Gophers coach Keegan Cook, two players part of USA Volleyball for Pan American Cup

The Gophers will be well represented with USA Volleyball this month at the Pan American Cup.

On Tuesday, sophomore Mckenna Wucherer was named to the Under-21 roster that will compete in Mexico. She is one of 18 players on the U.S. team, which will train for a week before 12 players make the final roster. The tournament will be held May 23-28.

The Under-19 team got competition started Tuesday in Puerto Rico, with new Gophers coach Keegan Cook leading that squad. The 12-player roster includes Calissa Minatee, a freshman middle blocker for the U. That tournament runs through May 15.

Before attending Minnesota, Wucherer was the top-rated recruit in the country for the Class of 2022 and a member of the United States U-18 national team in 2021 and the U-21 team in 2022. That team won the Pan American Cup with Wucherer posting seven kills and one block in the championship game vs. Argentina.

This is the first tournament competition with USA Volleyball for Minatee, of Kansas City, Mo., after training in the national team development program. A Under Armour All-America for the Class of 2023, Minatee figures to get an opportunity to play right away with the Gophers after the departure of standout middle blocker Carter Booth to Wisconsin.

Cook's history with USA Volleyball dates back to 2016, and he was an assistant for the U-19 team last season when they won gold at the Pan American Cup.