The UF football team isn’t the only squad trying to replace a Southeastern Conference star. As junior John Brantley takes the reins from Tim Tebow, the Florida volleyball team will have to replace a leader of its own.
The Gators will enter the 2010 season without Elyse Cusack, who graduated as the best libero in both school and conference history.
Cusack is the SEC’s all-time leader in digs (2,138) and has won the most SEC Defensive Player of the Week awards (13). She leaves a large void in the center of UF’s formation.
Enter senior libero Erin Fleming — the Brantley to Cusack’s Tebow.
“Elyse was always a great libero,” Fleming said. “I learned a lot watching her my first three years on the team. She told me to keep communicating, work hard during practice and help the team in every way possible.”
After beginning her career as a walk-on and serving as a back-line substitute, Fleming is looking forward to her first season as a starter.
“In college athletics, it’s so much about taking advantage when the opportunity presents itself,” UF coach Mary Wise said. “Elyse graduates, the opportunity is there and Erin had as good a spring semester as we’ve ever seen in a player in terms of how hard she worked, how much better she got — carried that all the way through the summer.
“She’s going to leave here as our starting libero, a key player on our team. She’ll provide huge leadership.”
As if replacing Cusack wasn’t hard enough, Fleming also has to juggle the pressure of providing senior leadership and learning a new position.
“It’s a new position for me,” Fleming said. “The past three years, I’ve been playing middle back and right back, but learning from Elyse was really important to me. Some things, like remembering not to use your hands in front of the 10-foot line, have all been new to me. My team has been great and patient, and coach Wise has done a great job teaching me.”
One reason for Fleming’s success leading up to the season has been the arrival of assistant coach Dave Boos.
Boos enters his first season with the Gators after serving as the head coach at Ball State the past three years. Prior to that, he was on the coaching staff at Minnesota, which defeated the Gators in the 2006 NCAA Tournament behind Boos’ defense.
“The new system that Dave put in for us helped out basically everyone on the team, including myself and all of the blockers,” Fleming said. “It’s a big step in making me look good, but my teammates are very helpful with my success. Anything I can do to help my team and any advice I can give as a leader is all part of working together as a unit.”
The outcome of the Gators’ season will likely depend on whether Fleming can continue to carry her success from the offseason into the regular season.
Fleming, who had 37 digs in 30 matches last year, will be backed up at the libero spot by sophomore Sundai Weston and junior Elissa Hausmann as freshman Taylor Unroe sits out the season to recover from ankle surgery.
Depth could be an issue because of the inexperience at the position. Weston had just one dig after appearing in only three matches last year while Hausmann had none in five matches.
With Cusack having over 500 digs in each of her four seasons with the Gators, Fleming and her supporting cast have an immense challenge in front of them.
“After having Elyse as your libero, there’s a little bit of pressure coming in as a newbie,” Fleming said.
