Minnesota volleyball student-athletes Julia Hanson and Melani Shaffmaster were named All-America Honorable Mention today by the America Volleyball Coaches Association. It’s the first career All-America nod for both players.
A Savage, Minn., native, Julia Hanson had a breakout season as a junior in 2024. Coming into this year, Hanson had tallied just 98 total kills in her career, playing as a reserve outside hitter and a defensive specialist. Everything changed this season when she earned a starting spot and never looked back. She hit double-digit kills in 27 of 32 matches, including seven 20+ kill matches. Hanson had 10-or-more kills in each of her last 15 matches of the year and led the team with 4.57 points and 4.01 kills per set. She also tallied career-highs in digs (2.19 dps), blocks (0.55 bps) and aces (0.28 saps).
Among Big Ten pins, Hanson ranked seventh in kills per set and third in hitting percentage (.268). Her 473 kills ranked sixth in the league. She earned two Big Ten Player of the Week awards and won AVCA Player of the Week on Dec. 3. Hanson was the first Gopher to earn the distinction since Nov. 22, 2022. She was one of seven players unanimously named to the All-Big Ten First Team and also earned AVCA All-Northwest Region accolades.
Fifth-year setter Melani Shaffmaster broke through and finally earned her first All-America honor. She averaged 9.16 assists, 0.97 kills, 2.77 digs, 0.64 blocks and 0.20 aces per set this season, tallying 17 double-doubles. She posted her first ever triple-double against TCU in September, becoming the first Golden Gopher since Sarah Wilhite in 2014 to earn that accomplishment. Shaffmaster totaled 30-or-more assists 24 times this year, including 12 matches with 40+.
Melani passed 5,000 career assists (5,091 total) on senior night, becoming the sixth Gopher ever to do so, including the second in the rally scoring era. She ranks eighth all-time in Minnesota laurels in digs, with 1,479 in her career. Shaffmaster became the first Gopher ever to reach 5,000 assists, 1,000 digs, 400 kills and 300 blocks this year as well. In addition to AVCA honors, Melani was named First Team All-Big Ten for the second time in her career. She earned AVCA All-Region honors for the fifth time and was named to the AVCA Top-36 Players to Watch list in September.
Minnesota finished the 2024 season with a 21-11 (13-7 Big Ten) record, making its 10th straight NCAA Tournament and 29th all-time. The Gophers fell to Kentucky in the Round of 32 to end their season on Dec. 6.
(info and stock photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
