down to an easy-listening level. In the end, the Gophers lost in four sets, allowing 13 service aces and committing 11 service errors.

They played OK after that, made the annual appearance in the NCAA tournament and lost in the second round to Kentucky on its home court.

Five seniors actually were out of eligibility — not easy to accomplish for the COVID-19 generation of college athletes — and Cook was looking at a significant remake of the roster. Which wasn’t all bad, since Year 3 would be a fine time for a reset.

Gone would be “the guy who replaced Hugh.” In would be, “This is Keegan Cook’s team.”

The uncertainties in reinvigorating a collegiate sports program today are greater than anything faced by McCutcheon in his tremendous run; perhaps even as great as what Mike Hebert faced in turning the Gophers into a national contender.

For now, Cook seems to have the reset in motion, with a four-person recruiting class — including 6-foot-5 Jordan Taylor, enrolled and practicing, and 6-2 Kelly Kinney, arriving early this summer from West Palm Beach, Fla.

Highly rated national recruits — and there’s also important change taking place at setter, where departed Melani Shaffmaster is being replaced by redshirt freshman Stella Swenson. Yeah, she’s the twin sister who obviously was driven to be a setter by watching her older sister, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, become a four-time All-American (twice on the first team, twice on the second team) for the Gophers from 2015 to 2018, when The Pav was full and rocking for most every Big Ten match.

That was it, right — sister Sam’s success?

“Funny enough, it wasn’t Samantha’s influence that led me to be a setter,” Stella said last week at spring practice. “I remember the first day I played volleyball — I was 8, I got on my team and asked, ‘Which player touches the ball most?’ The answer was ‘setter.’ And I was a setter from then on out."

Stella’s twin, Olivia, is about an inch taller — at 6-3 — and is also a redshirt freshman as an outside hitter. She will be trying to get playing time with a group of excellent veterans.

And she definitely has the personality to be the volleyball version of a quarterback.

Zeynep Palabiyik, a junior and the projected No. 1 libero, was asked about her hopes for the 2025 club and said: “We have three outstanding freshmen, and Kelly [Kinney] will be here soon. We lost five important seniors, including Melani … but Stella is a great addition. She was redshirted last season, but don’t question her based on that.

“Stella’s so talented. She’s made to be a setter.”

Palabiyik, a 5-4 defender from Istanbul, laughed and then said: “She has the genes.”

The Swenson twins were major recruits. Stella was asked how she handled not getting in matches as a redshirt last fall.

“Plus, working with Melani all season in practice was amazing. She put all her knowledge on me. And she knows the game more than almost anybody in the country.”

Sister Samantha is married to Eric Loeppky, a Canadian volleyball player. He plays professionally in Italy, and the family — including son Luca, 3, and daughter Rosie, 1 — lives there during the season.

“Olivia and I visited them in Italy in January,” Stella said. “That was a fun time.”

And so is this: after one year of studying, now closing in on a chance to set for the Gophers.

So, how’s this 6-5 Taylor?