08 VB Preview: Middle Blockers
Friday, August 1, 2008 | Volleyball
Editor's Note: This is the final edition of a five-part position-by-position preview of the 2008 Florida volleyball team that will be posted on GatorZone.com daily during the week of July 28. Florida begins its 2008 season on Aug. 29, when it plays host to UAB at 7 p.m.
The key to the success of any team is its health. Anytime a lineup is depleted and players lose time on the court due to injuries, the playing rotation is disrupted and the team is forced to make adjustments. Fortunately for the Gators, despite several critical injuries in the 2007 campaign, they were still able to thrive and make the program's 16th NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance.
Florida's middle blockers could prove to be the Gators' biggest question mark or their greatest strength in 2008. Keeping the front-line players healthy will be crucial if Florida looks to make the program's eighth trip to the Final Four.
| MIDDLE BLOCKERS | |||||
| 35 | Kelsey Bowers | MB | 6-2 | Sr. | Gainesville, Fla. |
| 15 | Kristina Johnson | MB | 6-2 | R-Jr. | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 21 | Cassandra Anderson | MB | 6-1 | Fr. | Bakersfield, Calif. |
| 14 | Betsy Smith | MB | 6-2 | Fr. | Atlanta, Ga. |
A pair of veterans in Kelsey Bowers, a 6-foot-2 senior, and Kristina Johnson, a 6-foot-2 redshirt junior, return to headline an experienced middle blocking corps. Freshmen Cassandra Anderson and Betsy Smith join the Gators to add depth at that position.
“The key in the middle blocker position will be the health status,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “If we can get both Kelsey and KJ on the court completely healthy, we will have one of the quickest middle blocker combinations in the country. Cassandra and Betsy are just as quick and, as they gain experience playing that position in college, we will have great depth with them as well.”
Bowers, an All-SEC second-team member in 2007 and an Academic All-America selection, was second in the Southeastern Conference in hitting percentage with a .361 clip and seventh in blocks with 1.31 rejections per game a year ago. In SEC matches only, she hit a league-leading .402.
Bowers hit .400 or better in 13 matches last season, including five of her last eight. She led or tied for the team lead in blocks on six occasions in 2007. Bowers has tallied double-digit blocks six times in her Gator career, including twice last season. A strong performer in the classroom, Bowers was named Volleyball Magazine's December, 2007 Scholar Athlete of the Month.
Johnson battled through injuries during the 2007 campaign after a breakout redshirt freshman season in 2006. Her rookie year, Johnson was a member of the SEC All-Freshman team, ranking 31st in the nation in hitting percentage with a .372 clip, which set the UF freshman record. She also ranked eighth in the conference with 1.17 blocks per game, which was tied for third in school history in rejections by a freshman.
Anderson, 6-foot-1, helped her TCA club team to the 18 Open Division Championship of the USA Volleyball Junior Nationals this past June. She is the No. 17 recruit in the nation, according to PrepVolleyball.com, and has been noted for her impressive leaping ability and athleticism.
Smith, the National Christian School Athletic Association Large-School Division National Volleyball Player of the Year, is the nation's 26th-ranked recruit by PrepVolleyball.com. She was Georgia's 2007 Gatorade Player of the Year and holds her school's career records in kills (1,478) and hitting percentage (.369), as well as the school's single season kills record.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
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GETTING TO KNOW FLORIDA'S MIDDLE BLOCKERS
Hobbies or Interests
· Kelsey Bowers – Scuba diving, traveling, painting and ceramics.
· Kristina Johnson – Cooking, singing and being happy.
· Cassandra Anderson – Spending time with friends and family, playing volleyball and taking pictures.
· Betsy Smith – Was a peer leader for other students in high school.
Gator Nation Tie-In
· Kelsey Bowers – A Gainesville native who chose Florida for the program's storied history and for the climate.
· Kristina Johnson – Chose Florida because of the academic and athletic attention given to student-athletes and because of the volleyball team's success.
· Cassandra Anderson – Chose Florida over Washington and Oregon.
· Betsy Smith – Chose Florida over Penn State, Georgia Tech, Purdue and Ohio State for the combination of strong academics and athletics.
Major or Career Aspiration
· Kelsey Bowers – Majoring in public relations and would like to play volleyball overseas.
· Kristina Johnson – Would like to be a social worker upon graduation.
· Cassandra Anderson – Aspires to start her own clothing line or pursue modeling as a career.
· Betsy Smith – Aspires to play professionally or enter the field of orthopedic surgery.
END OF REPORT
