Volleyball reporter Nicole Scura is a junior journalism student in her third semester at The Alligator. She is currently a volleyball beat reporter and previously served as hockey beat and enterprise reporters. In her free time she enjoys figure skating, traveling and watching football (Go Bucs!).
The Hurricanes (0-4) will take a swing at the No. 10 Gators (4-1) in Wednesday night’s ACC/SEC Showdown at the Net at 8 p.m.
Florida volleyball, now ranked No. 10 in the nation, faced the most grueling stretch of its schedule this past week, tallying only one loss against No. 6 Wisconsin across three ranked matchups. With three sweeps already under its belt, Florida has asserted itself not only as a competitive threat, but as a dominant force capable of shutting out teams.
No. 17 Florida (3-1) swept No. 20 Baylor (4-1) on Saturday in Waco, Texas, in its third-straight road matchup.
A stellar 11 service aces fueled the Gators’ night against No. 11 Minnesota, leading them to a hard-fought win in Madison, Wisconsin. No. 17 Florida (2-0) triumphed over the Golden Gophers (1-2) 3-1 in its first interconference tournament. The weeklong affair – featuring 18 Big Ten schools and all 16 SEC institutions – gives Florida even more chances to prove themselves as a contender against top teams.
No. 17 Florida (1-0) swept Stony Brook (1-3) in its home opener Sunday afternoon, rebounding from Thursday’s two-set loss against the No. 1 team in the country.
The No. 17 Florida Gators fell to the No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers in a two-set match Thursday night in Arlington, Texas. The win advanced the Cornhuskers to the Spikes Under the Lights championship, where they will face the winner of Penn State vs. Southern Methodist University.
With a tough schedule ahead, the Gators must capitalize on their returning stars, challenge their ranked opponents and fill the gaps left by transfers to find success on the court again. The Gators’ 2025-26 season proved adjustment takes time. After 34 years under head coach Mary Wise, Florida experienced a shake-up when she announced her last full season would be 2024.
Starting Sept. 5 with a faceoff against the Florida Atlantic University Owls, the Gators will begin to host opponents at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the 2026-27 football season. With this, fans will once again combat the challenges of game-day parking. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the largest stadium in Florida, has a capacity of nearly 90,000 people. Fans, students, alumni, families, and more swarm The Swamp, driving parking demand even higher.
With Florida volleyball preparing for the 2026 season, the team has the chance to prove the program can still thrive without longtime head coach Mary Wise, who departed the program after the 2024 season. In 2025, the Gators saw their worst season in over three decades, going 16-12 overall and 9-6 in the SEC, leaving massive room for growth under head coach Ryan Theis. That said, Florida’s roster looks different this year, leaving fans wondering how this season will pan out.
Following a standout first season with the Gators, rising sophomore libero Lily Hayes has made another memorable mark on the court. Representing Team USA in the 2026 NORCECA Women’s U21 Pan American Cup, Hayes helped the team bring home gold.
Solutions by The State News
