'Grandma' Looks to Age More With Deep NCAA Run
Thursday, December 3, 2015 | Volleyball
By Tayrn Bray
GatorZone.com Writing Intern
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Every fifth-year player on the Florida volleyball team gets the same nickname, and redshirt senior middle blocker Simone Antwi is no exception.
Say hello to UF's latest version of “Grandma.”
Grandma is what she's known as to her teammates, as every fifth year in the past has been called. She is one the five seniors on the squad, but the only fifth year.
“We call her 'Grandma,' but she's also our rock, our stabilizer,” Coach Mary Wise said Wednesday of her lone fifth-year player, as 16th-ranked and 11th-seeded Gators (22-6) readied for Thursday night's opening-round NCAA Tournament match against New Hampshire (21-8) at the O'Connell Center. “She may not lead our team in kills or blocks, and yet her presence is key to our success.”
As the 'grandma' of the team — wise, seasoned and experienced, like fifth-years Taylor Unroe and Chloe Mann before her — she is often looked to for consistency and advice.
“She took me under her wing regardless of competing for the same position,” said sophomore middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan, who ranks third in the nation in blocks (1.62) and first for the Gators in points per set (4.05). “She has helped me with school, volleyball and I feel like I can talk to her about anything.”
Antwi has ranked top 25 in the nation all season in hitting efficiency (.398), fourth in the SEC. She also had the highest efficiency in a single match among SEC players this year (.867 vs. Oregon).
This may be her fifth and final year, but Antwi believes things have clicked for her more this season than in the past as she continues to grow on the court. Her presence is certainly known on the court, but she decided not too long ago that making an impact on the university outside of volleyball was every bit as important to her.
Antwi was recently elected to a graduate student senate seat, which she notes has been a neat experience for her.
“I've heard about a lot of new things going on campus that I never knew about,” she said. “It's been really cool and has opened my eyes.”
Antwi graduated with a degree in Business Management last spring and is currently studying to get her Master's in International Business. Although she has several different things on her plate right now, her main focus these next few weeks is strictly volleyball.
Just last week she was one of a league-high five Gators named to the All-SEC team, her second straight honor.
“She's so deserving of the award,” Alhassan said. “She works so hard in practice being an athlete, but she also works hard off the court being a student.”
Antwi has 205 kills, 71 blocks and 250.5 total points this season. That's fifth, third, and fourth best on the team, respectively.
Those numbers may not be enough to lead the team, but they are impressive, especially on a Gators squad that ranks 21st and 20th in the nation in blocks and kills per set.
The Gators will need those consistent numbers if they want to get far in the tournament.
And that's the plan.
“Everybody's really focused and we know what we want,” Antwi said. “Making a deep run [in the tournament] would be a good way to end [the seniors'] story together.”
She's experienced four previous NCAA tournaments, with two trips to the Elite Eight and one to the Sweet 16.
That type of experience goes a long way. Antwi and these Gators, though, want to go longer.
“This is her fifth year, having that background and experience in the tournament is going to help us a lot,” Alhassan said. “She's a strong leader by example, but also has a strong voice on the team.”
