Through the first 22 matches of the season, toughness has been the driving force for Florida’s promising start.
On Monday, coach Mary Wise said it takes more than just talent to boast a 10-1 Southeastern Conference record.
“I love to see the grit by our team,” Wise said on Monday.
“To come back and win (when we’re down) … we’ve played really well.”
A two-match weekend at home in the Lemerand Athletic Center saw the No. 6 Gators (20-2,10-1 SEC) finish their opponents off in straight sets, giving them six sweeps in their last seven matches.
And although the box score shows dominating performances by the Gators, the matches still haven’t been easy.
In Friday night’s match against Ole Miss, Florida had trouble creating a sizable lead. The first two sets were won by a combined five points, and UF trailed by seven points nearing the middle of the third set.
However, the Gators used their veterans’ impressive play and a strong offensive push to rally past the Rebels for a sweep.
“When you play players like Rhamat (Alhassan), Carli (Snyder), Alex (Holston), that can really take over a set,” Wise said.
“That’s afforded us to win those matches in three.”
While the victory was an impressive one, some of the team’s weaknesses were on full display. After holding its previous five opponents to under .200 hitting percentages, the defense gave up some big hits, allowing the Rebels to work themselves into a rhythm at times.
But the Gators made adjustments on short notice against LSU on Sunday.
Holding the Tigers to a .022 hitting percentage, Florida allowed just 27 kills, its lowest total allowed in SEC play this season.
Apart from showcasing the veterans’ ability to dominate, the weekend also gave some younger players valuable experience and helped carve out roles for them in conference play.
Freshman middle blocker Darrielle King had her best performance in SEC play so far, totaling six kills and four block assists on an efficient .625 hitting percentage against the Tigers.
Wise was also impressed with other youngsters who don’t necessarily fill up the stat sheet, such as freshman defensive specialist Allie Gregory.
“Allie Gregory has grit,” Wise said of the Louisville native. “I think there’s something in the water at Louisville, Kentucky … you have to be pretty gritty to survive that.”
Next, the Gators must prepare for a road match against Georgia tonight.
And while improvement is always a driving force as the season progresses, Wise sees the benefit of having so many different players to turn to for quality time.
“When we’re in system, we have so many options,” Wise said. “If we can give Allie (Monserez) all those options, then we become hard to guard.”
Contact Skyler Lebron at slebron@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @skylerlebron.
UF coach Mary Wise calls out to setter Mackenzie Dagostino during Florida's 3-1 loss to Kentucky on Sept. 27, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.
