The Gophers volleyball team is getting an influx of talent for next season, as it looks to remain among the nation's top teams even without four-time All-America Stephanie Samedy.
Gophers volleyball team adds two transfers: Arica Davis (from Ohio State) and Elise McGhie (Kansas)
Coach Hugh McCutcheon is adding pieces to a team that reached the Elite Eight last season.
January 22, 2022 at 6:14AM
On Friday, the Gophers announced the additions of two transfers: Arica Davis (from Ohio State) and Elise McGhie (from Kansas). Each has three years of eligibility remaining, including the extra one the NCAA granted its athletes in 2020-21 because of the pandemic.
Davis is a 5-11 middle blocker out of Hillsborough, N.C., who was rated as a top 50 high school recruit nationally by multiple recruiting services. She played in 33 matches as a freshman this season and helped lead Ohio State to the Sweet 16.
"Arica is a talented middle blocker with a proven history of success," Gophers coach Hugh McCutcheon said in the news release. "She will add some great depth and experience to our program."
McGhie is a 5-10 setter out of St. Teresa's Academy in Kansas City, Mo. She played two seasons at Kansas and helped the Jayhawks reach the Sweet 16 this past year. She recorded 40-or-more assists five times as a freshman and three times this past fall.
"Elise is a great setter who is strong in all phases of the game," McCutcheon said in the news release. "She's a wonderful addition to our program."
The Gophers began practice again this week, as spring semester began. They have eight players back from last year's team that reached the NCAA Elite Eight before losing to Wisconsin.
The incoming recruiting class includes Mckenna Wucherer (Brookfield, Wis.), the No. 1 rated recruit nationally in the 2022 class. It's another top-10 class for Minnesota that includes Carter Booth (Denver) and Julia Hanson (Prior Lake).
The Gophers will lose senior setter Melani Shaffmaster, but they don’t expect players to leave via the transfer portal.
