In 2023, Gophers volleyball welcomed outside hitter Lydia Grote to the team. The outside hitter played her first three seasons of college volleyball in her home state at the University of California.
The Gophers program was not completely foreign to Grote when she moved from the West Coast. Marin Grote, Lydia Grote’s sister, played at Washington under Gophers head coach Keegan Cook. Lydia Grote said her sister encouraged her to go to Minnesota because of Cook.
In Lydia Grote’s first year with the Gophers, she joined the starting roster where she averaged 2.38 kills and 1.03 digs per set. She was a member of the All-Big Ten Second Team and the AVCA All-North Region team.
Even with Lydia Grote’s individual success, the team finished with a 17-13 overall record. Lydia Grote went into the offseason knowing that this year would be her last. She said she has been focused on her blocking and reading the opponent.
“It’s something that I have struggled with in the past,” Lydia Grote said. “The coaches are talking to me and the other blockers the whole time and just telling us you can do this.”
Lydia Grote began to find her groove this season, and Marin Grote said Lydia has gotten more comfortable in her second season with the Gophers.
“You can see it on the court as a team and as individuals,” Marin Grote said. “She can have those conversations with Keegan in the heat of the moment.”
Lydia Grote said that in her second year here she took on a leadership role with the team and feels a sense of urgency for this season. She said she knows the team can put up a better record than last year.
The Gophers started the season playing against three ranked opponents back to back to back. After the upset win against then No. 1 ranked Texas on Sept. 2, much of the talk was on Julia Hanson, who set a career-high of 23 kills against Texas Christian University on Sept. 7.
Marin Grote has yet to miss one of Lydia’s games and said she could not be more proud of how Lydia and the Gophers are playing this season.
“I’m just so proud that I get to call her my sister and be there for her journey,” Marin Grote said.
Lydia Grote took some time to find her rhythm and part of that meant developing relationships with her teammates.
“I’ve been working on connecting with my teammates a lot, and connecting with my setters,” Grote said. “I think at the beginning of the season every team starts playing matches and it’s hard to get those connections every single time.”
The Gophers took on Wisconsin in a border battle matchup at the Maturi Pavilion on Sept. 25 and won the match in five sets. Grote led the team with 17 kills and 15 digs.
Lydia Grote said the team took on a new mantra after several close matches this season.
“Something that has become kind of a motto in our gym is, ‘Two points,’” Lydia Grote said after the Gophers defeated St. Thomas. “We lost three games by two points.”
When the Gophers beat the Badgers, Cook talked about how Lydia Grote’s newfound energy was what he expected from her.
“I’ve seen it coming for about two weeks now,” Cook said. “Lydia is persistent. She wants to do right by this program.”
Lydia Grote said the close matches brought the team together. She said the losses were tough but forced them to become stronger and enact change.
The Gophers are in the thick of their Big Ten schedule, and half of their matches went to five sets. According to Lydia Grote, the team is fully equipped for these matches.
“Ultimately we’re gonna do whatever the game requires of us,” Grote said. “So if that means playing five sets with any team, we’re going to do it.”
During the Gophers trip to the West Coast, the team split games against UCLA and the University of Southern California. Lydia Grote led the team in the kills in both matches.
The Gophers return to Maturi Pavilion on Friday against Indiana.