Florida Volleyball Notebook: Aug. 21
Saturday, August 22, 2009 | Volleyball
AUDIO: Coach Wise podcast, assessing the 2009 training camp (.MP3).
When 14 Florida volleyball players made the commitment to stay in Gainesville during the summer to take classes and participate in conditioning with strength and conditioning coordinator Matt DeLancey, head coach Mary Wise knew that such dedication would pay off in the long run.
During the course of the 2009 training camp, Wise has seen the result of that hard work in increased endurance and quicker recovery time during the team's two-a-day practices these past two weeks.
“We said before we started this training camp that we were in a better position this year than we were a year ago,” Wise said. “That's partly because there aren't so many newcomers starting from the very beginning, but also because we had 14 of the 15 players here this summer. You just can't put a value on how helpful it is when they are in such good shape.”
While players may have shown signs of fatigue during the second practice of two-a-days during the 2008 campaign, Wise says that this year's squad has been able to turn up the intensity in both practices due to the team's increased conditioning.
“We just haven't had to deal with muscle soreness or any slight aches or pains,” Wise said. “We can go hard in the morning and come back in the evening and still go hard because of what great shape they are in.”
DeLancey is in his seventh season coordinating the team's strength and conditioning activities, during which time he has placed an emphasis on year-round, sport-specific, position-specific training.
The Gators will participate in their final day of practice of the 2009 training camp on Saturday at the L. Gale Lemerand Center.
The University of Florida is home to the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Regional. To order 2009 regular season and NCAA Regional tickets, log on to www.GatorZone.com/tickets. Follow Florida Volleyball on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GatorZoneVB and Coach Mary Wise on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GatorMary.
FAN DAY OFFERS ATTENDEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET PLAYERS
The Florida volleyball team will play host to its annual Fan Day on Sunday and, according to head coach Mary Wise, the annual tradition has become a fan favorite because it allows those who attend the opportunity to personally meet and speak with the team's student-athletes.
“This has been a tradition we have done for a number of years,” Wise said. “The players will sign autographs on the posters and then we will put them out on the court and divide them into two teams to play the Orange and Blue Scrimmage. It's a great opportunity to meet the players. I think the fans who go through the line enjoy it because they get to have that face-to-face interaction with the players, and then also the chance to see the excitement of the new players and the differences in the players they might not have seen since last December.”
REMINDER: FAN DAY - AUGUST 23
Florida volleyball will host its annual Fan Day and Orange & Blue Scrimmage on Sunday, Aug. 23 in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Gates open at 12:30 p.m. and autographs with players and student-athletes begin at 1 p.m. The intra-squad scrimmage will take place at approximately 2 p.m.
END OF REPORT
