Florida Volleyball Media Day Quotes
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 | Volleyball
The University of Florida volleyball team held its annual preseason media day before Wednesday's practice at the L. Gale Lemerand Center. Head Coach Mary Wise and each of the squad's 15 players addressed the media at the event. Below are the quotes in full from the event:
Florida Head Coach Mary Wise
“The good news is that with the core returning players, we're able to build off of where we were a year ago at this time just with the new concepts and all, especially at the defensive end. We also are trying to replace three senior starters. That's half a lineup. In any sport, if you try to replace half your starting lineup, there will be some growing pains and right now, we've got them. It's good news that we don't play for another week and half.”
On the team mentioning a national championship this year vs. only Callie a year ago
“No, I think what you saw is Callie was kind of the spokesperson from a year ago. There are 316 Division I volleyball programs and everyone has that ultimate goal to be playing in September that very last weekend. We understand that it's a process and what we'll do is no different from the past. We're going to look at our pre-SEC season and take those matches as opportunities to get better. The competition we are playing is going to give us those chances. Then we will take the SEC season in its entirety, those 20 matches, that's the complete double round robin in which we do in volleyball and no other sports in the SEC plays, and we're playing every single one of those opponents on the road as well as at home. No one knows you like your league does. They see you from year-to-year, they know all your awards. We will go through the SEC season and then we will refocus for the NCAA tournament. When you have seniors like Kristy Jaeckel and Cassandra Anderson and Kelly Murphy, this is their last go-around. For them to have a sense of urgency, that's what we want in seniors. Their goal is to try and get with Stephanie Ferrell and Elissa Hausmann and get the rest of those younger players to feel it. They'll never feel it the way a senior does, but if they can at least come close to it in terms of their commitment, then we're at least at a good starting point.”
On whether or not she was surprised that this senior class hasn't already been to a Final Four
“Not so much. To get to that point and to be one of four teams playing at the very end of December, you have to have few things going for you. One, you've got to be completely healthy, you have to have a little luck in that case, and then you have to worry about matchups. With every team, there are certain teams that are tough matchups. Look at men's basketball, how many people can predict the four schools that are going to finish. It used to be in women's volleyball, 15 years ago, you could pretty much write it in exactly who was going to be there. Yes, the past few years it would have been a pretty safe bet if you would have said Penn State. They're preseason No. 1 again for a reason. That's not surprising but when there are so many great players playing volleyball now around the country, there's not a given on who's going to be there. I think that's the growth of our sport. We would just like it to be Florida again.”
On Sally Polhamus being added to the coaching staff
“Sally came to us after a stint as the head coach at Winthrop. I first got to know Sally when she was the assistant coach at Georgia Tech. It was on that staff, that Georgia Tech team that went to Hawaii and played in the regional finals, that was a very, very talented team. They were the fast break of women's volleyball. They were what Loyola Marymount was in men's basketball at one point. That's what Georgia Tech was in the offense. We wanted to be unique in defense and we want to be unique in offense. That's why we asked Sally to come on board and we're thrilled. We have a great staff here.”
On how the distribution will look this year
“Well, one of the things we are going to be much better at is getting the balls to our middles, including the SEC's leading blocker. Cassandra Anderson is a really good offensive player. Last year we were very pin-hitter dominant. When you have the likes of Kelly Murphy, Tangerine Wiggs, Stephanie Ferrell and Kristy Jaeckel, on either side, there's a reason why they are getting those balls. We're much better, having spent all spring, at getting balls to our middle hitters. Now we are harder to guard. We used to be pretty predictable. I think everybody knew in the O'Dome when Kelly Murphy is going to get the ball. What we are trying to be is less predictable and we've got the growth of middles like Chloe Mann, from Gainesville, and Betsy Smith, who's been in the program for years, and certainly Cassandra Anderson and the freshman Simone Antwi, a terrific athlete who is going to remind fans of Benavia Jenkins. We have the chance to distribute the ball in more ways. Like a basketball team with five offensive weapons. So that's what we are trying to be.”
