When former Big Ten volleyball player of the year Taylor Landfair transferred away from the Gophers after the 2023 season, Minnesota head coach Keegan Cook immediately turned to Julia Hanson.

But the Savage native had averaged a paltry 0.6 kills per set in 2023, far from an all-conference-level stat for an outside hitter. Cook told Hanson most players miss their moment because they are not ready when it arrives.

“ ‘This could be your moment, if you want,’ ” he told her. “I kind of put that challenge in front of her, and she accepted it.”

She sure did.

Hanson was an unanimous selection for first team all-Big Ten on Wednesday. At 6-foot-1, her 4.06 kills per set leads the team, ranks 51st in the nation and has helped lead the Gophers back to the NCAA tournament.

The 15th-ranked Gophers (20-10) will play Western Kentucky (28-6) in the first round at 3:30 p.m. CST Thursday at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky. The winner will play either No. 11 Kentucky or Cleveland State at 6 p.m. Friday for a spot in the Sweet 16.

The Gophers have won 15 straight first-round matches dating back to a 3-1 loss to Sacramento State in 2007, and they have advanced to the Final Four six times since 2003, the last time in 2019.

“All spring, (Hanson) performed at a really high level. But I think her improvement over the course of the fall is something that stands out to me.” Cook said. “You don’t see that a lot. I mean, the player that I saw in August looks nothing like the player that I see here in December — in the best way.”

Cook said it’s rare for players in today’s age to be so clear about what type of coaching they need and show up every day ready to get better.

“To take risk at a time when people don’t like to take risk,” Cook explained. “She works pretty diligently and quietly most days. She doesn’t miss a lot of practices. She’s reaping what she has sowed for a long time right now.”

Hanson, a junior, acknowledged she would get overwhelmed as the coaching points kept streaming in during practices over the past year, but she fell back on her belief she could step into Landfair’s shoes. California transfer Lydia Grote’s 2.88 kills per set have also helped.

“I just feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing, and this is where I’m supposed to be at, which is 100% true,” Hanson said. “It’s been the best season ever, and I love this team.”

Hanson shares an apartment with setter Melanie Shaffmaster, which for an outside hitter is akin to a quarterback and wide receiver living together. Shaffmaster also earned all-Big Ten honors this season after averaging 9.27 assists per set.

“It helps significantly,” Shaffmaster said. “We all kind of understand each other’s personality at a different level. That’s good to know, other than just when we come in the gym and practice and lift weights and stuff. She’s honestly like a sister to me.”

Hanson and senior Shaffmaster have lived together for two years. Shaffmaster knows Hanson’s mannerisms and can tell what mood she might be in and what she might need, such as a talk or some time to herself.

“Then I think just, on the court, knowing that we’re in it together,” Hanson said. “Our relationship has grown so much, and I think that also stems from us playing together all season.”

Hanson and Shaffmaster also live with fellow Gophers teammates Lauren Crowl and Elise McGhie. They will often all sit on a huge bean bag chair to watch new episodes of the TV show “Yellowstone” on Sunday nights. Some members of the Gophers’ wrestling team also come over to watch.

If the volleyball season ends how the Gophers want, Hanson and Shaffmaster will be able to watch the next episode of the western and look forward to playing in the Sweet 16 on Dec. 12.

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ST. CLOUD, Minn. — History was made Monday after the St. Cloud City Council voted unanimously to appoint Hudda Ibrahim to a vacant seat.

Ibrahim is the first Somali American to be appointed to the council.

The vote was held near the end of the almost four-hour meeting, but supporters remained till the end.

After the six ballots were read by St. Cloud City Clerk Seth Kauffman, the majority of the audience stood up and clapped their hands in support.

Ibrahim will now serve as the Ward 3 representative for the next two years.

“This has been something due for a long time, and Hudda, to be able to unite this entire council on the first ballot is very significant, it shows a lot about your candidacy,” outgoing Mayor Dave Kleis told Ibrahim before swearing her in to the council.

