Florida Volleyball Notebook - Aug. 13
Thursday, August 14, 2008 | Volleyball
Senior Kelsey Bowers (Gainesville, Fla.) on Wednesday practiced for the first time this fall after suffering a back injury during her participation with the United States A2 team in the USA Adult Open Volleyball Championships in Atlanta this past May.
“It has been a long summer for Kelsey,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “This is the first time that she has been able to practice since she hurt her back in Atlanta at the A2. That was disappointing, but she really enjoyed the event. The USA experiences are great, but the risk factor is getting an injury. To get her full speed and back on the court was the best thing to happen today. In back-to-back days, we now have two of our middles back.”
Bowers, one of the team's true leaders, has not only spent the summer trying to recover from her injury, but has been inspirational to her teammates both in the weight room and during the squad's first few days of practice.
“Something that we ask of our seniors is to provide leadership,” Wise said. “They are coaches on the floor and, when Kelsey's not on the floor, she's still giving instruction and is very involved. Kelsey is a special personality and a great teammate. I think she would do anything we asked of her to help the team get better.”
Bowers is a two-time second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection (2006-07) who led the league in hitting percentage (SEC matches only) with a .402 clip and ranked second overall with a .361 efficiency in 2007. She averaged a team-best 1.31 blocks per game, tying for the third- best average in program history by a junior. Bowers hit .400 or better in 13 matches last season and led or tied for the team lead in blocks on 16 occasions.
Bowers is also a leader in the classroom, where she is a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III selection. She was Volleyball Magazine's Scholar-Athlete of the Month in December 2007 and is a three- time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient.
The Gators begin their 2008 season by hosting the Aquafina Invitational in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Florida's first match is set for 7 p.m. on Aug. 29 when the Gators play host to UAB.
WISE SERVES AS SPEAKER AT UF EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
Wise served as the featured speaker at the University of Florida Business Affairs and Human Resource Services Employee Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday afternoon. The function, held in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, provided an opportunity to thank a number of the University's employees for their hard work and dedication.
Wise spoke about three different types of personalities that are prevalent both in the workforce and on the volleyball court, saying that each of the three personalities was important and people with each of those traits all combined to make their “team” great.
“It was a luncheon for many of the UF staff members, from our University Police Department to our maintenance division, and I think there were a couple of thousand people in attendance,” Wise said. “Like in volleyball, in life, there are people who work hard every day who don't get the recognition. The jobs they do don't necessarily make the headlines. That was what the luncheon was all about. It was an opportunity to thank them on behalf of all of the coaches here. They help make our jobs as good as they are.”
Wise ended her speech by saying that it is the hard work of those employees who make it possible for everyone to be able to say “Go Gators!”
REMINDER – FAN DAY ON SUNDAY, AUG. 24
Florida will host its annual Fan Day and Orange and Blue Match on Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. with autographs scheduled for 1 p.m. and the scrimmage set for 2 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public with a reminder that only the team poster, which will be provided upon entrance, may be autographed.
