The No. 5 Gators walked out of the O’Connell Center on Saturday as the Active Ankle Challenge champions but not without taking some major blows on defense.
On Thursday, Redshirt senior middle blocker Chloe Mann had her number retired by her alma mater, Eastside High.
She never minded wearing a mask. She did it for four years.
Although it may seem as if Florida was run out of the gym by then-No. 1 Penn State on Sunday, there were enough positives to leave the Gators optimistic moving forward.
In the finale of the Campus USA Invite last week, Florida rebounded to defeat Duke after showing some signs of weakness against LIU-Brooklyn the previous night.
The Gators upset No. 2 Stanford on Saturday, but their luck came to an end against No. 1 Penn State on Sunday after they were swept 25–18, 25–17, 25–20.
Spending the last two years under the tutelage of Chloe Mann and Betsy Smith, middle blocker Simone Antwi proved on Saturday that she has been a good student.
The Gators continued their solid start to the 2013 season Thursday.
When Florida swept Duke in three straight sets to capture the Campus USA Credit Union Invite on Sunday, they walked away with more than a trophy.
Despite the Gators’ perfect 3-0 record to begin the season, coach Mary Wise said the team still has a laundry list of imperfections that must be corrected before the Big Four Classic starts Saturday.
During Saturday’s home match against Duke, winning points became almost too easy for the ninth-ranked Gators women’s volleyball team.
After blowing out New Orleans in the first match of the day, No. 9 Florida came back down to earth against LIU-Brooklyn in the second game of the double-header Friday.
There were few signs of any offseason rust for No. 9 Florida (1-0) in its season opener as it swept New Orleans in three sets (25-7,25-9,25-12) Friday afternoon.
For Jennifer Robinson, returning to Gainesville meant reliving one of the most successful seasons of her volleyball career.
When Florida dropped the fourth and final set to Illinois in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Mary Wise began one of the most difficult offseasons she has ever had in her 21 years as a head coach.
With 6-foot-2 Betsy Smith and 6-foot-4 Tangerine Wiggs patrolling the net last season, coach Mary Wise never had to worry about the Gators not getting enough blocks.
Mary Wise’s Frankenstein-like creation that was the 2012 squad was pieced together to fill the gaps left by season-ending injuries and graduating seniors.
Ziva Recek was as good as anyone could have expected in 2012.
Noami Santos-Lamb is healthy and ready to get going.
With an injury-plagued, youthful and inexperienced team, coach Mary Wise said making the NCAA Tournament was an accomplishment in itself.
Solutions by The State News
