Volleyball Media Opportunity Quotes
Friday, August 29, 2008 | Volleyball
FLORIDA HEAD COACH MARY WISE
On whether Florida has run the 6-2 offense before…
“Yes, in 2004, in the early pre-SEC schedule we did with Lauren Moscovic and Angie McGinnis. The setters we had little trouble with. The problem was, we just didn't have the right-side players to go along with it. Right now, I feel that Kelly's combination of being able to hit and set is one key, and the other, whether it's Lauren Bledsoe, Kristy Jaeckel or even Colleen Ward, we've got depth and talent to play the other front-row right-side position.”
On how big of a difference running the 6-2 will be for Florida's returning players…
“Minimal. Every other offensive system that we run has a 6-2 component to it in that every offense that you see in the college game will have a three-hitter attack at some point. The difference is that this always has a three-hitter attack, so not a big difference at all.”
On her thoughts on playing UAB…
“When you're coaching a really young team, probably the last team you would want to pick to open up against is a team full of seniors with a lot of international experience. That's UAB. It's going to be, for our young team in the first match of the season, we'll have our hands full in a big way.”
On the improving strength of the SEC…
“Over the course of our tenure, there have always been one or two teams that would make a run - thinking back to LSU in the early '90s, Georgia in the mid '90s and Arkansas then South Carolina. It would seem like you would get these teams where they would have this one to two-year peak period where they would be senior dominated and then they'd have to start over. That was true for so long, including Tennessee when they went to the Final Four. I think the difference now is that we're seeing that in the SEC, there is not quite that four-year cycle. We're seeing through really good coaching and really great talent, teams that are good year-in and year-out and don't seem to be affected by graduation.”
On what fans will be excited to see from the Gators this season…
“I think fans will be excited about the foot speed of this team. We are a very fast team and a very athletic team, but we have been for years. I think the biggest change for our fans, and this will be true not only of Gator fans, but volleyball fans throughout the country, 3-0 wins are just not going to be the norm. If a team wins 3-1 or 3-2, fans that are used to winning 3-0, whether they are Penn State fans or Nebraska fans - are going to wonder what is wrong with their home team. Nothing is wrong with your home team. It's a difference in scoring. Our men's Olympic team won the gold and they were winning 3-1 and 3-2. Because of the change in scoring to 25-point sets, 3-1 and 3-2 are much more the norm. The key is, it's still a win.”
On the high expectations on freshman right-side/setter Kelly Murphy…
“We haven't asked Kelly to do anything different than what we are asking of any of the other freshmen. Just like we don't put much stock into preseason hype about the Gators, we have never been big about rankings or preseason hype about players. We've talked with Kelly about the role she needs to fill to be successful, but she's having the same dialogue that they're all being told. For us to win, we need you to do a certain thing. The difference is, obviously, that Kelly's hitting and setting. That in itself is unique.”
FLORIDA PLAYER QUOTES
#35 KELSEY BOWERS, MB
On how practice has gone this preseason…
“Things are going really well. We're really excited about our first match. We're excited to play someone other than ourselves.”
On facing a veteran UAB team in the first match of the season…
“We love being competitive and playing really good teams. We're excited to play UAB, it will be a really good match.”
On Florida having a young team this season…
“Everyone says we're a young team and, even though we're a young team, we keep the same expectations every year. We're going to try to be that same really good team. We run a 6-2 now, so things will be different and our fans will have the opportunity to see some of the changes, but we're the same Gators.”
#3 CHRISTINA DIAZ, DS
On how practice has gone this preseason…
“We're having a lot of fun at practice. We have a lot of freshmen, but we also have the No. 1 recruiting class. Friday is our first test and we're excited for it.”
On whether the freshmen will be nervous playing at home for the first time…
“I think even as seniors, when you're in the O'Dome and they turn the lights off and you get to jump around and the fans are yelling, it starts getting your adrenaline pumping. I think they'll be fine.”
On whether she is excited to play a veteran UAB team…
“I definitely think that. I know that Mary always puts together a tough schedule for us, just to prepare us for the end of the season. It will be interesting. UAB has a bunch of foreign players, who are always fun to play with their shots and different games. I think our team is prepared to play another team.”
#12 KELLY MURPHY, RS/S
On her decision to attend Florida…
“When I visited here, I really liked everyone on the team and the coaching staff. Just walking around the campus, it seemed like a good fit.”
On who has helped her adjust to the college experience…
“I think the veteran players and even the sophomores, because they've all been here before. I just got here, so there's a lot of stuff to get used to. They've all made it really easy to adjust to playing on the court because they know you're kind of nervous walking in as a freshman and they definitely made it easy to adjust.”
On whether she has felt any pressure from expectations…
“When I'm out there playing, I try not to feel it and just play in the moment. It hasn't been overwhelming at all.”
#5 CALLIE RIVERS, OH
On the team's progress heading into Friday night's opener…
“I think that our team is doing a very good job. I think the Orange and Blue match gave us a lot of confidence that we're gelling together as a team.”
On who will be the “go-to” player this season…
“We're not necessarily trying to put all of our eggs in one basket. We have a very versatile time. We have 14 players on our team and we have a lot of different varieties of lineups we can use and I think that's what's going to make us hard to defend. As a team, we think more like we're going to do it rather than 'this person has to do it.'”
END OF REPORT