On whether or not she's worried the team was exposed by the Purdue loss
“I think everybody who played us, when you have a player of Kelly's stature, everybody in the country knows that. Just the difference was Purdue had the ability to do it. I don't think that that game plan was any different from anybody else who plays us. If you're playing one of the best basketball players in the country, you're probably going to double team that person at some point. Everyone tries it, it's just if you have the personnel to do it. And Purdue obviously did.”
On Chloe Mann's progression
“Chloe is battling for that starting position. She's certainly going to be in the mix. If I had to stop training camp right now, I would say that she would be one of our best players through this. We are watching her game go to a new level. She came to us with really good athletic skills; she just hadn't played volleyball for a long time. What we have in Chloe now is experience combined with the athleticism. I think this is really going to be her breakout year.”
On Holly Pole
“Really lucky that Holly was able to graduate early and start in January. She is literally months ahead of the freshman class. Holly's a baller. She just gets it. You see her, as athletic as she is, she's got a toughness about her. She, too, is competing for playing time. We may have two locals on the court at the same time.”
On the five seniors taking over Callie's role as vocal leaders
“I think it will take more than five. What we ask of our seniors every year is that they provide the leadership. With the numbers, it is distributed, but in many ways Kristy Jaeckel has really taken that role over. At one point this summer, I walked in and saw this very elaborate practice plan written out and I had no idea where it came from. As I looked at it, I thought, 'If that's the practice plan, somebody is going to be in here awhile.' I didn't know if it was a local club team really pushing themselves or what. I came to find out it was a practice plan that the seniors designed for the players that were here in the summer. That's what our seniors did this summer. Not only were they in here playing, they were doing it in an organized practice setting and we've never had that before.”
On Kristy being called 'Mother Hen'
“She's the oldest player on the team. That's a good role for her. 'Grandma' is what the players refer to her as. Kristy is so compliant. I can't remember a time when Kristy was ever late for a meeting or forgot something. She just takes care of business. She's a terrific role model for the other players. When the fans see her this year and see how much higher she's jumping right now, she's in the best shape of her life. She's just evolved over her five years. When she came to us she redshirted because she has a very late birthday and she was very young. Her body is very different now compared to then. She didn't have a whole lot of strength in her. Five years later, having worked with Matt all that time, she's just a different player. Her ability to just take care of business, it allows us to coach her because we aren't spending all that time on all the other things. That's why she's really good with the younger players in that area.”
On Kelly's role this year
“We're still trying to change the rules so she could pass, set and hit on her own but they don't allow that. We have played, in the spring, with an offense where she's setting, and with an offense where Chanel Brown is running the 5-1 offense and Kelly is hitting in all six rotations. She's our leading point scorer and for her to score points for us is huge. We think right now, we would open up in the 6-2 because of our point-scoring ability with Stephanie and Kristy on the left-side and Tangerine on the right-side and with a combination of the middles. In terms of her role, we want her to score more points for us off her serve. She is going to do a lot more of the jump top-spin serve than she's done in the past. She's been clocked over 55 mph as well. We just want her to be able to do that in the O'Dome too.”
On the loss to Purdue
“20 years here, every season has ended with a loss. There's only one team that gets to end it with a win. I don't think our disappointment was different than anybody else's, other than Penn State. While we looked at it, when we showed them tape in January, we knew we had some weaknesses and we knew we had to get better. The personnel wasn't as such to where we could hide it all. It wasn't so much how we played, we could have played the match of our lives and Purdue could have still won and we would still be disappointed.”
“We were not a great backcourt defensive team by any stretch of the imagination a year ago. We're not exactly great right now. We're working hard to get better but that was one of the key areas. We just didn't dig enough balls. We were a great serving and blocking team. The stats prove that. But if a team got it past the block, it was a little scary back there. We have worked really hard on making our back row play. A few years ago we have Elyse Cusack. Elyse was the centerfielder who could run down any ball. We were a really good back row playing team with Elyse. Unfortunately, she had to graduate but now we have Taylor Unroe in that role. A year ago, she was way disappointed (because) she came in with a broken foot and couldn't play. We weren't counting on that. Erin Fleming did such a great job in her place, in a position she never played as a libero. Now we have Taylor for four years. We will be a better serve receive team right now today because of how great of a passer Taylor is. We will be a better defensive team as well.”
