Florida Volleyball Hosts Annual Preseason Media Day
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | Volleyball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The 2015 University of Florida volleyball squad took a break from preseason camp and two-a-days to meet with the media Wednesday at the Lemerand Athletic Center, just three days before the Gators' Fan Day Saturday and a little over a week before opening the season at JMU in Harrisonburg, Va., Aug. 29.
Tabbed the No. 4 team in the country in the AVCA's preseason poll, the Gators enter 2015 humble, but confident, as they strive together for yet another SEC Championship, and ultimately all the marbles in Omaha come December.
“The benefit of having a majority of the group since last January really helps,” 25th year head coach Mary Wise said Wednesday afternoon. “With so many returning players, (freshman MB) Taelor Kellum graduated (high school) mid-year -- all but two players have been with us since January. Even still, since we only get to see them in spring for those couple of hours in team practice and then very little over the summer, it's always fun to start training camp and get your first visual. What we know is we're a team with all of our point scorers returning. We love what we're doing with some offensive things and right now we're trying to figure out how we replace the three mainstays in the back row.”
Wise on rising senior libero Nikki O'Rourke and Florida's defensive specialists:
“Nikki would be a prototype of what has happened here in this program. There are some players that were fortunate to come here and play right away, but there are a whole slew of players that waited their turn, worked really hard and then when their turn came, they took full advantage. That's where Nikki O'Rourke is right now. She played behind three really good seniors, this is her turn. Watching the confidence with which she's been playing, the plays she's making -- she's making plays right now that we didn't have anybody who could defensively the past couple of years. Her presence on the court is huge for us. Sam Dubiel: very little playing time as a freshman, but now is her opportunity with her long arms and ball control, she's going to help us a lot. Then we have Lindsey Rogers, coming off her redshirt freshman year playing her best volleyball and Ann-Lorrayne Bzoch spent her first year at Santa Fe playing for Nick Cheronis. I can't imagine a college player in that position making an easier transition, and yet the game is so different for her in this gym.
On the potential to win Florida's first national championship:
“We're embracing it. There are a lot of teams that started training camp and it would not be part of their dialogue, but the fact that this team understands that we're one of a whole group of teams in the country that have a chance -- we just want to put ourselves in the position with our work every day to have that opportunity come December.”
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Sophomore Middle Blocker Rhamat Alhassan
On where she hopes she improves in her game:
“I think serving is one of the big things right now. Last year I was standing and this year I will be jump floating… It's a harder serve and a faster serve, so the speed and the float of the serve will make it a little more difficult for opponents.”
On still learning after starting volleyball later in her career, but still having a standout freshman year:
“I am definitely still learning, I am learning every single day. On practice we are always working on something and there is never a day that I'm not learning something. Serving is definitely one of those things, working on hand contact and tossing.”
On the volleyball tradition at Florida:
“Tradition is a big part here at UF. With the team, it just shows what kind of precedent has been set and what they are expecting in the years to come.”
Senior Middle Blocker Simone Antwi
On helping Rhamat Alhassan and the underclassmen on their game:
“Rhamat is a really quick learner. It wasn't like we were talking about the same thing every week, it was something new each week -- it was just really cool and it's always nice to work with someone who is so receptive to everything. We are all getting better.”
On being part of a program with traditions and a lot of success:
“It's actually really exciting and motivating. You can't just come in and bring your C game. It's A game, every day. We all push each other in the gym and make each other better. It's a really great environment to be a part of.”
On having the early challenges on the road against Oregon and Texas:
“It's really nice. The beginning of the schedule can be either easy or hard and having the harder teams at the beginning helps us see what kind of team we are; kind of the defining moment. They are learning experiences, rather than where we stand. Rankings are rankings. It's the work we put in the gym and those help us learn where we are and what we need to do.”
Senior Setter Mackenzie Dagostino
On playing in China over the summer with USA Volleyball:
“It was really fun. China is a completely different place than the United States. I think you hear that a lot, but you don't really believe it until you get into it and experience it. It reminded me how quick you need to be getting back on your feet after a match and preparing for the new opponent. That was something that I'm definitely back to Gator Volleyball, but overall the experience I had there was amazing. I made some great friends on my USA Team, but also a lot of the people we played in China. It was a great experience and I'm really happy I was able to do it.”
On how the adjustment of losing three senior back row players:
“It would take a lot of time if we had no one from last season, but thankfully we have Nikki (O'Rourke), who knew everything, really worked hard to make sure she completely understood the back-row responsibilities. With the new players we have now, she's doing such a great job of teaching them. You can definitely see how quickly the adjustment is being made. I am really confident in our back row this year. It's going to be exciting to see how we all mold together.”
On being a senior:
“It's so weird. I never thought this was going to happen. I never thought senior year was going to come around this fast. For all the seniors, it makes all of us want it that much more. It's really exciting.”
Junior Right Side Alex Holston
On the part of her game she's been working on the most:
“This past spring, summer and preseason, I have focused on my serve and defense -- so my back row play. As we all know, my serve isn't really the strongest part of my game, so we've changed it up and I'm now doing a jump float serve. I'm really focusing on being exact and having an aggressive serve.”
On playing with Team USA over the summer:
“It was so cool. Even in January going to Anaheim and playing in California, being coached by Coach (Karch) Kiraly with some of the best players in the country. It was an amazing experience. We all struggled and they wanted us to struggle. That was one of the coolest things. We all learned something. None of us were playing our best, so I think it was really cool for all of us to see that even though we're all such great players playing for (USA), that we all have something to work on and can still get better.
Then going to South Korea, it was so much fun playing with Mary -- of course she was over there with me and then also playing with a different group of girls that are all so great at volleyball. Just the volleyball experience and being able to meet all of those people. Being there made me realize that I do want to play overseas and hopefully play professionally after college.”
Senior Libero Nikki O'Rourke
On what she's learned in the back row the past few seasons behind great leadership:
“I think Maddy (Monserez), Holly (Pole) and Taylor (Unroe) really did a great job preparing me for the position I am in now. Just coming in with them all being above me, they've taught me defense, passing, all of the technicalities of playing the position. Without them I don't think I'd be where I am today.”
On taking on the leadership role now and mentoring the younger defensive specialists:
“We've been working a lot in the gym on defense and passing, being very talkative and helping them with the technical things that we are doing in the gym. We all work very well together and the hard work we have been putting in, I think it will pay off.”
On the part of her game she's looking to improve:
“Based off of losing Taylor, Maddy and Holly, our passing. They were our three main passers, so having everyone step up in the passing position will really help a lot.”
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