The University of Florida volleyball program has an illustrious history. Eight Final Four appearances, 25 Southeastern Conference Championships, 32 consecutive 20-win seasons and 32 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Despite that success, the Gators have yet to hoist the national championship trophy. Mary Wise, entering her 33rd year as head coach and one of the winningest coaches in the sport, still looks to take it all.
But this year, there’s a feeling amongst the players — a feeling of a breakthrough year and of potential dominance. A feeling of something special.
The Gators are poised to make noise in SEC play with 10 returning players from last year’s squad. But they want more.
They want to make a statement on the national level and secure the program's first national championship in Florida volleyball history.
“I think a lot of people have preconceived notions about what our team is going to look like this year,” junior middle blocker Gabrielle Essix said. “But I don’t think anybody’s going to be able to expect what we have.”
Essix and her teammates have raved about the strong team chemistry the team has built. The team takes trips and spends a lot of time together outside of volleyball. This chemistry could help lead to success, sophomore setter Alexis Stucky said.
“I’ve never been on a team with better team chemistry than this,” Stucky said. “I feel like that translates really well to the court because we all really love each other and genuinely want the best for each other.”
Last season, Pittsburgh knocked UF out in the Sweet 16. Despite a close match with the Panthers, the Gators fell 3-1. After the game, Wise talked about the experienced Pittsburgh roster, which played a major factor in their victory.
This year, it's the Gators with the experience. The team has four incoming freshmen and two transfer players joining the 10 returning players. It's been an easy transition with UF’s six newcomers, allowing the team to focus more on fundamentals, Essix said.
“We can definitely focus more on details in the gym rather than focusing on what our team culture looks like,” she said. “We know that everybody on the team loves each other, and we never have to worry about who’s playing next and there’s no tension on the team.”
Despite the experience, the Gators have a tough schedule, which Stucky described as brutal. The team will open the season playing against some of the top teams in the nation. Before the SEC play begins, the team will play Penn State, Stanford, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Stanford and Penn State have combined for 16 national titles.
Last season, the Gators earned one of their biggest wins of the season against Wisconsin in front of a record sell-out crowd on the road. Florida will host the Badgers this season in a clash between two top teams in the women’s college volleyball world.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier during conference play. Florida was picked to finish second in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll behind Kentucky, who the Gators will face twice during the season. Senior libero Elli McKissock said the team has to take it one game at a time and not take any games for granted.
Essix knows the team has the talent and potential to make a deep run in the postseason. Even though the program has yet to win a national championship, the game is a constant thought on their mind. And with the national title game being in Tampa Bay, it would be even more special for UF, Essix said.
“We have the control on our team,” she said. “We have the camaraderie. We have the talent. It doesn’t matter who we throw into any lineup, we’re going to be successful.”
McKissock is excited for her last ride with the program and hopes fans will pack the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, she said.
“I want [the fans] to come out and see what this team is about,” McKissock said. “Having more people there, the O’Dome is going to be electric and it’ll drive us to win more games.”
The team’s first game is Aug. 20 against Stetson in an exhibition match. Regular season play begins Aug. 25 when the Gators face Penn State in the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational. The team will play its first conference game against Auburn on the road Sept. 22.
Contact Bennett Solomon at bsolomon@alligator.org . Follow him on Twitter @B_Soly11.