On how she is trying to toughen up the team
“I don't know if the drills are any different than the ones we ran in the past. There are certain things you do to create a mindset that a ball is not going to fall. There are certain manipulations that a coach to do to scoring, like 'back to zero.' Three words players don't want to hear. That's all a part of the process. You are just trying to get that mindset that there isn't a ball that will be sprayed in the O'Dome that we can't go get. Now if we can control it, we won't have to chase those down.”
On if there are any freshman surprises
“I don't think there were any surprises just because we've had so many opportunities to watch them through recruiting, but what you don't know is how they learn. One thing that recruiting doesn't really tell you is how they learn: how are they going to adapt to the gym, to the differences in how physical this game is compared to what they played in high school. I will tell you that all three of the (newcomers) have been terrific. Maddy Monserez, player from OVA (Orlando Volleyball Academy), a club team we refer to often because they have such great talent, is just a gritty hard nose player. You meet her and she's a sweet blonde. You wouldn't think she chews glass but that's how she plays on the court.”
“In Simone Antwi, she will remind people of Benavia Jenkins in just the way she's built. She's such a physical high-flying thing. As she gets more understanding of the system, she's got a chance to have a huge impact here because of how high she plays above the net and how physical she is. Matt told me when we started practice that she's doing things in the weight room that we haven't had seniors do. And she just started here July 1st.
“In Noami Santos-Lamb, who comes to us from Puerto Rico, she has a real high volleyball IQ. She's played the game from a young age and she's the one who has a wicked jump-serve. I have a feeling when she goes back to serve, we're hoping that the opponents gasp and the fans in the stands are really looking forward to it. If she's doing 55 mph in a practice setting just during warm-ups, just wait until she gets mad at the head coach or something and see what that speed is going to look like. All three of them have such great talent. The good news is that we're not going to have to rely on them. They will be part of the mix, but they will not have to lead this team. That's our goal: that the freshman wouldn't have to do that. By their senior year, that's what we want them to do.”
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#1 Stephanie Ferrell, Sr.
On what she learned last year in her first season at UF
“I think as far as the concepts and everything after transferring over, it was a totally new system for me. I mean the defense that Dave has been working on is so complex and then bringing in Sally, we've learned even more, but I think the things we learned last year can definitely be applied to this year and make us a better team.”
On the offseason program
“The offseason training program with Matt was intense but it was good. I stayed through Summer A and Summer B to get some extra work in but I think overall I'm going into the preseason in great shape.”
On the energy during the first week of practice
“I think the energy during the first week has been very good. Everyone came in with a beginner's mindset and was willing to work so we can have a great season because we all have that same goal of making it to the national championship at the end. I think overall it's been so positive and everyone has been working so hard.”
#4 Tangerine Wiggs, Jr.
On 2-a-days
“It's been really exciting just to have everyone back. We're working really hard. We're really focusing on our defense and with new people in, the freshmen are great. We're really just focusing on working together as a cohesive unit and making sure that we complement each other, just from basic passing and defense to the setting and hitting, making sure that everybody is taking care of their part, that it all looks good together and working hard.”
On the entire team staying on campus for Summer B
“It was awesome. Something that we did differently this year is that the seniors really took leadership. Instead of just coming in in the summer to do free play, we had a practice plan that they had worked out, so it was deliberate reps, we weren't just coming in to just play around. It was really something that was planned and each minute was used working towards something that would make us better, so that really helped us this year.”
On lessons from last year
“I think we often became jaded by the numbers and the polls and we really realized that rankings don't mean anything when it comes to the end of the season; all the rankings are set aside and it's game-by-game. We need to take each game instead of looking further ahead, so this year with the polls and the rankings, we're really not concerned with that. We're just concerned with getting better as the season progresses and making sure that we focus towards the end of the season.”
On someone to look out for this year
“Taylor [Unroe] was out with an injury last year and she's someone that we really value this year. She has a lot of experience passing and playing defense. She's been doing it ever since she was in kindergarten at Muncie? So I think that she's definitely someone that people haven't seen play before. She's a huge part of our team and she really makes us play better every time we're in the gym.”
