One of the newest members of the Golden Gopher volleyball team, freshman McKenna Wucherer, was the nation’s top recruit in 2022. Wucherer’s decision to commit to Minnesota has paid off for both her and the Gophers thus far.
“I have super lofty goals,” Wucherer said. “I want to play professionally overseas, and I want to play in the Olympics.”
Wucherer is patient and said she knows college can fly by in the blink of an eye. She said she comes into the gym every day knowing it is a moment to get better and applies every moment in the gym and practicing with the team to the game.
Wucherer’s breakout performance came on Sept. 17 when the Gophers took on Washington State. She had a career-high of 15 kills against the Cougars.
When asked how she goes about preparing for games, Wucherer said she is “not a superstitious person” and prepares by “warming up like I know I’m going to play.”
Despite her success, Wucherer is still a very young player and made her collegiate debut when Minnesota hosted Pepperdine in the 2022 Diet Coke Classic. She was out of play for the first part of the season due to an injury.
“It was definitely hard on me since I’ve never had a serious injury for the past 18 years of my life,” she said.
Wucherer managed to come in mid-season just before Big Ten matchups would start and throw down 13 kills in her first NCAA volleyball game.
“Being able to come back in such a big moment and just before the Big Ten season started was a huge deal for me,” Wucherer said. “Being able to contribute back to my teammates and coaches and [see] how much they have done for me while I was injured was an experience I’ll never forget.”
Wucherer had an early connection to the sport, making it clear why she has such a passion and drive for the game along with her work ethic on the court.
According to Wucherer, her mother and both of her sisters played volleyball, so she wanted to “continue the legacy.”
“When they started trying out, I was like, ‘Maybe I should just give this a shot,’” Wucherer said. “I didn’t really know what sports I liked back then, and volleyball was really the only sport I mainly played throughout my entire life.”
Wucherer’s passion for the game does not stop there. She made it clear how devoted and reliant she is on her teammates and coaches for her success.
“Being in it with my teammates all the time and trusting that we can be a really good team if we believe it is basically my biggest strategy,” Wucherer said.
Wucherer has proven herself to be a valuable asset to the team so far as they continue with their Big Ten matchups this season. Gopher fans can watch her at the next home game when they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Oct. 12 at Maturi Pavillion.
