Having high expectations does not ensure automatic success.
The UF women's basketball team found that out the hard way in its exhibition loss a week ago.
The key word there is "exhibition."
Now, the Gators will try to start the regular season off on a better note when they travel to take on Florida Gulf Coast tonight at 7.
If there's anything they've learned from losing to a team they expected to beat, it's that they can't take anyone for granted.
"There was an expectation because we have been working so hard in practice that things are just going to fall into place when the lights come on, and that's not always the case," UF coach Amanda Butler said.
Junior guard Jennifer Mossor may have said it best regarding the team's preseason performance:
"Friday was like a reality check," she said. "It's going to be a lot harder than we probably all thought it was going to be."
UF can apply Mossor's thought to tonight's matchup against a team that is two years removed from a Division II national championship appearance.
The Gators defeated the Eagles twice last season in the O'Connell Center, the second time ending Florida Gulf Coast's season in the second round of the WNIT 60-55.
This time, however, UF will be away from home.
The Eagles are returning just one starter from a year ago, so the bigger challenge for UF will be opening the season in the unfriendly confines of a packed gymnasium that seats just 4,500.
"It's going to be a very challenging environment," Butler said. "It can be one of the most challenging environments that we will play in all year."
Although it is only the first game, tonight will be a good opportunity to see how the Gators respond to coming off a loss, playing on the road and dealing with those pesky expectations early in the season.