On being chosen to win the SEC
“It's a huge compliment. It really inspires us to work hard each day. It's not something that we think we should expect to win each year, (something) that's handed to us. We have to come in and work hard. We know that the SEC's a great conference and anybody can beat anybody on any given day, so it's just something that we need to make sure we don't let get to us. Preseason is something that a lot of teams focus on and postseason as well but we're in the SEC and we're proud to be in the SEC and it's something that we need to take pride in and we need to make sure that we respect our opponents and we come in and play hard each day.”
On Coach Wise
“Coach Wise is really excited for us. She always is really competitive and really energetic in practice, and so she really just wants us to do the right things to succeed. She has so much confidence and she knows how good we can be. Each day in practice, we come in and make her proud and try to be the players she knows we can be.
On the loss to Purdue
“Yeah, of course (it was disappointing). As much as we want to move on, especially the returners, it's something that, each day we come into the gym and we do things that we want to do to make sure that we're getting better and we don't put ourselves in the same position that we did last year. If anything, it's something that really motivates us as a team, motivates the seniors, especially this being their last year. It just makes us, if anything, want to work harder.”
#5 Chanel Brown, So.
On the difference between her first year and her second year
“Definitely having a year under my belt and just knowing the whole experience of college and the fast pace of it. I couldn't have had a better freshman year. It was just so amazing with that team and how far we went. But I'm excited for this year, excited for this team. This team has so many hard workers, we're just ready to go out there and compete.”
On replacing Callie Rivers' energy
“We just have a lot of girls that have such a fire for volleyball and a fire for competing and winning. Her leaving, she left her legacy, but we have so many other girls that are coming up and wanting to take that role.”
On having a year of experience
”It's definitely more comfortable, and just knowing the offense and knowing the tempo of the game. I just have so much confidence and backup from my team; we all support each other no matter what.”
On the returning seniors
”Our senior class this year has stepped up so much, they're such an amazing class. They're definitely taking all of us under their wing and setting the tone for what this year's going to be like.”
On the motivation from the Purdue loss
“Oh yeah, (it motivates us). This summer, when all the girls came back and we were here all summer together, it just set the tone of 'we're ready to work hard, we're ready to finish what we want to finish, and go into the court and just play hard, and play intense and finish what we want to accomplish this year.'”
On what it will take to make it to San Antonio
“It's all going to be about working hard and pursuing our dreams in pursuit of winning that national championship. Having that goal in our mind and our hearts and always competing.”
On the difference between 2-a-days as a freshman and a sophomore
“Definitely know what I'm doing now. Last year, just having the whole team around me and supporting me and stuff. But this year, it's cool, having the chance to be there for the freshmen, coming in and helping them through it and knowing what to do.”
On improvements she wants to make for this season
“All about defense and running the tempo and fast pace for our hitters.”
#6 Kristy Jaeckel, Sr.
On entering her senior season
“It feels really good. I think that all five of us are really excited for our senior season. We've been working really hard since the spring, and we're trying to set the tone for how the season is going to go. I think that so far, things have been going very well. There's been great effort, and I think now we're just all very excited to get going and get the season started.”
On learning from last season
“I just think that we gained a lot of experience. We've always been thought of as the underdog, and to be ranked higher was an honor that we had never had before. I think we've learned a lot about ourselves and our team that we can take into this season to help us, to make us better.”
“I think that all five seniors have talked about the fact that none of us want to have regrets at the end of the season. We want to go out knowing that we did everything we could to finish as high as we could. We really want to help our team go as far as it can.”
“Of course everyone wants to win a national championship, but we try to take everything as one thing at a time. The first thing is preseason, and after that is SEC. You really can't get lost too far in front of you. You have to stay in the present. It can be difficult, but that's what we try to do.”
On being a team leader
“I think all five of us have done a good job at picking up a leadership role and filling a gap. Since we've been so lucky to have everyone here the entire summer, we've really developed a chemistry where we feel comfortable holding each other more accountable as a team.”
“I think that we do a really good job of talking to one another and encouraging each other as a whole. That's something that we really don't try to put on one person, but instead try to spread out and have a lot of people take that role.”
