In a move typical of the high-stakes shuffles within college sports, Big Ten Player of the Year Taylor Landfair is set to swap her Minnesota maroon and gold for Nebraska's scarlet and cream, as reported by CBS News Minnesota. The celebrated outside hitter declared her intent to join the Nebraska volleyball squad, just off a season that fell shy of championship glory with a second-place NCAA finish and fresh from hosting a record-setting crowd of volleyball fans at their stadium.
Landfair’s departure comes on the heels of a season with Minnesota that, despite personal improvement, didn't mirror her high ambitions ending with a second-round playoff loss, her time on the court was marred by serve-receive struggles even though her attack percentage saw an uptick as the season progressed. The Gophers will be feeling the sting of her loss, as she was a significant force on the court with averages leading the Big Ten at 4.99 points and 4.43 kills per set. "I am so excited for my next journey of being a Husker," said Landfair via an Instagram story, the news taking followers and fans by surprise yesterday.
Landfair joins a Huskers team packed to the gills with talent, as they're bringing back all their starters from the previous season, including notables like Lindsey Krause, Ally Batenhorst, and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Harper Murray. Nebraska, a team renowned for defense, is a national title regular and now features a player who decided "it is no longer the right fit for me," regarding her former Minnesota team, Landfair wrote on Instagram.
Despite Nebraska head coach John Cook's past comments decrying the practice of building teams by poaching top-tier transfers, especially within the same conference, it seems the lure of an athlete of Landfair's calibre was too great to resist. "The answer for my decision to leave Minnesota is simple; it is no longer the right fit for me," highlighted a candid admission from Landfair about her transfer. While she brings two more years of eligibility, given her redshirt season and the extra COVID-19 year, whether she will hit the Husker court in the spring or wait until summer remains to be seen, as per CBS News Minnesota.
Landfair's vacated spot with the Gophers leaves room for emerging talent, with speculation that Julia Hanson could rise to the occasion for the upcoming season Cook has the offseason to explore transfer portal options to fill the void left by Landfair's move. Meanwhile, Husker Nation eagerly awaits the arrival of their new star player, as Landfair herself promised via social media, "See ya soon Husker Nation."
