Gators volleyball team thriving off Rowdy Reptiles and hopes rowdiness continues at O'Dome
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 | Football, Volleyball, Scott Carter
They showed up early and stayed late. Their presence didn't go unnoticed by the Gators volleyball team in its season opener Friday night against Boston College.
The ninth-ranked Gators rolled to a 3-0 sweep over the Eagles, but they had plenty of help from the packed student section inside the O'Connell Center.
Afterward, veteran UF coach Mary Wise gave a special shout out to the Rowdy Reptiles.
“The crowd tonight was unbelievable. I don't think I've seen a student crowd like that in the 20 years I've been at Florida,'' Wise said. “The student section is what makes places tough to win. I hope the students had a great time, and they'll come back because it was awesome to see that.''
Evidently, the students listened. On Saturday night, they showed up in full force once again for Florida's win over North Carolina to take the Active Ankle SEC/ACC Challenge.
According to school officials, 1,500 Rowdy Reptiles packed the student section in the two games – 826 on Friday and 674 on Saturday.
For comparison, the Gators averaged approximately 200 students in the first two matches a year ago.
Wise and her players are hoping for the same support tonight when Florida hosts rival Florida State at 7. The last time these teams met, Florida overcame a five-point deficit in the final game to advance to the Sweet 16 during the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
The Gators own a 20-match winning streak over the 25th-ranked Noles but know any support from the Rowdy Reptiles can only help against an FSU team that is expected to challenge for the ACC title.
“A legit Top-15 team comes to town,'' Wise said. “In every rotation, they are coming at you. Part of it is the offense they run, and part of it is the personnel. As good as they were a year ago, I think they have a chance with new personnel to be even more dangerous.''