On expectations of this season
“It's something that we've known since we were freshmen here. There are a lot of expectations playing for a program like Florida, but it is something that draws you to this school – the high expectations, and always being a top-ranked team at the end of the year. It is something that you have to embrace.”
“As a freshman it can be a little eye opening, but you learn to manage it as you get older. You just have to work hard and know that it doesn't come easy. You really have to earn it – the ranking, the honor and to carry that high of an expectation.”
On preseason accolades
“I think that Kelly and I getting honors early on show that, as a team, any individual honor just reflects back on the team. I think it was really good for us to have two people that they distinguish from the beginning of the season. Obviously though, it is how we finish the season as a team that really matters. Any individual awards that come just reflect on the success of the team because you really can't do it by yourself.
“Like I said before, we want to go out knowing that we did everything we could and gave it our all this year. We really just want to have fun, learn as we go and keep evolving as a team.”
On being a member of the USA A2 Team
“Obviously I was extremely fortunate to have that experience. You get to play with elite players from all over the country that are in college. Being able to play against such a high level all the time, it was almost two weeks, just really shows you the potential that there is for the high level of volleyball that can be played. I think that we've brought that back to our gym, and the fact that there was three of us there (Jaeckel, as well as Cassandra Anderson and Kelly Murphy) really gives credit to what we're saying, what we saw and what we can do as a team. Transferring what we learned there and bringing it back here is going to be huge for our team this year.”
On the last season being motivation for this year
“Obviously we want to finish as high as we possibly can. We've learned from what we did last year. We've obviously watched the video from that match. We've talked about how we've felt with what we were experiencing personally.
“I think that it's not really a matter of revenge. We just always want to finish as high as possible. It's just about us as a team. Last year we were a team defined a certain way. This year we want to define ourselves and really earn the respect of other people and finish as high as we possibly can.”
#10 Chloe Mann, So.
On what she is most looking forward to
“I'm definitely excited to get back into competition. Spring was long. Just to get back and start competing again, get back into the groove, traveling, being with the team again. Summer was rough, being away from them, so I'm looking forward to that.”
On a specific opponent she is looking forward to
“I just want to play. Just want to play the game. Every opponent's the same. Just one goal when we play them, that's to win.”
On the departure of Lauren Bledsoe
“It's definitely stiff. It's pretty deep. We all have our strengths, Cassandra, Betsy, Simone, who is a freshman, and myself. We're all just trying to make each other better every day and compete.”
On her summer other than volleyball
“Pretty good. I actually got to go to France for four weeks over the summer. First time out of the country, so I was excited about that. I visited family. My mom's whole side of the family lives there, so I got to meet them for the first time. I picked up a lot of French. I did not play any volleyball over there. I worked out, made sure I stayed conditioned, bumped a ball around, but no six-on-six competition.”
On preseason workouts
“It definitely feels good. I feel a lot more like I've matured. I can definitely feel a sense that I've grown and volleyball IQ keeps going. I'm just ready to compete.”
On fighting for a starting spot
“I mean, everyone in the middle position is doing really well, so it's going to be a stiff competition.”
On her aspirations for her role on the team:
“I definitely would like to be a blocking presence. That's one of my main focuses. I enjoy blocking, it's one of my favorite aspects of the game, so definitely just working on continuing to improve my blocking. One of the main parts of our team goals this year is to make the middle more effective offensively, so we've been working a lot on that and trying to improve our hitting percentage, kill percentage.”
On the number of returning starters
“I mean, every year we have that sense of urgency, but definitely this year with a big chunk of our seniors being returning starters, there's definitely that sense that we need to get it done and this is the year, hopefully.”
On Kelly Murphy
“Kelly's legacy will be huge. Coming into the program, she was pretty much the face of the program. She was a big pull as, well I know, many of us came to Florida, just being able to play with her. I remember watching her when I was a senior at JOs and just being blown away. Here, she's given so much to the program offensively, defensively, on and off the court. She's a great player, great teammate, a great friend. I'm going to miss her when she leaves.”
