Gophers get two volleyball recruits for 2025 class who could have easily gone elsewhere

The new Gophers volleyball coaching staff had a few things working against it as it tried to land verbal commitments from two of the best hitters in the country for the class of 2025.

Kelly Kinney, a 6-2 outside from West Palm Beach, Fla., had made the U.S. girls U19 team roster for the Pan American Cup that was led by Keegan Cook this spring. But before the team traveled to Puerto Rico and eventually won the championship, the Gophers coach cut Kinney from the final roster.

"I didn't take the news well," Kinney said. "But I mean no one in my position would."

Then there was Carly Gilk, a 6-2 lefthanded opposite at Champlin Park, who seemed to have all the makings of a stay-at-home top Minnesota volleyball recruit — except she didn't have much interest in the Gophers.

"I always wanted to leave, go try something new, go somewhere else," she said. "I never really grew up watching Gopher volleyball, honestly, or having anything to do with the University of Minnesota."

In a testament to the power of good communication, Kinney and Gilk are heading to Dinkytown after verbally committing to the Gophers last weekend.

Both have two years of high school remaining.

Coaches from top programs around the country were targeting them on June 15 when recruiting officially began for the 2025 class. The tactic that Cook, associate head coach Kristen Kelsay and assistants Eric Barber and Kylin Muñoz took stood out.

"Keegan, the first question he asked me was about my family. He didn't ask me about volleyball or college. He just asked me what am I like as a person?" Kinney recalled. "That was super important to me. ... I want to be developed as a person. And Kristen and Kylin are just huge female role models for me."

When it came to Cook's decision to leave her off the U19 team in April, Kinney said the effect was two-pronged.

"Honestly I earned so much more respect for him as a person and a coach for still wanting me to play for his program but being able to differentiate between his USA side and his college side," she said. "... being cut from a USA team, it pushed me so much more in my club career. If you ask any of my teammates they would tell you, I came back a different player."

For Gilk, the resounding feeling of the Gophers recruitment was ease.

"I can relate to them so well," she said. "Keegan would FaceTime me randomly and we'd talk about fishing, cabins, stuff I like to do, stuff his family likes to do. It never felt like there was pressure. It was just more fun and like they really want the best for each one of their players. They were the most grateful to be going through this whole process with me."

Gilk just finished a standout year at Champlin Park. She was named First Team All-Metro by the Star Tribune as a sophomore and she was recently selected as one of 19 players for the USA Volleyball National Development Program for the U19 World Championships.

Both girls said they leaned on similar pillars in their recruitment — family, faith, friends and their own sense of determination. They feel they found home and, at the AAU National Championships for club volleyball this month, they found each other.

"I talked to [Kinney] for like an hour straight," Gilk said. "I really like her. I feel like our personalities kind of flow with each other. That got me very excited about Minnesota, as well. Just knowing that someone I connect really well with was going to commit there, too."