Thursday, December 14
Kansas City, MO
9 PM
Florida Gators
vs
Stanford
Florida is 7-1 against ranked opponents this season, but it will need two more wins to get its first NCAA title.
Gators Face Defending Champion Stanford in NCAA Semifinals
Tuesday, December 12, 2017 | Volleyball
Florida will have to go through a final four of Division I volleyball royalty to win its first national title
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Florida is back where it belongs: the final four of college volleyball. The second-seeded Gators, who are making their first NCAA Semifinals appearance since a national runner-up finish in 2003, will face third-seeded Stanford Thursday night inside Kansas City, Missouri's Sprint Center.
This is Florida's eighth NCAA Semifinals appearance since 1991—which is tied for fifth-most among Division I programs during that span.
This year's NCAA Semifinals feature arguably the four most successful programs in the country since 1991, head coach Mary Wise's first season with the Gators. In summation, this is a gathering of Division I volleyball royalty.
No Division I program has more wins than any of the final four teams since 1991, with top-seeded Penn State (834) pacing the group, followed by the Gators (823), fifth-seeded Nebraska (782), and Stanford (765). The four programs also account for the most top-15 finishes in the final AVCA rankings since 1991. In terms of NCAA Semifinals appearances since 1991, no one has more than Stanford (15), Penn State (13), and Nebraska (11).
First serve between Florida and Stanford is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. ESPN will provide television coverage, while Tom Collett and Josh Crow will have the radio call for ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF.
Saturday night, the winner of Thursday's match will face the winner of the Nebraska-Penn State match—which is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET—for the NCAA Championship.
BROADCAST INFORMATION | Match Notes
Thursday, Dec. 14 vs. No. 3 Stanford | 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN | Streaming: Watch ESPN [Paul Sunderland, Karch Kiraly] | Radio: Audio Stream [Tom Collett, Josh Crow] (also available via ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF) | Live Stats
FLORIDA NCAA SEMIFINALS NOTABLES
FLORIDA STATISTICAL NOTABLES
SCOUTING THE CARDINAL
No. 3 Stanford | 30-3 overall, 19-1 Pac-12 Conference (champions)
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This is Florida's eighth NCAA Semifinals appearance since 1991—which is tied for fifth-most among Division I programs during that span.
This year's NCAA Semifinals feature arguably the four most successful programs in the country since 1991, head coach Mary Wise's first season with the Gators. In summation, this is a gathering of Division I volleyball royalty.
No Division I program has more wins than any of the final four teams since 1991, with top-seeded Penn State (834) pacing the group, followed by the Gators (823), fifth-seeded Nebraska (782), and Stanford (765). The four programs also account for the most top-15 finishes in the final AVCA rankings since 1991. In terms of NCAA Semifinals appearances since 1991, no one has more than Stanford (15), Penn State (13), and Nebraska (11).
First serve between Florida and Stanford is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. ESPN will provide television coverage, while Tom Collett and Josh Crow will have the radio call for ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF.
Saturday night, the winner of Thursday's match will face the winner of the Nebraska-Penn State match—which is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET—for the NCAA Championship.
BROADCAST INFORMATION | Match Notes
Thursday, Dec. 14 vs. No. 3 Stanford | 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN | Streaming: Watch ESPN [Paul Sunderland, Karch Kiraly] | Radio: Audio Stream [Tom Collett, Josh Crow] (also available via ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF) | Live Stats
FLORIDA NCAA SEMIFINALS NOTABLES
- Florida was the only team which defeated two nationally-seeded teams to reach this year's NCAA Semifinals
- The Gators are 23-6 overall as an overall top-four seed
- Mary Wise boasts a 69-26 (.726) all-time record in the NCAA Tournament, with all her postseason appearances coming as Florida's head coach
- Wise's 69 all-time NCAA Tournament victories are the seventh-most in Division I history
- Florida's 70 all-time NCAA Tournament wins are the eighth-most in Division I history
- The Gators carry a 70-27 (.722) all-time record in NCAA Tournament play
FLORIDA STATISTICAL NOTABLES
- Florida is one of two teams in the nation (VCU) ranked in the top 10 in blocks per set (6th, 3.01) and opponent hitting percentage (2nd, .136)
- The Gators are one of three teams (Nebraska, Wichita State) ranked in the top 15 nationally in hitting percentage (12th, .286) and opponent hitting percentage
- Florida is one of two teams in the country (Kentucky) with two individuals ranked in the top 15 nationally in hitting percentage (Rachael Kramer, 7th, .429; Rhamat Alhassan, 15th, .399), and only the Gators have a third individual in the top 100 (Shainah Joseph, t-51st, .366)
- The Gators are on pace for their lowest opponent hitting percentage (.136) since 2003 (.104)
- Florida held three top-10 opponents at or below a .170 hitting percentage this season—Nebraska (.155); Texas (.156); Kentucky (.170)
- The Gators are 7-1 against ranked opponents this season
SCOUTING THE CARDINAL
No. 3 Stanford | 30-3 overall, 19-1 Pac-12 Conference (champions)
- Series History: Florida trails, 4-6 (4-6 under Mary Wise)
- 3-set: 2-2 | 4-set: 1-2 | 5-set:1-2
- Home: 1-1 | Away: 1-1 | Neutral: 2-4
- NCAA Tournament series: Florida trails, 0-3
- Last Time Out: 2014 NCAA Regional Championship in Ames, Iowa (Dec. 13) --> L, 0-3 (17-25, 22-25, 21-25)
- Notable: Seven-time NCAA champions (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2016); 21 all-time NCAA Semifinals appearances (most in history); eight-time NCAA runner-up
- Player to Watch: Kathryn Plummer, sophomore, outside hitter – ranks sixth nationally in points per set (5.48)
FOLLOW FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL
FloridaGators.com
Coach Mary Wise on Twitter | Coach Mary Wise on Instagram
Players Mentioned
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