On Kristy Jaeckel
“Kristy's definitely our team leader. She's our glue that keeps us together. She has a strong presence on and off the court. She has great athletic skills and great personal skills. She just keeps us together, so she's definitely going to be missed.”
#11 Madison Monserez, Fr.
On how everything is going so far
“It's been going great. Everyone has been really welcoming. It's been a good experience. I really love the team, they are very nice. It's been a big adjustment but it was really go to have the other freshman here and to be here during Summer B. I'm having a great time.”
On what the biggest adjustments were between high school volleyball and college volleyball
“Just the fact that I'm on my own and living in the dorms. It's been great though. I've had a lot of support and we have Gator Guardians who have been helping me out. Everyone's been really nice and making sure I get accustomed to everything. Being here in the summer while it was a little more low-key helped but the biggest adjustment was just being on my own. It's been really great having all that support.”
On how she evaluates herself so far
“I've been trying to work really hard and it's been good. All the girls are all very encouraging and motivate me. It's been great. I've never been on a team that's been so kind and encouraging. Every second, they are giving me feedback and helping me out. They really truly care. The coaches have been great. Sally and Dave and Coach Wise are just so encouraging. They tell you what you need to work on and tell you what you are doing well. I always have feedback and I always know what they are expecting. It's been great.”
On what she is looking forward to the most
“Just competing. This team loves to play. That's one thing I've noticed, they love to play. They love to play hard and they love to go at it. I love being in that atmosphere. That's what I'm really looking forward to.”
#12 Kelly Murphy, Sr.
On leadership this year after the graduation of Callie Rivers
“She's definitely going to be hard to replace with all of her energy but we have five seniors this year and we each have something different that we can bring. Maybe one person might not be able to make that up but I think that all five of us will be able to fill that gap.”
On playing for the USA A2 Team
“It was a lot of fun. It was a great experience. You get to play with all the girls that you read about and all of the best players in the country so I think it helped a lot in terms of experience. It's kind of more of a fun thing for me, more of a good time.”
On how it feels to finally be a senior
“It's crazy. It honestly doesn't feel like I'm a senior. When I'm out there and they say 'senior Kelly Murphy' it'll hit me.”
On her goals
“Ever since I came here I wanted to go to a Final Four and win the National Championship and I think this team, this year, is all on the same page. I think in the offseason we've been working really hard and I think if we put everything we have all together at the right times that we can achieve those goals.”
#13 Sundai Weston, Jr.
On having the team together before preseason
“It was very helpful. There's definitely team chemistry that you build when you work with people each day, especially in situations that Matt DeLancey put us in with our workouts. We definitely improved as a team having everyone here. Having the opportunity to build those relationships and friendships has been a huge benefit for our team chemistry not only on the court but off the court.”
On the push during two-a-days
“We need to make sure we're focusing on not just our effort but our execution in drills. Now we're an older team. We know what we're supposed to do, we know our responsibilities, but taking care of the little things and making sure we're detail oriented so that we can have the best possible season with the best possible results.”
On looking forward to the first game
“It's definitely exciting. This team loves to compete and this team is definitely ready to go play and show someone what we've learned. For the next couple days in two-a-days we're going to make sure that we take each opportunity to get better so that we're ready to go with all our fans, friends and family there on Friday.”
On Fan Day
“It's definitely going to be different. We're excited about the opportunity to be there with football – we're excited that they are joining up with us. We know that Gator fans are the best in the nation, so the fact that they're going to get two teams for the price of one is great. I'm really excited about the opportunity to maybe have people that aren't as knowledgeable about volleyball, or who haven't been to a game before that will come in for the football team. They'll have the opportunity to be there and get to see the volleyball team in action. Hopefully we'll win some new fans that day.”
On personal goals for this season
“Everyday, my goal as a player is to get better. Also part of that goal is to make sure that I am here for my teammates one hundred percent. Whatever my team requires of me, I want to make everyone better. It's just a great opportunity to come in here and make my teammates better even if I'm not necessarily on their side of the net, if I'm imitating another team. That's my focus.”
