Gators Ready for Road (VERT) Challenge to Open 2016 Campaign

Friday, August 26

Eugene, OR

7 PM

Florida Gators

Nebraska

Tickets

No. 1 Nebraska and No. 10 Florida play the first match of the 2016 VERT Challenge Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

Gators Ready for Road (VERT) Challenge to Open 2016 Campaign

Thursday, August 25, 2016 | Volleyball

Florida will face No. 1 Nebraska and Oregon in the VERT Challenge in Eugene.

By: Kelly Sobers

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The 2016 season is upon us and the No. 10 Florida Gators will waste no time delving into a challenging preseason schedule, one that features defending National Champion and preseason No. 1 Nebraska first on the slate for a top-10 showdown Friday in Eugene, Ore. The Gators and Huskers will clash at 7 p.m. (ET) at Matthew Knight Arena in the first match of the 2016 installment of the VERT Challenge, hosted this year by the University of Oregon. UF will face the home-team Ducks Saturday at 9 p.m. (ET) live on Pac-12 Network.

Read: Florida Match Notes | Media Day

The VERT Challenge is in its second year of a four-year rotation between four power programs: Florida, Nebraska, Oregon and Texas. The Longhorns hosted last season, while Gators will host the 2017 VERT Challenge with Nebraska on tap in 2018.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday, Aug. 26 vs. No. 1 Nebraska
Radio Stream (Tom Collett) + live on ESPN Gainesville (95.3 FM, 850 AM) | Live Stream

Saturday, Aug. 27 at Oregon
TV: Pac 12 Network | Radio Stream (Tom Collett) + live on ESPN Gainesville (95.3 FM, 850 AM) | Live Stream

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
No. 1 Nebraska | 32-4, 17-3 Big Ten in 2015
Florida and Nebraska will meet for the 10th time in program history
• Nebraska leads the series: 7-2 (1-5 under Mary Wise)
• 3-set: 0-4; 4-set: 0-1; 5-set: 2-2
• Home: 1-1 | Away: 0-3 | Neutral: 1-3
• Last Time Out: Aug. 29, 2010 at Omaha in Runza/AVCA Showcase W, 3-2 (25-22, 25-22, 31-29, 25-13, 15-12)

Oregon | 16-14, 10-10 Pac 12 in 2015
Florida and Oregon will meet for the third time in program history and in back-to-back years Saturday
• Florida leads: 2-0 (2-0 under Mary Wise)
• 3-set: 2-0 | 4-set: 0-0 | 5-set: 0-0
• Home: 1-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-0
• Last Time Out: Sept. 4, 2015 at Austin in VERT Challenge W, 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-20)

NOTABLES

Three times the Gators have opened their season with the No. 1-ranked team: 1996 (Hawai'i), 1999 (Penn State) and 2003 (Southern California). Florida has played teams ranked No. 1 on 15 different occasions in program history and is 2-13 in those matchups. Friday's match will be the second between the Gators and Huskers with Nebraska ranked No. 1 (Dec. 10, 2005)
With several question marks to be answered, and a whole new squad from a year ago -- one that features nine newcomers and nine returners entering 2016 -- the Gators enter the season with one goal in mind: to learn a lot along the way and to be playing their best volleyball come December
Florida boasts three returning All-American starters in defensive dandy and team captain Rhamat Alhassan, lone senior Alex Holston and hot hitting outside Carli Snyder. Alhassan enters her junior season at the University of Florida as the active career leader in the NCAA in hitting efficiency (.437) and is tied for second in career blocks per set (1.47)
With their home venue, the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, undergoing a $64.5 million renovation this year, the Orange and Blue will play three weeks on the road -- a total of eight matches -- to start the campaign before opening at home Sept. 16. That stretch features not only three road tournaments, but two top-25 clashes, first with the Huskers, then with Sunshine State foe and preseason No. 17 FSU on Sept. 14 in Seminole territory

BIG PICTURE
The Gators finished the 2015 season 25-7 overall, 13-5 in the SEC (fourth). UF made its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance and owns the fourth-longest streak in the nation for consecutive NCAA appearances. Florida advanced to the program's 15th Elite Eight last season, owns 21 Southeastern Conference Championships and is led by renowned head coach Mary Wise, who enters her 26th season in 2016. Wise is the third-winningest active Division I head coach in the country and owns the most victories among DI women's head coaches. She enters this year with a career record of 848-158 (.843) and a UF record of 767-95 (.890), has guided Florida to seven Final Fours, a National Championship Match berth in 2003 and has tutored all 35 Florida All-Americans to 90 All-America honors.

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