Gators volleyball team is worth a trip to O-Dome
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 | Gymnastics, Volleyball, Scott Carter
A friend in Tampa called the other day asking about the UF volleyball team. His 12-year-old daughter has taken an interest in the sport and wants to come to a game.
He wanted to know if the No. 1-ranked Gators would be at home in the NCAA Tournament. I told him if they weren't, the NCAA should just stop ranking teams.
Of course, the Gators learned Sunday that they are not only hosting a first-round event, but that they are the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament for the first time in school history.
The Gators (27-1) enter the tournament on a 22-match win streak and a perfect season in the SEC, becoming the first team to go undefeated in the league since the 2003 Gators and first since the SEC adopted a 20-game league schedule.
Florida finished the job with a victory at South Carolina on Friday to conclude the regular season.
“They wanted to write history,” Florida coach Mary Wise said. “To accomplish that, there was really a great sense of pride and accomplishment.''
Florida opens the NCAA Tournament on Friday night against South Carolina State at the O'Connell Center. The winner faces the Florida State-Georgia Southern winner on Saturday to advance to the second round.
Wise is ready for the Gators' journey to begin.
“It's going to be an awesome tournament and we're thrilled to be playing at home to start it,'' she said. “It gives us a chance once again to play in the O'Connell Center and we're hoping that we can have great crowds all weekend.''
Back to that friend of mine. He doesn't know anything about volleyball except what his daughter tells him.
He asked if the Gators are really that good and if they have a chance to win the tournament. I told him I'm no volleyball expert myself, but that yes, this is a team worth a trip up Interstate 75 to watch and that the Gators are a contender, not a pretender.
If you're like my friend and wonder if it's worth your time to visit the O'Connell Center on Friday, here are five reasons this team is worth watching:
--Yes, they are worthy of that No. 1 ranking. The Gators' only loss came to then-No. 1 Penn State in early September, but they rebounded the next day to knock off traditional power Texas and haven't lost since.
--If you like watching an athlete perform at his/her highest level, then you'll want to keep an eye on Florida junior right-side hitter/setter Kelly Murphy. Off the court, Murphy is quiet and unassuming, but when she gets on it, she turns into the Gators' most dangerous player. Murphy was named SEC Player of the Year on Monday.
--Senior Callie Rivers is at the end of her career, and if you haven't seen her play, the Gators' team leader is worthy of your attention. If you're of a certain age like myself, you can remember the competitiveness and leadership her dad, Doc Rivers, showed during his NBA career. His daughter has those same qualities.
--The emotion the Gators show is contagious. Players such as Kristy Jaeckel and Rivers make sure the energy level remains high and the on-court celebrations after nearly every point remind you how much the players really care.
--This is Wise's 20th season and perhaps her best shot to win her first NCAA title. Wise started her coaching career as a 21-year-old head coach at Iowa State. She still projects a youthful presence on Florida's bench and an NCAA title would be a crowning achievement for the veteran coach.
