Eighteen Florida volleyball players filled the residence with friendly chatter, excited laughter and new faces.
After graduating five seniors and riding through the 2015 season with only 15 players, 2016 brought recruits and transfers that ballooned the UF volleyball team’s roster and replaced veteran leadership with untapped talent.
However, the awkwardness of getting to know an almost entirely new team never manifested as the girls introduced themselves in the Panama City beach house.
Instead, they played Cheeto Toss.
A room full of competitive athletes paired up, one partner donning a shower cap lathered with shaving cream while the other pelted the cap with Cheetos, hoping to get the snack stuck on a teammate’s head.
Not much else needs to be explained.
“We had these competitive games we had to play against each other,” redshirt junior hitter Shainah Joseph said. “It’s not often that you see people being that competitive and yell and hype each other up outside the court.”
This introduction sparked a team chemistry that knit the girls tightly together throughout the year. And despite a bitter end to the season, a bond blossomed that team members feel is unparalleled in collegiate volleyball, while also setting the foundation for future success.
• • •
Just a few months prior, Florida volleyball was brimming with experience. Whether it be hitting, defensive expertise or anchoring the middle, the team had a player with years of experience for each role.
Entering the summer of 2016, though, the makeup of the team drastically changed. Outside hitter Alex Holston remained as the sole senior on the team, and with that came new weight to shoulder. She had to become a leader.
Holston spoke with UF coach Mary Wise about the new responsibilities, became more vocal in practices and learned to look at herself as a role model and mentor.
Of course, Holston also had solid examples who preceded her. Players like Mackenzie Dagostino, Taylor Unroe and Chloe Mann all took over as leaders on the team when their times came in previous years.
Overall, Holston said that 2014 senior defensive specialist Maddy Monserez — older sister of current Gators setter Allie Monserez — was her biggest influence when it came to vocal leadership and team building.
“She was very team-oriented,” Holston said. “I feel like that was the first priority in everything she did.”
The task was more daunting for Holston, though, as she was the first Gator to come in as the lone senior since 2002.
But Holston wasn’t the only one learning to become a leader, even if she was the only one entering her final season.
Wise decided to make junior middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan the team captain. Both players were recruited out of Maryland, living about 45 minutes away from each other. Both played together in club competition two years before joining the Gators.
“With her being the captain and me being the senior leader, it’s nice because for most things we’re on the same page,” Holston said.
Because of the connection the two had coming into the program, they could critique each other, motivate each other and still talk about things outside the court.
“One of the things we do is talk about home,” Alhassan said. “And it’s just nice to have that person that understands what I’m talking about, they know the trends from back in the day.”
The two now share a profound connection. In fact, Holston believes she’s the reason the 6-foot-4 middle blocker chose Florida.
“I love to take the credit for Rhamat coming here all the time,” Holston said. “All the time.”
With the two as leaders, the team took on the challenge of playing so many newcomers and building team chemistry, throttling any doubts with nation-leading play.
The team completed the regular season with a record of 26-3, including a 16-2 SEC record that won it a share of the conference championship. The Gators led the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.168), kills per set (14.4), assists per set (13.7) and led the nation in hitting percentage (.338).
And when the team wasn’t pushing their limits with strong play, they were using the down time to build relationships that go deeper than the game.
“Not a lot of other schools are as close as we are,” Joseph said. “Even when we have our off-days and we have a lunch break I’m texting one of my teammates like, ‘Hey, do you want to hang out?’… I think that’s something rare because we are a big team.”
A connection from upperclassmen down to incoming freshman was always present in the Florida locker room. There was always someone to confide in, look to and bond with.
There was also always someone there to help crack a smile.
“Rachael (Kramer), who seems like the most quiet, sweet person, is so sassy, so there’s always that to look forward to,” Alhassan said, adding that other players, like Morgyn Greer and Chanelle Hargreaves, always supply funny moments.
“It’s actually like a comedy skit,” she said.
While it may not lead to statistical jumps or gritty, match-winning plays, silliness and laughter helped the team grow.
“We’re really good about listening and making one another laugh,” Joseph said. “We’re really close compared to a lot of teams that I’ve played on and other teams that I know of.”
• • •
Wise has said that the best way to judge a team is by looking at how it developed over a season.
After a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Florida State that ended Florida’s season in the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament, questions arose about whether the team gelled the way players suspected.
“Easily one of the most disappointing losses,” Wise said after the performance.
But with every player other than Holston returning next season, the playoff atmosphere and experience could help the team achieve greater goals in 2017.
And while close ties between teammates further motivate future success, they also go beyond the sport.
“It’s not just a team. It’s our friends,” Alhassan said. “Our best friends ... it’s the aspect of family, everyone being there for each other, and just wanting to be there.”
As a result, players are hungrier than ever.
“This will not happen again,” libero Caroline Knop said. “We will be better next year.”
Contact Skyler Lebron at slebron@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @SkylerLebron.
UF right-side hitter Alex Holston (3) celebrates during Florida's 3-0 win against St. John's on Sept. 17, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.
