Gophers volleyball keeps soaring despite a brutally tough schedule

As a high school junior in Texas, Jenna Wenaas saw the Gophers volleyball team for the first time when she attended a match at the University of Texas in 2019.

Wenaas didn't know much about Gophers coach Hugh McCutcheon's program then, but that match would be a sign of things to come once she joined him a couple of years later.

Scheduling tough nonconference opponents has been a staple for McCutcheon and many of the Big Ten's elite volleyball programs. They're eager to prepare themselves for the grind of conference play — and for advancing deep into the NCAA tournament.

"Coming here I knew they would play big names all the time, even outside of the Big Ten," said Wenaas, a junior outside hitter. "I was expecting that. That's part of the reason why I wanted to come here."

The No. 3-ranked Gophers (3-1) lead the Big Ten with six ranked opponents on their non-league schedule this year, giving them the No. 2 strength of schedule in the country, according to masseyratings.com.

Fresh off their home-opening win vs. No. 13 Florida, the Gophers host back-to-back top 25 opponents with No. 18 Oregon and No. 11 Stanford on Friday and Saturday in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge at Maturi Pavilion. They'll play a fifth straight ranked opponent against No. 24 Pepperdine on Sept. 15 at home.

"We know what we're in for," McCutcheon said. "I'd rather find out our inefficiencies in September than waiting until October when it's too late. We're learning. It's been great, and I really commend the group. They've done a phenomenal job managing the schedule and the load."

Last year, the Gophers opened the season 1-3 against a brutal schedule but bounced back to win six consecutive matches, including vs. Stanford and Oregon in Eugene, Ore.

No. 1 Texas defeated the Gophers in four sets in Austin last week, but that challenge helped McCutcheon's squad regroup to defeat the Gators in a Labor Day weekend clash in front of a packed crowd at the Pav on Sunday.

The Big Ten currently has seven ranked teams, including five in the top 10 (No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Minnesota, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 8 Ohio State and No. 9 Purdue).

Nebraska beat No. 17 Creighton on Wednesday in front of an NCAA record-setting crowd in Omaha. Ohio State, which has the toughest schedule in the nation, lost to Texas twice this year, but the Buckeyes have the Big Ten's best win so far, vs. No. 4 Louisville.

Purdue, which hosts the Gophers in the Big Ten opener on Sept. 23, is the only ranked Big Ten team that hasn't played a top 25 opponent yet, but the Boilermakers will see where they stand Friday at Louisville.

Penn State, ranked 20th, comes to Minneapolis this week putting its 6-0 record to the test against Stanford and Oregon at the Pav.

The Gophers end their nonconference schedule at home. But they had their longest road trip to begin the season under McCutcheon. It was an opportunity for extensive team building on and off the court during a three-match road trip in Texas last month.

Michigan State transfer Naya Gros played sparingly in the first few matches this season, but she was ready to make an impact with five kills and four blocks in Sunday's home win against Florida.

The 6-3 senior middle blocker had never played anything close to the type of high-level nonconference matches she has with the Gophers this year.

"We never had a schedule like this," Gros said about her four years with the Spartans. "As far as playing so many top 25 teams in the nation [before Big Ten play], we had very few games like that. It's definitely an eye-opening experience to compete in the preseason against the best schools. The Big Ten is a beast in itself."

A year ago, Wenaas used marquee nonleague victories against Oregon and Stanford to prove she could have a bigger role with the Gophers. She's looking forward to watching her teammates grow from facing them again early this year.

"I definitely think those Stanford and Oregon matches last year were a big confidence boost," Wenaas said. "They are good teams and I was able to do well."

Most nonconference ranked opponents for Big Ten teams in 2022

6 — Gophers

5 — Ohio State

4 — Wisconsin and Nebraska

3 — Illinois