Gators volleyball coach Mary Wise, in her 31st season at Florida, recorded win No. 900 on Saturday. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Wise Stands Tall as Game, Times Change
Sunday, August 29, 2021 | Volleyball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If there is one thing I've tried to be more conscious of over the past 18 months, it's to slow down and appreciate the small things more. It shouldn't take a global pandemic or family emergency to remind us of that, but unfortunately, that seems to be the way many of us are built.
To be clear, Mary Wise is no small thing. She is a 62-year-old woman in her 31st season as head coach of the University of Florida volleyball team. She is one of the greatest coaches the sport has known and has been a pillar for the Gators since taking over the program in 1991.
And now seems an opportune time to, yes, take a moment to appreciate Wise.
In case you missed it, in the first of a rare doubleheader for the Gators in this day and age – they used to be much more common earlier in Wise's career – the Gators beat UC Davis on Saturday afternoon in the Hornet Invitational at Sacramento State (Calif.) University. The victory was the 900th of Wise's career at the University of Florida, another milestone in a career full of them. She got win No. 901 later Saturday when the Gators swept the host Hornets to polish off three wins in two days to open the 2021 season. After the three wins, Wise sits at 982 wins overall as a head coach and is on the precipice of reaching 1,000 career wins later this season.
Wise scheduled No. 6-ranked Florida's trip to the Hornet Invitational as a prelude to Tuesday night's road match at No. 21 Stanford, one of college volleyball's traditional powers. In fact, since Wise took over the Gators, only nine schools have hoisted the national championship trophy at the end of the season, none more than the Cardinal (nine times). Wise wanted to get the Gators acclimated to West Coast time prior to facing Stanford; Florida opens its home season Sunday against Minnesota.
With everything that Wise has seen and accomplished in her career, she is in uncharted territory this season. This is the first time in history that the reigning national champion is a member of the Southeastern Conference. For years, as Wise built the Gators into a national power and dominated the SEC, most assumed Florida would be the first program in the league to reach the mountaintop.
Instead, Kentucky beat Texas to claim the honor during the pandemic-altered 2020 season. The Wildcats joined an exclusive club. In Wise's tenure at Florida, Kentucky is just the ninth school to win a national title. As previously mentioned, Stanford has won nine over that span, while Penn State (seven) and Nebraska (five) form the sport's trilogy at the top. Southern Cal (two), UCLA (two), Long Beach State (two), Washington (one), Texas (one) and Kentucky are the other national champions over the past 30 seasons.
"We're all chasing Kentucky. A painful disclosure: did it rip my heart out that Kentucky beat us to that trophy? Of course. But I also knew that it was so good for our league and what has been held against us in recruiting, used in decision making in terms of resources from the league: 'volleyball hasn't won a national championship,' '' Wise said on WRUF prior to Florida's trip out West. "They hit their stride at the right time. We were the only team that beat them last year. I would like to think we're pretty darn close. They are the preseason pick to win the league and Florida is second."
The Gators enter the season with 13 players instead of 16 like a year ago, a development Wise embraces. Managing a smaller roster is not the worst problem to have when you have a talented roster.
One newcomer to watch is freshman right-side outside hitter Merritt Beason, a 6-foot-3 powerhouse from Gardendale, Ala. In her first three outings, Beason averaged 2.33 kills per set, third on the team behind veteran returners Thayer Hall and T'ara Ceasar.
Wise and the rest of us will learn more about Beason and the Gators on Tuesday.
"Clear from the get-go that this was a player,'' Wise said. "She is so high and long and very well skilled. She is going to be the breakout player, I predict … that people in the volleyball world are going to be surprised."
Many people from that same world were surprised that Kentucky, not Florida, won the SEC's first national title. It happened. There's nothing Wise can do to change it.
What she is doing is continuing to evolve and try to win Florida's first national championship. She could also become the first female coach to win a Division I national title.
"If I haven't changed, I think I would have been gone long before this season,'' Wise said of how she has evolved over her career.
