When Texas A&M and Missouri joined the Southeastern Conference, the emphasis was on the impact it would have on the football field.
But what was unexpected was how much volleyball would be affected.
As evidenced by how much the change has meant, Sunday’s match against Texas A&M will be Florida’s first nationally televised match of the year.
“It’s more exciting if anything,” junior libero Taylor Unroe said. “There will be more fans. The environment is always good when that type of thing is happening. I don’t think it’s an added pressure, it’s another part of how exciting playing in this league is.”
When the Aggies came to Gainesville for both teams’ first matchup on Oct. 4, they were riding high at 9-3. The No. 5 Gators won in three sets and the Aggies have gone just 2-5 since.
The slip has not been from a lack of talent. Texas A&M features preseason All-American senior setter Allie Sawatzky, who is averaging 10 assists per game, and sophomore outside hitter Sierra Patrick, who is averaging 3.3 kills per set.
The matchup this weekend will test how much Florida has grown since the last outing. The Gators are at a pivotal point in the season. After losing their nine-game sweep streak against Arkansas on Oct. 18, the team then proceeded to lose only its second match to Missouri, in four sets on Oct. 20.
Since then, Florida has recovered with back-to-back SEC sweeps against Auburn and Tennessee, but the question remains if coach Mary Wise can finally lead the program to its first national title.
There are only eight matches left before the regular season ends, including tonight’s match against LSU and the aforementioned match against Texas A&M.
Florida cannot afford to have any slip-ups before the Nov. 15 tilt against Missouri. Barring that both the Tigers and Gators do not lose any more matches before then, that match will most likely determine who will take home the SEC title.
LSU and Texas A&M both provide significant threats to the Gators title dreams. LSU is 14-6 on the season, which includes a 10-1 start to the season.
“The task at hand is to go into Baton Rouge and play as well as possible because it will take our best performance to beat this LSU team, that is now healthy, and they are talented as any team in the league,” Wise said. “We look at it as one of the biggest challenges of the entire season.”
The threat that the Tigers pose comes from their hitting duo of sophomore outside Hitter Cati Leak and freshman middle blocker Briana Holman. Leak is first on the team with 3.2 kills per set and Holman is right behind her with an average of three.
Follow RJ Schaffer on Twitter @rjschaffer.
Redshirt senior middle blocker Chloe Mann spikes the ball over the net in Florida’s 3-0 win against Auburn on Oct. 25 in the O’Connell Center.
