Gators volleyball: 3 takeaways from UF’s exhibition game
By Mari Faiello | Aug. 25, 2019Saturday afternoon may have just been an exhibition match, but it gave Gator Nation a real glimpse at what could be in store for its volleyball team this year.
Saturday afternoon may have just been an exhibition match, but it gave Gator Nation a real glimpse at what could be in store for its volleyball team this year.
Florida’s football team may have had a slightly shorter offseason than the majority of Division I football teams, but it still had 238 days since its last snap of meaningful football to prepare for Miami.
The contrast between Florida’s two lines on Saturday in Orlando was evident. No. 8 Florida came out on top against Miami, 24-20, with the help of its defensive line and its aggressiveness at the line of scrimmage, but the offensive line still remains a huge question mark.
It wasn’t the game Florida’s players hoped it would be.
The Gators won. That’s about the only thing that went right.
Darrielle King stood at the net with her knees bent and arms down by her sides. The middle blocker stared fiercely through the net toward her opponents as the ball crossed the net’s plane from her own baseline.
Junior forward Deanne Rose played in only 10 out of the 21 games for Florida’s soccer team in the 2018-19 campaign. She recorded two goals while playing 718 minutes last year due to national team commitments with Canada.
Florida fans won’t have to wait long for the competition to heat up when it comes to Gators volleyball.
Florida soccer coach Becky Burleigh still has a plethora of weapons at her disposal this season despite losing 11 seniors, including four that started in the 1-0 overtime loss against Arkansas in the SEC Tournament semifinals that ended Florida’s 2018-19 campaign.
Florida opens its season against Miami on Saturday night. Here are several key positional matchups to keep an eye on as the Gators and Hurricanes renew their rivalry.
Florida takes on the Hurricanes in Orlando on Saturday in the first matchup between the two teams since 2013. Football writers Sam Campisano, Dylan Rudolph, Kyle Wood and Tyler Nettuno give their predictions for the game below.
The offseason finish line is finally in sight for Gators volleyball fans with just two days remaining until the team hits the court against UCF. It’s the first time Florida will compete since an early NCAA Tournament exit at BYU last season.
The Florida football team is experiencing unfamiliar continuity under center in returning starting quarterback Feleipe Franks. The same cannot be said for the offensive line, the unit charged with protecting the focal point of the Gators offense.
Making a good team a great team is rarely cut and dry. Florida won 19 games in former coach Jim McElwain’s first two years, but failed to reach the ultimate stage.
Florida’s soccer team had a disappointing 2018-19 campaign. The Gators made it to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 but finished with a losing record for the first time in program history last year.
Florida and Miami will meet in Orlando five days from now to commence the 2019 college football season. Both teams had a lot of turnover during the offseason. Here are three storylines to know about this Gators team heading into this weekend’s contest:
Twenty six players.
Saturday’s season opener will not be the last chapter written in the Florida-Miami rivalry.
Another season of fall sports at UF is upon us.
The final edition of alligatorSports' Position-by-Position series focuses on the most inexperienced unit on UF's depth chart: tight end.