The Gophers volleyball season didn't end the way Keegan Cook and his players hoped, with another NCAA second-round exit, but his program could be even stronger after the groundwork it established.

In many ways, this season was still part of the transition phase from previous coach Hugh McCutcheon to Cook, who was hired from Washington in December 2022.

In Year 2 under Cook, the Gophers (21-11) reached their 10th straight NCAA tournament and were ranked in the top 15 for most of the season.

"I'm going to remember it as the good that precedes the great," Cook told the Minnesota Star Tribune on Tuesday.

Expectations should be much higher for the 2025 season, Cook said, because his third year will be out of the transitioning stage with the Gophers, who have talent in the program and more on the way.

Junior outside hitter Julia Hanson, arguably the Big Ten's biggest breakout player this year, is expected back. As of now, the Gophers anticipate adding and not losing anyone to the transfer portal.

Not to mention, Cook said, members of his top 10 nationally ranked recruiting class are arriving in January, including in-state stars Carly Gilk from Champlin Park and McKenna Garr from Rush City.

"Coaching transitions are the most perilous time for any program," Cook said "I feel good about the foundation we re-established and the players we brought in, the players who are on their way and the development of the players in this program."

Hanson and junior outside hitter Mckenna Wucherer played briefly for McCutcheon, but they've spent two years developing in Cook's system. They'll be relied on for leadership, as will libero/defensive specialists Zeynep Palabiyik and Kate Thibault.

"A lot of the key positions are in a good place," Cook said. "The best two years of their career [for Palabiyik and Thibault] are ahead. Their improvement in serve and receive from good to great will be a big story this spring."

The Gophers struck gold in the portal last year with two-time All-Big Ten opposite hitter Lydia Grote and Phoebe Awoleye, who finished among the league's top blockers. Filling their spots won't be easy, but Grote has high hopes for the future of the program.

"I love this team and they have so much that's coming for them in these next few years," Grote said. "It's cool to be able to watch and see where they go."

It will be tough for the Gophers to say goodbye most of all to senior Melani Shaffmaster, one of the all-time great setters in team history. After her final match in the four-set loss at Kentucky, Shaffmaster got choked up, reflecting on how much she loved her time in college even with two head coaches.

"Five whole years with Keegan and Hugh and all the staff that's been changing," she said "We've been to Sweet 16s and Elite Eights in the past, but you just know you're with a really special group when you can just feel it. It sucks to lose but at the end of the day, it was a lot of fun to be with these guys."

A big factor in how quickly Cook's team can jump back into contention in the Big Ten and nationally will be replacing Shaffmaster, who recorded over 5,000 assists in her career. Redshirt freshman Stella Swenson appears to be the next in line. And she's more familiar with the role than most. Her older sister, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, was a four-time All-American setter at the U.

"I feel great about her growth," Cook said. "The player who showed up with her performance and process looks nothing like the person I sat down with [this week]. I'm really excited about the growth in our relationship and in her redshirt season. Redshirting doesn't always mean you get better but she has. ... She's going to shoot out like a rocket in January."

Hanson exploded onto the national scene in 2024 when few people outside the program saw it coming. The season's top highlights were when the Gophers beat No. 1 Texas and upset rival Wisconsin at home.

The NCAA tournament moves forward in the Sweet 16 and beyond this week without Cook's program, but it seems like only a matter of time before the Gophers are back on that stage.

"There's layers to it," Cook said. "We saw some moments this year we hope to see a lot more of in the coming years."