On everyone being here over the summer
“Definitely the friendships and the bonds that we've created this summer is something really unique that a lot of teams do during the season. In-season is a stressful time, so getting to do it in the summer with a more laid back environment but with us all working hard together – you not only get to learn about people, with how they react in certain situations so that you're more mentally prepared, but it also allows you to have a little more fun with each other. That's unique.”
#14 Betsy Smith, Jr.
On the departure of Lauren Bledsoe
“We've been working really hard with Dave Boos on our arm swing and also knowing the defensive system really well so that as a middle blocker, that it's our job to lead the team defense, so that's something that we've all been working really hard on.”
On the team's ultimate goal
“As a team, we want to go as far as we possibly can. That means winning another SEC title and going as far as we can in the tournament. It's been something we really want to work on. But also, individually, it's just working towards how I can best fit the team and how I can make the team better every day in practice, and how we can reach our ultimate goals.”
On having the whole team here for Summer B
“It was really special to have all 15 of us here because we were practicing without the coaches three times a week. It was something so our freshmen could get acclimated to the team and also we can get touches on a lot of balls before we actually have to start two-a-days. So it's kind of like we never took a break off, and so that rust was off already.”
On team leadership
“We've actually divided it up amongst the team. I think there's five different team leaders, Kristy is our captain but there's five different team leaders ranging from sophomores to juniors.”
On a specific opponent that the Gators are looking forward to
“I think we're just ready to go out and play, to play someone besides ourselves is going to be really exciting. First on the list is Boston College.”
#16 Simone Antwi, Fr.
On adjusting to the college game
“I've been adjusting pretty well. My team has really been helping with it. They talk me through it. The coaches are also really accepting so it's easy.”
On what she's learned from some of the more experienced players
“Kelly and Kristy have been really good leaders. They set the tone for our team in practice and the weight room. Betsy and Cass are middles like me so they've been telling me what to do and where to be and just helping me out and pointing things out to me.”
On playing for Mary Wise
“It's really exciting. She's a really exciting coach. She's really intense so we're going to be intensely working hard in the gym.“
#17 Noami Santos-Lamb, Fr.
On what the team did during the summer to prepare for two-a-days
“We had open gyms during most of the summer. So you just train on your own and we lifted a lot. So it was similar to what we do now. The summer prepared us pretty well for it.”
On playing for the Puerto Rican National Team
“It was fun. It showed me that there is a level that is a lot different than what I experienced in high school and what I experienced in club.”
On how close the freshmen class is
“We're pretty close. We all live together. It was a fast bond between all of us so that was pretty cool.”
On the biggest adjustment volleyball wise
“The technique, definitely. The defense is completely different from what I was taught back when I played in high school.”
#19 Elissa Hausmann, Sr.
On how she is feeling coming into the season
“We are feeling good. We have a lot of returning players and we have a really strong class of four incoming freshman. We are really excited about that and working really hard everyday to get team chemistry and building off our season last year.”
On how much motivation last year is for the team
“It's a huge motivator. Our strength coach, Matt DeLancey, is constantly looking back at that loss to Purdue and always trying to make us hungry again. Mary's doing the same thing especially with a defensive mindset, never letting a ball drop and just always giving your all for every point because you never know when it's going to end.”
On what they are doing differently in the weight room
“We had a really crazy midnight lift this year. It's just a great way to start the season. We also had a bunch of Gator Mountains so it's kind of a mental thing and physical thing just to get through, push hard and carry it over the court.”
On this being her senior season
“It's gone (by) really fast. Kind of sad it's coming to an end but I'm looking forward to the future.”
#21 Cassandra Anderson, Sr.
On the upcoming season
“I really want us to have a great season our senior year, of course. Everyone wants their senior year to be their best year. We have a really strong, veteran team, so I just hope that we can all play together and have the best year possible this year.”
On what makes the team sync
“I would say our chemistry together. We have five seniors. A lot of us have all played together for a while now, and even with the freshmen, we just all mesh well together.”
On working with the freshmen
“They've been here since Summer B, so since that time they have played a lot and have been able to catch on. Dave has separate sessions with them as well, so they have the opportunity to learn a lot in a short time. But because they had the opportunity to come in early for Summer B, they have been able to catch on to a lot of stuff.”
