Florida Volleyball Notebook - Aug. 19
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 | Volleyball
This summer, 12 of the team's 14 roster members remained on campus, or in the case of four freshmen, reported to Gainesville for the first time, to work on their conditioning and their strength training. The benefits of that hard work are already visible for Wise, who said following Tuesday's practice that this year's team is in the best physical shape of any team since the school's 2003 NCAA National Runner-Up squad.
“This past summer, we had more players here training with Matt DeLancey than we have ever had,” Wise said. “We had 12 of the 14 players here and the only two that weren't here [Kelly Murphy and Colleen Ward] were out winning a national championship and were coming off of about seven straight months of training. I think that, physically, this team is in the best shape of any team we've had at this point since 2003.”
Wise noted that while the team's six true freshmen, who comprise the No. 1-ranked recruiting class by both PrepVolleyball.com and Volleyball Magazine, have been battling somewhat of a learning curve, they have been able to advance their progress due to their fitness level.
“It all comes down to being here in the summer,” Wise said. “It's the training that they do in the summer and the benefits we reap from that. We can't fast forward the experience factor, but we are moving forward fast in terms of the training because of the great shape they're in.”
Since DeLancey's arrival prior to the start of the 2003 season, his impact is evident, as the Gators have posted a 32-9 (.780) record in matches lasting four games or longer. His program is designed to allow Florida to be as fresh at the end of the fifth game as it was at the start of the match.
“We believe that we have the country's premier strength and conditioning coach for the sport of volleyball,” Wise said. “It's one of the factors that has led to our success. It is the attention to detail and the sport- specific, position-specific approach that makes the training that we get from Matt so unique. It's not a cookie-cutter program. It is individually designed with state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge training. We combine those two factors and that is why we reap the benefits.”
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.
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.
