For Naomi Johnson, this weekend’s match against No. 6 Minnesota will be a homecoming of sorts, even if it does take place at Welsh-Ryan Arena – over 400 miles from her hometown of Bloomington, Minn. The 6-foot-3 junior will face off against past teammates from a familiar and much beloved vantage point.
“I am just so glad to be back at middle, it is where I am the most comfortable and I am having so much fun,” said Johnson, who has returned to middle blocker this season after playing her first two years for the Wildcats (11-8, 2-5 Big Ten) on the right side. “I do have a little bit of a strategic advantage playing against them because I know some of their hitters’ favorite shots.”
Three of Johnson’s teammates from her hometown club team, the Northern Lights, are stalwarts on the Gophers (14-4, 5-1). Junior outside hitter Brook Dieter is fifth in kills in the Big Ten, and junior middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer is third in the conference in hitting percentage. Rounding out the trifecta of Gophers Johnson has played with is junior defensive specialist Hailey Cowles, a former Ms. Minnesota Volleyball winner.
“I always play with an intensity against these girls because I know them and I have something to prove,”
Johnson said. “I want to show them how much I have improved.”
And Johnson has certainly improved this season. Johnson may not be sitting atop the Big Ten, but she is gaining confidence at middle blocker, a position that she played up until she arrived at NU. She is second only to Sabel Moffett in kills and blocks for NU. Johnson finished last year with 153 kills; this year she has already surpassed that number, posting 171 kills with 13 Big Ten matches still left to play.
“She is a huge block and she ends points when we need her, but now she’s also really dangerous offensively,” senior outside hitter Ariel Baxterback said. “Switching to middle this year, she has just really come in to her own.”
Johnson’s very first start for the Cats was against Minnesota in 2007, when she recorded a then-personal best five blocks in a five-game win over the Gophers. She recorded her highest hitting percentage (.429) at NU against the Gophers in 2007. Earlier that season, Johnson also served a career-high three service aces.
“She is such an asset for us in the middle,” said fellow middle blocker sophomore Brittani Gray. “She is a such a big middle block and she brings so much energy to the court.”The Cats will need Johnson’s energy coming off a three-set loss to Illinois on Wednesday in order to take on an imposing Gophers offense.
“We’re really just going to need to play offense as well as defense against Minnesota, which is what we had trouble with against Illinois,” Johnson said. “They’re ranked so high in the nation that if we don’t bring our best game, we won’t be able to compete.”
