15 club volleyball tryout tips from a Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee and elite club coach who's helped hundreds of athletes navigate tryouts successfully.15 club volleyball tryout tips from a Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee and elite club coach who's helped hundreds of athletes navigate tryouts successfully.

If your athlete struggles with consistent serve receive, gets subbed out, or is overlooked for playing timeโ€”this is the fix youโ€™ve been looking for.

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Struggling with passing consistency?

I help talented passers tired of getting pulled from games because of inconsistent serve receive skills  BUILD passing confidence without expensive private lessons using the same 3-step system that's helped dozens of my athletes get recruited.

Download my eBook for $7.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the courtโ€”and gets you seen by college coaches.

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The Minnesota Volleyball Schedule Player Comments and Coach Quotes

Minnesota Volleyball Schedule 2023, Melani Shaffmaster and Taylor Landfair Player Comments and Coach Keegan Cook Quotes from the Big Ten Media Days event.


 The Minnesota volleyball schedule,

  • on new head coach Keegan Cook's expectations
  • on Taylor Landfair's expectations for the season
  • the impact of the transfers on the team
  • on Melani's and Taylor's leadership roles on the team

are topics discussed by Minnesota Coach Keegan Cook and players Melani Shaffmaster and Taylor Landfair during the second annual Big Ten Volleyball Media Day event on August 1-2, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois at the Big Ten Network.






Minnesota Volleyball Schedule 2023, Melani Shaffmaster and Taylor Landfair Player Comments and Coach Keegan Cook Quotes from the Big Ten Media Days event.




The Minnesota Volleyball Schedule 2023 and Coach Keegan Cook's expectations for the season



Q. Coach, when making the move and kind of setting everything up for Big Ten volleyball, what was one thing that you didn't expect at all that has now put on your plate that's different from being a Pac-12 coach that's now a Big Ten coach?

KEEGAN COOK: Interesting. Yeah, Kelly Sheffield's phone calls all the time. No, I think that was part of my AVCA role. There was just a real sense of wanting to grow the sport nationally and a real responsibility for that and a real interest from all the coaches.

So they're great competitors in the fall, but in the spring most of the conversation is about how do we take this game to the next level and what can we do for our players to have a larger stage for them.

I don't know that I saw that coming necessarily but have enjoyed being part of those discussions.


Q. Coach, what is your mentality entering your first season when you step into a team that does have high expectations, that does want to win a National Championship, and how much do you embrace walking into that environment for your first year?

KEEGAN COOK: Yeah, the first thing I would say we talk a lot about aspirations versus expectations. It's something that we're trying to get in place culturally, that aspirations are within you and they're things you dream about, expectations are about other people.

The other analogy I've been giving people lately is it's kind of like scuba diving. You're down at 100 meters and there's thousands of pounds of pressure around you but you feel it on all sides; and for some reason, when you're down there, it just feels normal.

So I think for all of us it's gotten to that point where it feels normal. It's been a long descent down to this deep end here of volleyball, and the trouble is if you come up too fast, which we don't plan to do.

So I'm excited to be with this group of young people for multiple years. That was one thing that I'm really happy about. It's not just a one-year transaction. We're going to have at least two years with every player on this roster, except for Kylie, which I'm bummed about, but she was a nice surprise here joining the program.



Melani Shaffmaster and Taylor Landfair Player Comments and Coach Keegan Cook Quotes on the Minnesota Volleyball Schedule 2023 and their roles as leaders on the team


Q. Melani and Taylor, describe the transition to a new coaching staff, and what role have you guys played as leaders on the team to make this as seamless as possible?

TAYLOR LANDFAIR: I think Keegan has done a really good job of helping me become a better leader and understanding what a good leader looks like for my own personality because I do have my own personality and I need to understand what ways leading works best for me.

I think he's done a really good job of helping me with that, but also I think just understanding my teammates more on a personal level so I can then relate to them and then help them throughout the match and kind of understand what they need at a specific time because I feel like I would do a good job about that and then applying all what I've learned to the game.

MELANI SHAFFMASTER: Yeah, I think getting to know Keegan through the spring has really helped, like Taylor said, for me, get to understand my best understanding of leadership for myself.

