Dooley's Rise Lifts Gators

Friday, October 25

Gainesville, FL

7 PM

Florida Gators

Alabama

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Dooley's Rise Lifts Gators

Thursday, October 24, 2019 | Volleyball

By: Joseph Salvador / FloridaGators.com Correspondent

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Lauren Dooley found herself struggling.

Standing at 6-foot-6, she is taller than eight players on the men's basketball team. Although physically gifted, she was a timid 17-year-old almost 1,000 miles from home. Dooley graduated early after a standout career at Plano East High in Texas, to attend the University of Florida in the spring of 2018. When she started training in Gainesville with the Florida volleyball team, like most freshmen, it was an adjustment.

"At first it was pretty tough," Dooley said. "I was the youngest one [player] and everything is new at the collegiate level."

At UF, it is part of the culture for the players to coach each other and provide feedback – constructive criticism, included -- when warranted. This is especially true among its middle blockers.

Senior Rachael Kramer noticed that the wide-eyed Texan was overwhelmed at first.

"We kind of pride Florida on our middles," Kramer said. "Our culture of the middle crew has always been 'We're going to help each other, we're going to be hard on each other,' and I don't think she was really prepared for that."

Kramer, the two-time All American, described Dooley as "very shy and nervous" when she first arrived. In her first year with Florida, the numbers reflected the growing pains that Division I competition can bring. Dooley played in only 11 matches in 2018 and finished the season with six kills, 11 blocks and two digs.

It is not uncommon for a freshman to struggle, but what has followed in her sophomore campaign is anything but common.

Florida was 2-2 on Sept. 13 when entering its match against South Florida in the Honda of Gainesville Gator Invitational. When Kramer went down with an injury, head coach Mary Wise looked to Dooley.

"My name just got called off the bench," Dooley said. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh I need to do something."

The sophomore admitted she was nervous, but her growth outweighed her anxiousness.

Dooley led the team in blocks with four in helping the Gators to a 3-1 victory. Since then, Florida (15-3, 6-1) has won 13 of 14 matches with Dooley in the starting lineup and will take the nation's No. 13 ranking into a pair of home matches this weekend against Alabama (11-7, 3-4) on Friday and Tennessee (9-9, 3-5) on Sunday.

Dooley capped off the Gator Invitational with a career high 14 kills against Long Beach State in a five-set nail-biter and was named MVP of the event while sophomore Thayer Hall and redshirt junior Holly Carlton were named to the All-Tournament team for Florida. 72906

When asked if Dooley's recent success has been a surprise, Hall was quick to respond with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh no, that's just Lauren Dooley," said Hall, the outside and Southeastern Conference All-Freshman selection in 2018. "It's nothing we don't expect from her. We know that's what she can do, we know that's the standard we held her to. She's going to keep killing it."

Carlton, a redshirt junior right side, credits Dooley's season thus far to her growing knowledge of the game.

"It's so hard to come in as a first-year player and be able to excel," Carlton said. "I think she's done an incredible job just in her growth mentally in understanding the game, understanding our systems and just being able to make some really high IQ plays."

Wise has often cited Dooley's size and power as a major factor for why she was recruited. Opposing players often find their attacks being met at the net by Dooley's well-timed blocks, thanks to her athleticism.

Now dominating in only her second season with the program, Wise has seen strides in Dooley's mental game as well.

"Her IQ is more advanced than what we would've expected right now," Wise said. "So, you add her strength, her size and if she can develop the IQ that Rachael Kramer plays with she's going to have a whole bunch of records before she's done here."

She's on pace to do just that.

Dooley's greatest performance to date was when the Gators visited Arkansas on Oct. 11, when she got her first taste of the record book.The sophomore rejected everything that came her way and racked up 12 blocks in just three sets. Only Rhamat Alhassan (14) and Kelsey Bowers (13) have had more blocks in three sets in Florida's history.

Dooley's performance garnered her attention when she was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14.

It's been a night and day difference since Dooley arrived as a nervous 17-year-old who Kramer could tell was uneasy during practice. As her friend and mentor, the senior says that Dooley's confidence, not her athleticism or IQ, has been the difference this season.

"She's a person who can really change a game and I don't think she truly understands how crucial of a piece she is to this team," Kramer said. "She's needed on the court, we want her on the court because she completely changes the game."