Out-of-Conference Slate Will Have Gators Ready for SEC
Thursday, August 28, 2014 | Volleyball
By RJ Schaffer
GatorZone.com Writing Intern
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The dawn of fall means many things to the sports world. It brings NFL training camps to small college towns. It determines who makes the cut for the MLB postseason. For the Gators' volleyball program, fall brings the same thing it always does.
A brutal non-conference schedule.
It seems as if Alex Holston and company will barely have time to strap their gear on before facing some of the toughest teams on the season. After tipping off the 2014 campaign Friday with a pair of matches in the Active Ankle Challenge at the O'Connell Center -- Georgia Southern at noon, followed by Idaho at 7:30 p.m. -- they will run into a rebuilding yet formidable Oklahoma squad.
Coming off a season in which the Sooners were 24-8 and got just as far as the Gators in the NCAA tournament with an opening-round win over Alabama, they have plenty of motivation in coming to Gainesville, especially after just missing out on being ranked in the opening poll.
“I think we're all excited to just get out there and play like every team,” Holston said. “Especially like Oklahoma. They're a great team from a great conference. I think we always want to play tough teams. We never want to go in and just have a day off.”
The UF volleyball team opens the season at home on Friday afternoon. (Photo: Jim Burgess)
Gators coach Mary Wise has put together another schedule of eclectic non-conference opponents to prepare for Southeastern Conference play. The next month will be anything but a warm-up for the league slate, but her players like it that way.
“The SEC in itself is awesome,” junior setter Mackenzie Dagostino said. “We love SEC, we love the play, we love the competition, but being able to play people that we would have the chance to play in the [NCAA] tournament is even more exciting because we don't get the opportunity to see them as much. These are great schools with great programs and it's only going to challenge us and show us what we are able to accomplish.”
Contests in prior years included big-name programs like Texas, Penn State, Stanford and Nebraska. After Oklahoma, the Gators will go through a stretch of games against opponents that include FSU, Texas, USC, San Diego, Marquette and UCF.
“The goal is that by playing them, when we are in SEC competition, or if we're fortunate enough to be playing postseason, we can refer back to these matches [and say], 'This team is very similar to that one we played on opening weekend. Their right side is very similar to that team's right side, and let's see how much better we are now,' ” Wise said.
“It's the only way in sports, really, to get better; play teams that are better than you.”
While wins against any team, regardless of talent level or program pedigree, are valued, a successful run through the non-conference portion could bring Wise career win number 800.
As it is, she sits at 795 career victories. If UF is able to win its first three matches and the subsequent away match at Florida State on Sept. 4 -- a tall order, given the Seminoles ousted the Gators from NCAA play last season -- it will set up the bout for 800 at home against Texas on Sept. 6.
While most coaches might salivate at reaching a win total that high, Wise contributes her success to something every coach in the nation has.
“Age,” she said with a smile. “We've been very fortunate that all the great, talented players and coaches that we've worked with over the years. If you hang around the Gators enough, there's a lot of winning around here; there's a great culture of winning. Success breeds success.”