And then I think that's really benefitted not only just myself but the whole team. So getting to talk to them, getting to understand, okay, this is what I actually mean and now I'm able to convey it to you guys because I have a better understanding. So I think, yeah, it was good.



Coach Keegan Cook Quotes on the Minnesota Volleyball Schedule 2023


Q.  Keegan, what went into your schedule? You got some challenging matches, you got Texas, Baylor, headed back out west to Stanford. What do you like about the challenges the schedule presents?

KEEGAN COOK: Yeah, it came together in an interesting way. Some things were in place, it was an option for us to change the schedule completely, and at some point I thought: We want to know what it takes to win a National Championship by the end of September, and we don't want to be surprised coming into Big Ten competition.

I think that combined with what I had experienced in the first few months with this team, that I thought this is a completely appropriate schedule for the level of this team and what they're aspiring to do, and that gave me the courage to sign all the contracts.

And, yeah, there's been moments where you look at it and you go, those first five days we're going to learn a lot with those three matches, and then we've got two of the difficult road trips coast to coast.

But, yeah, I want these guys to play against the best teams in the best venues. I want them to have a diverse range of experiences so they can tell stories and grow, and I think the schedule reflects that.


Taylor Landfair Player Comments about the Minnesota Volleyball Schedule 2023 at the Big Ten Media Days Event. 


Q. Taylor, what's the process like to try to get players once you see them in the portal? Are you reaching out to them on Instagram, especially ones inside the Big Ten? And when the trips happen, how does it all from behind the curtains -- give us a little bit of enlightenment in the recruiting process from a player.

TAYLOR LANDFAIR: I think usually during the fall we kind of focus on the season and also in the spring we don't really worry about that too much. But if we have to we just take a phone call with them or just give them a little FaceTime and let them know and just be completely brutally honest how Minnesota is so they can get an idea from an athlete's standpoint, and then they can make their decision from there.

Q. Taylor, did you take it personally when you weren't a unanimous selection for the preseason Big Ten all team?

TAYLOR LANDFAIR: No. I did not.

Q. Do you feel you have more to prove after last season?

TAYLOR LANDFAIR: I'm just kind of taking it day by day, point by point, game by game. I know what I have to do, and I already have these aspirations for myself, and I'm just going to keep growing upon those aspirations.





Melani Shaffmaster and Taylor Landfair Player Comments and thoughts on Kylie Murr 


Q. What stands out to you about Kylie Murr, and what does she bring to the team?

TAYLOR LANDFAIR: I can go. I think she's very fiery and gives a lot of energy to us, which I really appreciate because I feel like we really need that on our team. And then also she's just a really good player. She's always there to learn, always there to make these connections between all of us. And I think she's really, really good for our team, and I'm really excited that she came here.

MELANI SHAFFMASTER: Exactly what Taylor just said, yeah.

Q. Melani, what is your history with Kylie?

MELANI SHAFFMASTER: We played club together. I've known her since I was about eight. Our high schools were in the same conference. So we played each other throughout our lives and middle school and high school. I've been playing club with her since I was 12.

Yeah, I get to live with her now, so that was a lot of fun, so it's like having a sister on campus with me right now, so it's a lot of fun.


Melani Shaffmaster and Taylor Landfair Player Comments on the Minnesota Volleyball Schedule and playing a big match on FOX TV this season. 


Q. Taylor, Melani, what are your thoughts about playing a match on big FOX and possibly having the Packers-Vikings as your lead-in?

MELANI SHAFFMASTER: Yeah, so we just found out yesterday that that was us, so I've been thinking about it a lot. Every time we see the channel, we're like, wow, we're going to be on this.

But it's going to be really cool. I think for us the main thing to focus on is we're just going to be playing Wisconsin at Wisconsin and not really worry about how many viewers are going to be watching at the same time because we do have a job to do.

So I think maybe a little bit before we'll be really, really excited when we see all the stuff getting set up or whatever. I think after we'll be like, wow, that was awesome, and then we'll get to go and re-watch it.

But I think obviously we're going to Wisconsin to play a game, so I think that's probably going to be our focus.

TAYLOR LANDFAIR: I kind of agree, the same thing. It's going to be really cool when we have to focus on just the game when the time comes, but before I'm going to be all geeked out about it because I think it's super cool.