In a world that is constantly changing, it's nice to have reminders such as Wise of those who are built for the long haul. Strong and steady.
To be clear, Mary Wise is no small thing. She is a 62-year-old woman in her 31st season as head coach of the University of Florida volleyball team. She is one of the greatest coaches the sport has known and has been a pillar for the Gators since taking over the program in 1991.
And now seems an opportune time to, yes, take a moment to appreciate Wise.
In case you missed it, in the first of a rare doubleheader for the Gators in this day and age – they used to be much more common earlier in Wise's career – the Gators beat UC Davis on Saturday afternoon in the Hornet Invitational at Sacramento State (Calif.) University. The victory was the 900th of Wise's career at the University of Florida, another milestone in a career full of them. She got win No. 901 later Saturday when the Gators swept the host Hornets to polish off three wins in two days to open the 2021 season. After the three wins, Wise sits at 982 wins overall as a head coach and is on the precipice of reaching 1,000 career wins later this season.
Wise scheduled No. 6-ranked Florida's trip to the Hornet Invitational as a prelude to Tuesday night's road match at No. 21 Stanford, one of college volleyball's traditional powers. In fact, since Wise took over the Gators, only nine schools have hoisted the national championship trophy at the end of the season, none more than the Cardinal (nine times). Wise wanted to get the Gators acclimated to West Coast time prior to facing Stanford; Florida opens its home season Sunday against Minnesota.
With everything that Wise has seen and accomplished in her career, she is in uncharted territory this season. This is the first time in history that the reigning national champion is a member of the Southeastern Conference. For years, as Wise built the Gators into a national power and dominated the SEC, most assumed Florida would be the first program in the league to reach the mountaintop.
✨900 Wins at UF✨
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) August 28, 2021
What an accomplishment 🐊#GoGators pic.twitter.com/HZPwWvxLl7
Instead, Kentucky beat Texas to claim the honor during the pandemic-altered 2020 season. The Wildcats joined an exclusive club. In Wise's tenure at Florida, Kentucky is just the ninth school to win a national title. As previously mentioned, Stanford has won nine over that span, while Penn State (seven) and Nebraska (five) form the sport's trilogy at the top. Southern Cal (two), UCLA (two), Long Beach State (two), Washington (one), Texas (one) and Kentucky are the other national champions over the past 30 seasons.
"We're all chasing Kentucky. A painful disclosure: did it rip my heart out that Kentucky beat us to that trophy? Of course. But I also knew that it was so good for our league and what has been held against us in recruiting, used in decision making in terms of resources from the league: 'volleyball hasn't won a national championship,' '' Wise said on WRUF prior to Florida's trip out West. "They hit their stride at the right time. We were the only team that beat them last year. I would like to think we're pretty darn close. They are the preseason pick to win the league and Florida is second."
The Gators enter the season with 13 players instead of 16 like a year ago, a development Wise embraces. Managing a smaller roster is not the worst problem to have when you have a talented roster.
One newcomer to watch is freshman right-side outside hitter Merritt Beason, a 6-foot-3 powerhouse from Gardendale, Ala. In her first three outings, Beason averaged 2.33 kills per set, third on the team behind veteran returners Thayer Hall and T'ara Ceasar.
Wise and the rest of us will learn more about Beason and the Gators on Tuesday.
"Clear from the get-go that this was a player,'' Wise said. "She is so high and long and very well skilled. She is going to be the breakout player, I predict … that people in the volleyball world are going to be surprised."
Many people from that same world were surprised that Kentucky, not Florida, won the SEC's first national title. It happened. There's nothing Wise can do to change it.
What she is doing is continuing to evolve and try to win Florida's first national championship. She could also become the first female coach to win a Division I national title.
"If I haven't changed, I think I would have been gone long before this season,'' Wise said of how she has evolved over her career.
In a world that is constantly changing, it's nice to have reminders such as Wise of those who are built for the long haul. Strong and steady.
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