The Gators warm up in the Lemerand Athletic Center. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
A Different Home, But Still Home Sweet Home for Gators
Friday, September 16, 2016 | Volleyball
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The UF volleyball team makes its home debut on Friday afternoon vs. Florida A&M.
By: Alex Peterman, Writing Intern
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- They're home. Finally.
Wednesday's win against Florida State marked the eighth straight road game for the Florida Gators volleyball team. It's a schedule that has taken the team from Oregon to Michigan, to New York and Tallahassee.
Yet, while the extended road provides the compelling premise, all eyes are on the unique playing situation that has the team preparing for any number of surprises ahead.
Now that they've finally returned to Gainesville to prepare for their first home match on Friday, "home" carries a very different meaning. Home no longer means the O'Connell Center – the famously nicknamed O'Dome, now under construction – but rather the Lemerand Athletic Center. It will be the first time since 1995 the Gators have played a game in what is typically their practice facility.
The UF volleyball team's homecourt this season has a much different feel than the O'Connell Center, above. (File photo)
In 2016, where they practice is where they play. And competitive play at the Lemerand will open up with the Active Ankle Challenge.
Beginning with their noon matchup against FAMU, the Gators will welcome a crowd of about 700 fans – a far cry from the 2,500 filled seats that the team has grown accustomed to playing for in the O'Dome.
The change in environment presents a unique set of challenges for Coach Mary Wise and her team.
"It's going to be great that we're not traveling, and it'll be extra special to play in front of our home crowd," she said. "But the logistics, it'll be a learning experience for all of us."
For starters, at the start of the week they hadn't even had a practice with the bleachers out, so the amount of room they have to maneuver remains unknown. Wise even went so far as to suggest that the Gators don't have much of an advantage over visiting teams at all, with the notable exception of the home-court fans.
Perhaps the player with the most experience in confined match spaces, outside hitter Carli Snyder, played in front of big, hovering crowds of 2,000-plus in Michigan before committing to Florida.
"It was kind of like the Lem," Snyder said. "So I think I can maybe help in that way. I think I can maybe be more of a vocal leader, help communicate with people that aren't always verbal. So you don't have to scream and hoot and holler all over the place."
The noise was a trending topic among the players. Even though the total fan count will be lower, it will be a much more enclosed environment – with the cheers and applause that much more prominent.
"It's going to be very loud," middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan said. "Very loud. And obviously we're going to feed into that environment, but communication is something that's going to be really important for us."
And that's just the beginning.
With FAMU, Marshall, and Jacksonville visiting for the weekend tournament, the Gators are prepared to play two matches on Friday. Indeed, all of those logistics are about to pop up during the busiest time of their early-season schedule – right before the onset of SEC play.
But through an adjustment weekend that is sure to feature a variety of rarities, the team remains grounded in the opportunity to play at home – to sleep in their own beds, to eat their own food, and most of all, to play in front of a crowd full of orange and blue.
