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NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

December 14, 2016

Columbus, Ohio

THE MODERATOR: Joined today by Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon, as well as student-athletes Sarah Wilhite and Samantha Seliger-Swenson. Coach McCutcheon is in his fifth season, going for his second straight Final Four appearance. Coach, start us off with an opening statement.

COACH MCCUTCHEON: The Gophers are very happy to be here in Columbus, and excited for the tournament to begin and looking forward to a good match with Stanford.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Sarah, you have three Big Ten teams made it to the Elite Eight, two have made it to the Final Four. Is this the toughest go around through the Big Ten that you have seen in your four years at Minnesota?
SARAH WILHITE: I would say so. Our Big Ten schedule this year was very difficult, especially like our last four games of the Big Ten were all against top-ranked teams.

And it was a good challenge for us and really prepared us well going into the tournament.

Q. Both of you, just in your first few hours here in Columbus, does this feel different for the team than it did last year, when everything was brand new to you?
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON: Yeah, I think we know what to expect coming in, all the outside distractions and stuff like that outside of volleyball. So it is a little bit more familiar since we were here last year.

Q. Can you guys just talk about how different this team is than the team that lost to Stanford 3 to 1 sets earlier in the season?
SARAH WILHITE: I think we've grown a lot throughout the year. I think against Stanford the biggest thing that we've learned is to be patient and if you see your shot you take it. But if you don't, like if there is a big double block in front of you, you can manage it and wait for the next one or wait for another opportunity.

That's been a huge growth of ours. And then also just in-game adjustments, being able to adjust to what the team's game plan that they have for us, and kind of picking the lock and getting, like, scoring in ways that are different than normal.

Q. Can you guys tell me about the club team that you had that won the national championship and how all of you came to Minnesota?
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON: Yeah, we did all play or a lot of us played club together back in the day. I think we all kind of had our own journey to Minnesota. It wasn't like a united decision. All of our paths just led here, and it's been great playing with some of these girls because I've known them since I was younger. And just seeing everyone evolve into the player they are today has been really cool.

Q. It wasn't like a pact among all of you; we're going all there together?
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON: No.

SARAH WILHITE: No, we all had different ways of getting here. And we just all ended up here, I guess. But I think the relationships that we had before college have helped us. But I think the other players, too, who weren't on that club team, we have just as strong of relationships with them, and we're just a united team across the board with people on the bench, people on the court, we're all connected.

Q. So you set different paths, like, Sam what was yours? Who recruited you and what was the hook?
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON: You know I had some other schools recruit me. And then hometown Minnesota.

Q. Who brought you in, because Hugh wasn't here yet, was he?
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON: Yeah, he was.

COACH MCCUTCHEON: I arrived in '12 and Sam, when did you come, '15?

Q. That's right, Sarah, you're the old lady, how about your path?
SARAH WILHITE: I had kind of a little interesting path. I was committed to Wisconsin for a while. And then I committed to the University of Minnesota my senior year. So it was just different. I wasn't always going to come to Minnesota but I'm happy to be here.

Q. Are you friends with anybody on the other three teams, either of you are close to or you know your teammates are?
SARAH WILHITE: Other three teams?

Q. That are here.
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON: I think people know each from playing together in U.S.A. programs and stuff like that.

Q. Are you close to anybody on the other teams?
SARAH WILHITE: I'm personally not, but I've played against a lot of people both in club volleyball and also just being back here against teams we've played before, and Nebraska's in the Big Ten. So we've played against them a lot. But personal relationships, not so many.

Q. Sarah, in between the 2014 and 2015 seasons this team took a pretty sharp turn being a non- tournament team to a Final Four team. Was there something between those seasons that really kicked in for this team? Was there some kind of a moment of clarity or something that just crystallized for you guys to make such a big leap from one year to the next?
SARAH WILHITE: I'm not sure if it was a specific, like one specific thing. I just think we really worked so hard that following spring after the 2014 season leading into the 2015 season. And it really built our chemistry as a team, our unity. And also just I think we redefined what hard work is like on our team and then we were able to bring that into the season.

Q. Sarah, could you talk about, all the teams have really good liberos, could you talk about the frustration when you go up against some of the better liberos in the game?
SARAH WILHITE: Yeah, I think in the Big Ten and also leading up to this point in the NCAA Tournament, the liberos have been spectacular, and sometimes you think you have your shot and you take it and they dig it like it's nothing.