Melani Shaffmaster and Taylor Landfair Player Comments and Coach Keegan Cook Quotes on the Minnesota Volleyball Schedule 2023 and the other members of the coaching staff 



Q. Melani, can you talk a little bit about your new associate head coach, Kristen Kelsay, and what she's brought to helping you out as a setter? And then also, Keegan, just having Kristen back in the conference, she's had a lot of experience in the Big Ten, how she's helped your transition into a new conference?

MELANI SHAFFMASTER: Yeah, she is super awesome to work with. She's super personable, even when we're not at practice. We're getting coffee, getting breakfast. She's an amazing human being, and you can tell she cares not only about obviously our volleyball side of things but she wants to know how our life is going and everything.

Besides that, she's an amazing coach. She's really, really good at setting. She'll show us how to do something, and I'll be like, wow, I just don't know how that was just so easy for you.

But, I mean, she's super detail oriented, super easy to understand, very easy to listen to, and I think she's just a good coach but an even better human being.

KEEGAN COOK: Yeah, I think it was probably the most important hire that I had to make when I came to Minnesota, and I knew that, and I also knew myself a little better after 10 years at Washington where I worked with some really experienced coaches who are now leading their own programs.

Yeah, Kristen is exactly who I needed to complement what I'm good at, and she's a tremendous recruiter and an outstanding coach and someone that I just enjoy working with every single day.

So, yeah, that's been one of my favorite parts about coming is hiring a staff that fits me and fits the needs of this program, and they're crushing it.



Q. Melani and Taylor, describe the transition to a new coaching staff, and what role have you guys played as leaders on the team to make this as seamless as possible?

TAYLOR LANDFAIR: I think Keegan has done a really good job of helping me become a better leader and understanding what a good leader looks like for my own personality because I do have my own personality and I need to understand what ways leading works best for me.

I think he's done a really good job of helping me with that, but also I think just understanding my teammates more on a personal level so I can then relate to them and then help them throughout the match and kind of understand what they need at a specific time because I feel like I would do a good job about that and then applying all what I've learned to the game.

MELANI SHAFFMASTER: Yeah, I think getting to know Keegan through the spring has really helped, like Taylor said, for me, get to understand my best understanding of leadership for myself.

And then I think that's really benefitted not only just myself but the whole team. So getting to talk to them, getting to understand, okay, this is what I actually mean and now I'm able to convey it to you guys because I have a better understanding. So I think, yeah, it was good.


If your athlete struggles with consistent serve receive, gets subbed out, or is overlooked for playing timeโ€”this is the fix youโ€™ve been looking for.

Ebook_How_to_Clean_Up_Your_Passing_and_Get_More_-linkedin-profile-cover-1.jpeg

Struggling with passing consistency?

I help talented passers tired of getting pulled from games because of inconsistent serve receive skills  BUILD passing confidence without expensive private lessons using the same 3-step system that's helped dozens of my athletes get recruited.

Download my eBook for $7.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the courtโ€”and gets you seen by college coaches.


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Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience. These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis. Sign up now!Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience. These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis. Sign up now!


Follow me on Pinterest Volleybragswag to improve your game even faster!

I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list. 


You might like these pages below about the Minnesota volleyball schedule 2023, the NCAA championship, and the Big Ten.



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From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Produces Powerful Passionate Players...is that you?

Congratulations to my seven Boys-18s Vegas Volley club players who played in two state championship finals yesterday, the 3A and 5A State champinship finals at Sunrise Mountain High School.

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS! In It To Win It Tournament, May 2-4, 2025 Tournament A-1 Vegas Volleyball Club Gold Medalists, 18s Premier Division

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!

A-1 Vegas Volley VBC

    In It To Win It      Tournament   

May 2 - 4, 2025 Tournament

Gold Medalists

18s Premier Division



Making A-1 Vegas Volleyball history as the very first TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS! In the In It To Win It Tournament, May 2-4, 2025 Tournament, A-1 Vegas Volleyball Club Gold Medalists, 18s Premier DivisionMaking A-1 Vegas Volleyball history as the very first TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS! In the In It To Win It Tournament, May 2-4, 2025 Tournament, A-1 Vegas Volleyball Club Gold Medalists, 18s Premier Division




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