Florida volleyball’s 2025 roster is made up primarily of underclassmen. Of the 17-person roster, only four have more than two full years of collegiate experience. Among them is veteran defensive specialist Emily Canaan, who has been the sole senior on the floor for most of this year.
In her fourth and final year with the Gators, Canaan had clear intentions for herself and remained focused as the program changed around her.
“Going into the season, I didn't want to regret anything,” she said. “These are my last of everything, and so I wanted to just make sure that I put it all out there.”
Canaan is no stranger to Florida’s court. The Allen, Texas, native saw action in all of the Gators matches as a freshman, and again in her sophomore and junior campaigns. This year, she has appeared in all of Florida’s matches and started over half of them.
As a rookie in 2022, she ranked second in aces for the Gators squad, charting 37 in the season. She also helped her team to an SEC Championship.
Her sophomore year she started 20 of 29 matches and recorded her career-high 14 digs, which still stands in place now. Her junior season came with just as many successes, becoming the first Gator since 2018 to serve 10 or more consecutive points and leading the team in aces six times.
In 2025, Canaan recorded a season-high 11 digs against Alabama on Sept. 28, has tallied six aces across the season and tied her career-high three assists against South Florida on Sept. 2.
“Emily’s our rock back there,” head coach Ryan Theis said. “Really steady, a great teammate as well and just leads in the calmness category when we need it.”
While her role on the court may not have undergone significant change across her four years, her position off the court magnified. Now, as a senior on an especially young team, her role extends far beyond her outputs on the court and depends more on her leadership.
“I think the biggest difference for me is going from listening in to people, now being the one to speak,” she said. “That's kind of a cool change, but also those people are relying on me to speak my truth.”
When coming into her role, she had two former Florida players she shared the court with as a young player whose impact and character she looked to emulate. Anna Dixon who played for Florida until 2023 and AC Fitzpatrick who played until 2024 were two veterans she looked up to.
In all the uncertainty and change to start Florida’s season, knowing the type of player and teammate she wanted to be was what she had to rely on.
“That's my main focus is being a good teammate. How can I help you and how can you help me in tough situations, good situations,” she said. “I think that's where I kind of my biggest strength as a teammate is kind of like that, and what other people look to me for.”
Overcoming the coaching change during her senior season after three years under former head coach Mary Wise presented its own set of challenges. Canaan and the team had to work to accept that changes were coming to the program and face the obstacles that accompanied that.
Canaan said that there was some adversity there as the team accepted their new normal, but they kept their focus on how they keep going, and keep growing, with the changes in the background.
“Going through the whole coaching change and everything, I didn't know what to expect,” Canaan said. “I knew going into the season that nothing is promised.”
She said she knew even her position was not secure with the talent she is surrounded by, forcing her to work even harder and emerge as a leader on the floor. She is joined in the back row by freshman libero Lily Hayes and her fellow defensive specialists redshirt freshman Ella Vogel and sophomore Bella Lee.
Canaan has formed great friendships with her teammates in the back row. She said she has enjoyed watching the younger players grow and seeing them achieve goals they had for themselves going into the season.
Her young teammates have also felt that connection and leaned on Canaan for her experience and character.
“Right as I got here as a freshman, she welcomed me with open arms,” said sophomore defensive specialist Bella Lee. “We got super close on and off the court. She’s a great teammate, such a great friend and always someone I’ll go to.”
Leaving her teammates is one of the many reasons Canaan is sad to see her senior night approaching, but after four seasons with the Gators, she turns her attention to the future.
After she graduates, Canaan hopes to attend graduate school to get a master’s or doctorate in occupational therapy. She wants to remain in Florida to stay close to the young teammates she has become close with.
“I want to stay close to them, because those are my people,” she said.
The Gators will take on No. 2 Texas for senior night 7 p.m. Friday at the O’Dome.
Contact Ava DiCecca at adicecca@alligator.org. Follow her on X @avadicecca24.
Ava is a sophomore sports journalism student and the volleyball beat reporter for fall 2025. She enjoys playing basketball and volleyball in her free time and going on beach trips with friends. She has been a Boston sports fan all her life (Brad Marchand we miss you).