“I've been playing with them for about two months now since they've come in, and I just feel like they have stepped right in and filled the spot. I feel like if they keep on progressing then the coaches will definitely let them have a chance.”
“Everyone is working really hard this year. Everyone is just taking it to a completely other level now. They're playing balls no matter how hard it is and just hitting the floor.”
On personal goals this season
“Overall, it's just to play well so that our team can do the best it can this year. The past three years we've made it to the Sweet Sixteen, and of course I would love to win the SEC and beyond that. I want us to have our best volleyball at the end of the season.”
On what it will take to make it far into the postseason
“We need to work hard and just get better every practice. We can't take any reps off.”
On being a member of the USA A2 Team
“It was a lot of volleyball, but it was a lot of fun. The girls there just made it that much better. The opportunity to play with people that work that hard was such a wonderful opportunity. Playing with them has shown me that our team can play just as well as everyone on that roster.”
#30 Holly Pole, Fr.
On coming to Florida in the spring
“Coming in the spring definitely gave me an advantage. I pretty much started from scratch as far as workouts were concerned. I had the opportunity to workout in the weight room everyday with the team. That way I got to go through all the workouts with Matt, and start really slow. Then we kind of eased our way into practices. We started with individuals, so I got quality one-on-one time with the coaches, and then we started having team practices. It was really good. It made it easier to adjust.”
On the speed of the game
“I was a little shocked at first with how quick everything was. In the spring, the coaches helped a lot though. Dave would sit me down and go through the defense, so it really gave me an advantage coming in the spring.”
On playing at Florida
“It was actually my dream to be at Florida, I always wanted to play volleyball at Florida. When I had the opportunity after Mary Wise got in touch with me about maybe playing here and walking on, I really couldn't be more fortunate.”
On being coached by Mary Wise
“It's been pretty incredible. I've always looked up to her. She's had such a great time here at Florida, so I've always wanted to play for her. I wasn't sure if it was going to happen or not, and when it finally did it was just a dream come true.”
#55 Taylor Unroe, R-Fr.
On choosing volleyball over basketball, despite being from Indiana
“For girls in my town, it was always volleyball. When I was four, we started this thing called Delta Juniors, and so that was the program we had and all the girls from around all the schools would come. It's three times a week and on the weekends. It was a bunch of little kids running around in the public schools and my school, which was a charter school, so it was very, very small. All those schools (in Indiana) had great volleyball programs. I started in gym class, actually, in kindergarten, where we learned volleyball. Our high school also had a really good program. I was never really interested in basketball.”
On her redshirt season
“Obviously it was unexpected, and it was pretty sad for me at first, but with the help of Mary and my teammates, it helped me for this year because I knew what I was coming into and I got to see from the outside in. So that was really great. In practice, I got a lot of experience even just standing there. It wasn't the best situation, but it definitely prepared me for this year.”
On the departure of Erin Fleming
“All I can do is just compete every day and just work my hardest. It's really up to the coaches too, who plays that position, so I'm just going to do my part and work hard.”
On having the whole team here for Summer B
“There were five of us here for Summer A, including me, so that group of teammates got a lot closer, so when everyone else came in, we kind of just brought them into our group. We spent a lot of time together, we have a lot of team meals and spend a lot of time together in the locker room and at practice and I feel like our culture as a team is really good right now.”
On what she's most looking forward to this season
“Winning.”
On Summer A
“It was really exciting. I had no restrictions in my workouts like I had last spring and last fall. Just getting in there and working hard was the most exciting thing for me, to be honest. Just being with my teammates and being able to do the same things they do. Just getting into practice, touching balls, communicating with the coaches on a real level, not just saying 'well, time to get better,' I actually got to be a real part of the team, so that was pretty great.”
On her work ethic
“I think being from where I'm from, my town and my high school, we're a lot of blue collar, hard-workers. That's what I bring to the court, intensity and trying to bring my teammates up, helping them and being the best teammate I can be.”
On if she's nervous to play in the O'Connell Center
“Definitely some nerves, it's my first college game… well real game. In the spring, I got a lot of experience, but playing in the O'Dome, it's gonna be nerve-wracking, but I can't wait. I'm really excited.”
