Florida Volleyball Notebook - Aug. 26
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 | Volleyball
When Florida volleyball fans look over the team's 2008 roster at Friday's season opener vs. UAB at 7 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, they will see a number of new players on the roster this season. But it's not just the new faces that fans will have to adjust to this season, it is also the players' names that may prove to be a challenge.
The names of eight players begin with the “KUH” sound, and by the time you throw in the team's coaches and support staff, that number increases to 12. Not to mention, in that group, there are three Kell(e)y's - freshman setter/right-side hitter Kelly Murphy, coordinator of volleyball operations Kelley Kish and academic advisor Kelly Bradley. The other duplicate names, spelled differently, are senior defensive specialist Christina Diaz and junior middle blocker Kristina Johnson.
Throw in senior middle blocker Kelsey Bowers, sophomore outside hitter Callie Rivers and redshirt freshman outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel and it's sure to be a tongue-twister when reciting the Gators' roster. There is also freshman middle blocker Cassandra Anderson and freshman outside hitter Colleen Ward. Two new members on the coaching staff are Ken Ko and Chris Keen.
“We joked about passing out name tags at the start of practice,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said on her radio show Monday night. “But think how much harder it is when we have a Kelsey, a Christina, a KJ, a Kelly, a Callie and a Kristy.”
Having a number of players with similar names is nothing new to the Gators, who in the late 1990s, were known for their affinity for players with the name Jennifer.
It may have been most easy to confuse names on the 1998 edition of the Florida volleyball team as it included four players named Jennifer - Jeni Jones, Jenni Keene, Jenny Manz, and Jen Sanchez. Additional players whose names began with J included Jerilyn Hattendorf and Janie Velentzas. Staff members whose names began with J included student trainer Jessica Effinger, assistant sports information director Johanna Sarnowski and student manager Jamie Shoemaker.
In 1999, with Jones as a student assistant coach, the Florida players and staff included Hattendorf, Manz, Jessica Riester, Sanchez, Sarnowski and Jenny Whitehead, a senior transfer from Michigan State.
The 1996 edition of the squad included a school-record five Jennifers - Jones, Keene, Manz, Sanchez and Jenny Wood. From 1996 to 1999, the Gators averaged 4.2 players or staff members per season with the first name of Jennifer.
| Season | Name Game | Similar Names (players and staff members) |
| 2008 | Twelve first names with similar beginnings | Cassandra Anderson, Kelly Bradley, Kelsey Bowers, Christina Diaz, Kristy Jaeckel, Kristina Johnson, Chris Keen, Kelley Kish, Ken Ko, Kelly Murphy, Callie Rivers, Colleen Ward. |
| 1999 | Seven players/staff members with first names beginning with the letter J and four Jennifers | Jerilyn Hattendorf, Jeni Jones, Jenny Manz, Jessica Riester, Jen Sanchez, Johanna Sarnowski, Jenny Whitehead. |
| 1998 | Four Jennifers and nine players/staff members with first names beginning with the letter J | Jessica Effinger, Jerilyn Hattendorf, Jeni Jones, Jenni Keene, Jenny Manz, Jen Sanchez, Johanna Sarnowski, Jamie Shoemaker, Janie Velentzas. |
| 1997 | Four Jennifers and seven players/staff members with first names beginning with the letter J | Jackie Fonte, Jerilyn Hattendorf, Jeni Jones, Jenni Keene, Jenny Manz, Jen Sanchez, Janie Velentzas. |
| 1996 | Five Jennifers and nine staff members with first names beginning with the letter J | Jackie Fonte, Jeni Jones, Jenni Keene, Jenny Manz, J.J. Ryals, Jen Sanchez, Julie Stanhope, Janie Velentzas, Jenny Wood. |
END OF REPORT
