After the Gators were swept in a regular-season conference match for the first time under coach Mary Wise, nobody knew how they would respond.
The decision that helped win Friday's match for the Gators was made before it even started.
Three weeks after deciding to transfer to Florida, Brynja Rodgers packed everything she had in a U-Haul trailer, hooked it to the back of her 1998 Toyota Camry and drove across the country on her own.
The Gators' run at a 19th-straight conference title is now out of their control.
The Gators have dealt with more changes to the scoring rules than regular-season conference home losses under coach Mary Wise.
On Sunday, the Gators dropped the first set of a conference road match for the second time in five days.
During Florida's recent blocking drought, senior libero Elyse Cusack wrote a quote on the whiteboard before practice that the team will play by for the rest of the season.
While other Southeastern Conference teams have been flying first-class, the Gators have been the class of the league - and saving money in the process.
As Kristy Jaeckel's attack hit the O'Connell Center floor just beyond the in-bounds line, every player on the Florida volleyball team faced an outcome they had never been a part of: a regular-season loss at home.
In the span of a season, one of Florida's oldest volleyball rivalries has changed from a traditionally lopsided affair into a battle for conference supremacy.
Mary Wise gave a quick fist pump as she looked at the stat sheet after Sunday's match. The Gators didn't just outblock an opponent for the first time this season, they dominated at the net.
Friday's match was not only a long-awaited return to the O'Connell Center for the Gators after a lengthy and successful road trip, it also marked Callie Rivers' return to the starting lineup.
Kelly Murphy's versatility has her coach dreaming of a rule change or two.
There was more on the line than usual for Florida.
Before their last match against No. 3 Washington, coach Mary Wise said it wasn't often that the Gators were forced to take the underdog role, as they did in that showdown.
Just looking at the stats from Friday's match, it would seem as if the Gators cruised to an easy three-set victory.
After the UF volleyball team edged FSU in a five-set thriller on Aug. 31, coach Mary Wise said she received feedback from a number of fans saying they couldn't wait to come back and see another match in the O'Connell Center.
TAMPA - The Gators learned the hard way how wide the gap can be between two of the top teams in the country.
TAMPA - The Gators learned the hard way how wide the gap is between two of the top teams in the country.
If the Gators' plans for this season pan out, this weekend will only be the first time they make the trip to Tampa to play in a four-team tournament.
Solutions by The State News
