Shainah Joseph took a leap and sent a spike down the baseline for the first point of the game. From there, the Gators would go on to beat Coastal Carolina in a friendly exhibition against the school from the Big South conference.
The teams played four sets in the Orange and Blue Debut, and all four were won by Florida, 25-11, 25-18, 25-23, 15-12, Saturday in the O’Connell Center.
Led by All-American Rhamat Alhassan, the Gators dominated play in the first set and won it with ease.
The next sets weren’t as simple.
Against a cornered Coastal Carolina team playing with a newfound sense of urgency, the Gators had to work hard to take the second and third sets.
The Gators reserve players took the court after the 3-0 sweep to win an additional fourth set.
Many of the Florida’s were featured in the game in addition to Alhassan, like seniors Carli Snyder, Caroline Knop and Joseph. Redshirt freshman Mia Sokolowski, sophomore Rachael Kramer, redshirt junior Allie Monserez and freshman Paige Hammons also got playing time.
Even with the slight struggles from the Gators in their tune-up game, coach Mary Wise took the microphone after the game to thank the fans for coming.
The Gators will open their regular season Friday in the VERT Challenge against 2016 national championship runner-up, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, and Saturday against No. 5 Nebraska in Gainesville.
Nebraska was one of four teams to top Florida in 2016, beating UF, 3-1, in last year’s VERT challenge.
Coming into the season, many fans are expecting a rebound and a deep run after last season’s early exit in the NCAA Tournament, when they were trounced by in-state rival Florida State.
In order to meet high expectations for this season, the Gators should take at least one of the two matches in this challenge.
After the VERT Challenge, the Gators will hit the road and head to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to participate in the SEC-ACC Challenge, where they’ll play against N.C State and North Carolina on Sept. 2, followed by eight consecutive home games.
Contact jahlum@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @justinn_case1.
Rhamat Alhassan jumps for a kill during Florida's 3-0 win over Ole Miss on Oct. 28, 2016.
