Gophers Win The Diet Coke Challenge

Effects of the Hebert Program
September 14, 2008 
The Minnesota Gophers volleyball team won the Diet Coke Challenge, which has nothing to do with a taste test between Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi.

One of the three matches they played had them beating California Polycarbonate or Poly something. The Gophers won the first two sets, struggled in the third set and lost, only to recover again to win the fourth set.

I think the struggle was manufactured for the third set.

You may ask, "How is that possible?" Well, sets don't matter; it's just wins and losses. So in a set, the team can suddenly struggle by having the starting line-up substituted out. In collegiate volleyball, there are twelve substitutions possible per set, so on the sideline there's practically a revolving door, where players enter and leave the court.

By benching the starting line-up, the team struggles. This gives younger or less experienced players a chance to play under pressure and gain experience. Plus, it gives the crowd the illusion of a struggle and then a win at the end... the ideal sporting situation.

Dr. Mike Hebert, the coach, came to Minnesota twelve seasons ago with a volleyball plan. The plan has Minnesota recruiting a deep team -- with backups for setter, middle-blocker, defensive specialist, and outside hitter positions  -- selecting team players over individual superstars. Mucho substitutions. Time-outs at 5 point marks (5, 10, 15, 20), but only when necessary. And the coach has a zen-like calm.

Coaching is all about accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative. It's about skills improvement and situation management. And it's about leadership and setting the tone. The Hebert program pays off. The team is consistently in the top 10 nationally.

The Gophers are doing well. They are out blocking their opponents three to one so far this season. After nine matches, they have 416 kills, 265 between Brook Dieter, Lauren Gibbemeyer, and Kyla Roehrig. Hailey Cowles has twelve of the team's 30 service aces.

The advantage of a team deep with interchangeable players is that the opposing team is left guessing who they are going to play from one moment to the next.

And another advantage to Minnesota's program could be seen  at the Beijing Olympics, where, despite the huge stage, former Gophers remained team players. Outside hitter Nicole Branaugh came from Minnesota with 2,379 kills (#1 in school history) and played beach volleyball in Beijing with Elaine Young. Branaugh-Young are one of the few teams that have beaten May-Walsh. Nicole's style of play was understated; she didn't play with a star mentality. Setter and jump server Lindsey Berg came from the Minnesota program with 5,913 assists (#3 in school history) and 283 service aces (#2 in school history). As a substitute setter, she rallied the USA indoor volleyball team through her team attitude, along with her powerful serves and accurate sets. She provided a short term, measurable boost for the USA team.

The disadvantage of the Hebert program is that Gopher players don't necessarily know who they are playing with, leaving both teams guessing and fostering some communication problems.

And psychologically speaking, the sport becomes less personal. When people are relied upon, the reliance can give extra confidence, extra motivation, to do more than what is expected. It's that extra effort, becoming more than a sum of the parts, that brings a team to the number one spot in the NCAA Championships.

Overall, the Hebert program has more positives than negatives but can it lead Minnesota to ace the national championships?