If Florida’s offense worked like a battery, then Mackenzie Dagostino would surely be the energizer bunny.
And no other player benefits from Dagostino’s energy more than freshman Carli Snyder.
"She’s so intense," Snyder said. "Probably the most intense setter I’ve ever played with."
Dagostino’s on-court energy and intensity is only matched by her motivational skills.
"She’s the first person you see after you get a kill, like pointing at you and going crazy," Snyder said. "And that’s really awesome to play with."
Dagostino transferred to Florida from Maryland at the start of her sophomore year, mostly to play closer to her home in Tampa. She immediately established a close bond with then-senior Chloe Mann, but not for reasons you might expect.
"I would go to the grocery store… but I didn’t want to walk with a bunch of bags so Chloe would always pick me up and take me to the grocery store," Dagostino said, laughing. "Or if I just needed someone to talk to about missing home, if I was having problems in volleyball, Chloe was always there for me."
The relationship between Mann and Dagostino originated through Florida’s big sister-little sister program. Before the start of each season, an upperclassman reaches out to an incoming player to make them feel welcome.
This year it was Dagostino’s turn to play the role of the elder.
"I get a text from Mack like three months before I came here, and it was like so long," Snyder said. "I had to stop and read it for like five minutes."
After hearing Snyder was dealing with homesickness, Dagostino immediately identified with the young freshman, just as Mann had identified with her one year earlier.
"She’s been really supportive to me and it’s really nice on and off the court to have that," Snyder said.
Now, their relationship has transformed from an off-court bond to an on-court connection. A fair amount of Dagostino’s team-leading 387 assists are the direct result of Snyder’s 76 kills, which are third on the team.
But Snyder isn’t the only player benefiting from Dagostino’s improved play this season. Every hitter on the team, from starting junior Simone Antwi to newly inserted sophomore Shainah Joseph, has developed an on-court connection with Dagostino.
"Because of her playing time and her work ethic… you could make an argument in that first month that (Dagostino) is our most improved player," coach Mary Wise said. "She’s making plays from the setter position that very few setters … have ever made.
Dagostino stresses the importance of practice and repetition.
That’s why she experiences success with whomever UF coaches decide to place on the floor beside her.
"It all happens in here, at practice," Dagostino said. "It’s the chemistry that we build, every single day… And if we have it in here, it doesn’t matter if you’ve never played in the O’Dome, your gonna go in there and you’re gonna light it up."
Dagostino works tirelessly on her setting, timing and positioning. But what comes naturally is her ability to motivate.
"She’s always like, ‘hey you’re gonna be beast tonight, you’re gonna kill it.’ She’ll like bump into you or something," Snyder said. "She’s really supportive like that. It’s nice to have people like that surrounding you all the time."
Dagostino is aware of the effect that she has on her teammates and takes full advantage of her ability to provide confidence boosts.
"It’s all about just finding each person’s qualities and then talking them up. So like (saying) ‘hey, you’re gonna have a great game because you’re gonna be doing this, this, and this," she said. "We call it ‘lighting each other up.’"
A fitting phrase for Florida’s energizer bunny.
Follow Ian Cohen on Twitter @ICohenB
Freshman outside hitter Carli Snyder hits the ball over the net during Florida's 3-2 win against Oklahoma on Aug. 30 in the O'Connell Center.