She fills a vacancy left by former Council Member Jake Anderson, who was elected mayor on Nov. 5 to succeed Kleis, who’s retiring after nearly 20 years in the post.

Ibrahim said the vote spoke about the importance of her appointment to the City Council.

“I’m really excited for our city, because if you look at the data right now, 30% of St. Cloud residents happen to be young people, people of color,” she said. “But I’m not just a person of color. I’m also competent and qualified for this, I’m a leader.

“It’s important to have young leaders who do embody those different cultures and identities, However, I have the qualifications,” she said.

Her qualifications include a doctorate in education from St. Mary’s University, a master’s degree in conflict resolution from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor of arts from the College of St. Benedict.

Ibrahim has taught at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, served as executive director of OneCommunity Alliance, and been a board member on the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and Anna Marie’s Alliance. She also is the founder and president of Filsan Talent Partners, a workplace diversity consultancy.

Ibrahim ran for an at-large council position during the 2024 election. She received the highest share of votes among 16 candidates in the primary but fell short in the general election.

She said one of her priorities during her candidacy was public safety — something she will continue to advocate for, she told the council during a 15-minute interview session before the normal meeting.

Ibrahim also stressed the importance of housing and economic development.

“I want to work with everyone so that we can address those issues, those critical issues that we need to address moving forward,” she said.

The lobby of the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center will be open overnight this Wednesday to Thursday to those who need a warm place to stay.

From 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the center, at 425 Grove St. in St. Paul, will be available as a warming space. Law enforcement personnel in the county will be able to transport people to the center once the lobby opens.

Those who need a warm space or transportation to the center can call 651-291-1111.

More county winter warming spaces are expected to open in mid-December. Those spaces will be open 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. to anyone and will offer seating, blankets, snacks and warm beverages, according to the county. Winter supplies like mittens and hats also will be provided. Locations will be available for women, families and youth ages 18 to 24, and single adult males.

The Law Enforcement Center lobby will be made available as a warming space again when temperatures and wind chills reach dangerous levels.

Additional local shelter beds or warming spaces may become available when temperatures reach zero degrees or below or when wind-chill reaches 15 degrees below zero or colder. County staff can be contacted at 651-266-1035 or ColdWeatherReferrals@ramseycounty.us to receive a referral.

Family shelter staff can be reached from 7 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at chs.fas.shelterteam@ramseycounty.us.

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A Minnesota House committee voted along party lines Tuesday to have the public pay the legal bill of a Democratic lawmaker over an outside employment action.

The decision covers about $10,400 in attorney fees for Rep. Bianca Virnig. The first-term Eagan legislator alleged that her former employer, a nonprofit school cooperative known as BrightWorks, reduced her pay and hours following her first session of service in the Legislature.

A state law is meant to bar such an action by granting protection to legislators who return to their regular jobs when the session calendar wraps up for the year.

Details of the settlement were not disclosed. But fellow Democrats say because the case was tied to her House service, reimbursement of legal fees is appropriate.

“If this is precedent-setting, I think it’s a good precedent because I do think that for members of either party, if they are faced with a similar circumstance in the future, we would want them to be represented and want there to be the opportunity for them to have their rights advocated for,” said Minneapolis Rep. Jamie Long, DFL chair of the committee.

Republicans objected, but came up on the losing end of a pair of 9-5 votes to pause the approval.

“I find this very troubling,” said Rep. Jim Nash of Waconia. “The House of Representatives is a third party at best, and we are now going to take taxpayer dollars and pay for these legal fees when the representative, Rep. Virnig, did receive a settlement.”

House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said she supports the ability of Virnig to seek compensation for a possible rights violation. But she said BrightWorks should be held accountable if it was accused of violating the law instead.

“Employers need to follow the law and employee and Minnesota taxpayers should not be on the hook for when that does not happen,” she said.

BrightWorks didn’t respond to an email message about the matter.

A request placed with the House DFL caucus for a copy of the employment dispute settlement wasn’t immediately fulfilled.

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