Florida Volleyball Notebook - Aug. 25
Monday, August 25, 2008 | Volleyball
While Cusack's role as the Gators' leader on the back row will not change this season, things will seem a little different without long-time teammate Marcie Hampton by her side.
Cusack and Hampton were teammates at P.K. Yonge High School in Gainesville, as their team captured the Florida High School Athletics Association state championship in 2002. Hampton moved on to UF in 2004, while Cusack followed in the spring of 2006.
“When Elyse looks to her left or to her right, she won't see Marcie Hampton, who she's passed with not only during two years here of college but at P.K. Yonge High School as well,” Wise said.
Together, Cusack and Hampton were a dynamic force on the back row at Florida. Hampton, who also concluded her career as an outside hitter as one of 12 players in school history to average at least 3.00 kills per game for her career, became the second-fastest player in school history to accumulate 1,000 digs.
Cusack became the fastest player (56 matches) in both SEC and school history to reach the 1,000-dig mark and became just the second player in league history to do so as a sophomore. She was the only Gator in 2007 to play in each of the team's 109 games and finished the year ranked 10th all-time on the UF career digs list with 1,122.
Cusack was the 2006 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and is a two-time AVCA All-South Region honoree. Her 587 digs a year ago marked the second most in a single-season in school history.
Cusack will serve as the leader of Florida's back-row efforts in 2008, assisted by senior Christina Diaz (Hollywood, Fla.) - who Wise has noted made great strides in the weight room this summer - sophomore Erin Fleming (Orlando, Fla.) and freshman Elissa Hausmann (Tampa, Fla.).
“This will be new territory for Elyse,” Wise said. “She's going to have to stabilize our passing. It's almost like asking a football player to stabilize an entire defensive unit. That's how much responsibility we're going to have to put on Elyse.”
And while Cusack will shoulder much of the responsibility for the team's defensive efforts this season, she will not be alone in making sure the team succeeds from the back row.
Diaz made great strides during the most recent offseason and Fleming gained valuable experience a year ago substituting into the back row for All-America right-side hitter Amber McCray.
“Christina, now in her fourth year, has emerged as one of the team's best leaders - especially in the weight room,” Wise said. “She has become an invaluable member of our program.
“Erin played a huge role for us coming in for Amber McCray in the back row last year. Our three Floridian defensive specialists - Christina Diaz, Erin Fleming and Elissa Hausmann - will be asked to help us coming off the bench.”
Florida opens its 2008 season by hosting the Aquafina Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the O'Connell Center. The Gators square off with Conference USA foe UAB on Friday at 7 p.m. and face Big West Conference member Pacific on Saturday at 4 p.m.