But that was what I was talking about before with the patience, when they dig your shot you don't have to go back and swing harder. You can mix up -- just offensive range is huge. So using that as a tool when the liberos or the defense do defend your ball.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach.

Q. Were you cognizant of it at the time and could you tell me at the time if all of them coming to Minnesota, what that's meant, and if there's anything special there? If it's a wasted note I'll give it up?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: I know you want it to have some meaning but I don't really think it does. They all got here different ways, as they said. And at no time did I think there was this secret pact that we would all meet up in Minneapolis. It's just -- as they said, and I think this is the reality -- it's great that they had their history. But the way our team operates and the culture of collegiate volleyball, the demands of collegiate volleyball are very different than those of club. So the relationships are there.

But as Sarah said, the whole team is connected. It's not just about that group. There's no cliques. There's just one clique, that's all 18 of them. It's not my clique. I'm on the outs, man.

[Laughter]

Q. Coach, Sarah used a phrase a couple minutes ago about being patient and being creative. I took it to mean on offense called picking the lock?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: Yeah.

Q. Could you explain what that means and how do you train that?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: I think she's referring to the idea that different teams are going to try to defend you different ways. They're going to try to give you different looks or exploit weaknesses that they deem you have.

And so both teams go into a match with a certain idea, a plan, per se, of how they want to attack or how they want to defend. But based on the way the opponent is doing things maybe you've got to adjust.

So picking the lock is about seeing what's there and finding a way to win, even though it may not be the way you planned on doing it.

Q. Coach, one question about the libero for you. Can you talk about the growing importance it's had on the game? I think a lot of people think that it's a big hitter's game. How important -- some coaches I talked to, they picked setter and libero second. How important is the position in your mind?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: Yeah, I think it's critical. It's been a great addition to our sport, the idea of having a defensive specialist, but also taking care of that first contact in serve/receive. So we think it's a very, very important part of the package.

And it's great to see the standard of athletes that are playing that position and the level of skill that they could bring to that position increase year to year. Certainly again this year, a lot of great liberos. And we hope that trend continues.

Q. The players kind of talked about it a little bit, but can you just say how hard it is to get through the Big Ten and how the game's kind of helped you prepare for moments like this?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: Yeah, I've been saying it a lot. The Big Ten was awesome in every sense of the word. I thought it was a very, very tough year in our conference.

And it's a privilege to be a part of something that's so great. Not just in terms of the level of competitive excellence, but just the crowds, the fan support, the facilities, the Big Ten rivalries, the whole thing.

It's a very special time in our sport in this conference, no question. So, yeah, tough year, but as you can see, you're either battle weary or battle tested by the time you get to this point. And I think for a lot of us we're battle tested. Everyone was ready to go and the Big Ten had another great year in the tournament.

Q. Looking at your first few years as head coach in NCAA women's competition, how have you evolved as a coach? And is the environment and atmosphere that you're trying to create here the same as what you used in USA Volleyball or is the college team different?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: That's an awfully deep question at this point. I'll do my best to respond. I think principally I wouldn't say there's been too much change.

But I would say the application of those principles has changed. Not just from coaching USA to coaching the Gophers, but even from year to year, each team has different skills, different personalities, different strengths and weaknesses.

And I've said often this job is not algorithmic. It's really about fitting the system and the culture and all the parts that go into it becoming a high-functioning team, fitting the group to what you have, versus somehow saying it's my way or the highway.

I'd call it more of an adaptive leadership than an algorithmic one.

Q. Algorithmic?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: I'm not afraid to use the polysyllabics.

Q. Would you make an assessment of the Texas/Nebraska match for me, please?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: Should be a good one. One of the unique things about this Final Four, I think, is just each team brings a little bit different style. So two very physical teams, and it should be fun, a lot of fireworks there, a lot of heavy arms, a lot of scrapper defenders. It should be interesting.

Q. At this point, Hugh, when you recruit, how much do you weight talent and how much do you weight character?
COACH MCCUTCHEON: We'd say they both matter a ton. We're fortunate in that there's a lot of great volleyball athletes out there, but we know that better people make better Gophers. So we care about their athletic ability and skill, no question, because you can't win the Derby on a donkey. You need some thoroughbreds.

But you also need to have some people that have some character and that can fit the culture that we're trying to create relative to being a good teammate and the hard work and discipline it takes to become the best you can be.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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