A little more than one week ago, Florida’s volleyball team could do no wrong.
The Gators cruised through their first six matches in a minimum total of 18 sets, winning each frame by an average of 9.17 points. While the joyride was great for fans and statistics, it served as little more than a warm-up for the team.
Only half of Florida’s opening six matches were against teams that had a winning record in 2010, and Florida State is the only team to enter the O’Connell Center ranked in the AVCA Top 25.
That all changed last week when the Gators went up against three consecutive teams ranked in the top 12.
“It’s who we played,” UF coach Mary Wise said.
“The quality of the competition and how good those teams are.”
The Gators immediately noticed the escalated level of opposition.
After a smooth start to 2011, Florida quickly fell behind 0-2 to Iowa State on Labor Day before rallying to lose in an error-filled fifth set.
At the Nike Big Four Classic in Palo Alto, Calif., during the weekend, No. 7 Florida went five sets against both No. 8 Texas and No. 2 Stanford, splitting with a win and a loss, respectively.
“Physically, the great thing is we’re young and we’re in terrific shape,” Wise said. “So (playing three five-set games) shouldn’t be a problem.”
In fact, Wise sees nothing but positives coming out of a rigorous week in which her team went up against three of the best squads in the nation.
Florida out-hit its opponents by an average of .231 to .184, and it also saw a resurgence from redshirt freshman libero Taylor Unroe, who recorded 42 digs in Palo Alto after a rough outing against Iowa State.
“If the Texas and Stanford matches were any indication, that’s where we made the biggest jump from the Iowa State match was in our backcourt play,” Wise said.
“There’s still balls that are falling to the floor that shouldn’t be, but it was a whole different mindset.”
The veteran coach added she might have considered the week a success even if Florida had lost some of the matches in straight sets.
She said facing the teams the Gators faced gives them an immediate advantage as they prepare to begin Southeastern Conference play, which starts on Friday with a trip to Starkville, Miss., to take on Mississippi State.
“It’s not at a huge gap for us to compete against the very best teams in the country, and I think that the players are highly encouraged,” she said. “Disappointed in losing, but encouraged in what lies ahead.”
Redshirt freshman libero Taylor Unroe (right) recorded 42 digs during the weekend at the Nike Big Four Classic in Palo Alto, Calif.
