The Gators have had plenty of reasons to give up this season, associate head coach Dave Boos said.
Instead, Florida heads into Friday night’s Southeastern Conference home opener at 7 against Missouri (10-2, 2-0) with a No. 13 ranking and a perfect SEC record.
Boos said UF (8-2, 2-0 SEC) stayed strong amid offseason losses and injuries because of the leadership of the upperclassmen.
“There’s a lot of reasons for a group like this to say, ‘Well, this shouldn’t be our year,’” he said. “This senior group is not letting that happen. This group hasn’t had that mind frame at all from the beginning.”
The confidence starts with redshirt senior and team captain Betsy Smith. The 6-foot-2 Atlanta product has 56 kills and 18 blocks through 10 matches at middle blocker this season.
But her impact is felt off the court as well.
Smith said she embraces her role as a leader for the 11 underclassmen that make up the majority of the team’s roster.
“They do some goofy things,” Smith said.
“I have to put myself back in their shoes like, ‘OK, I would have done that four or five years ago — maybe, I guess.’ So it’s just like trying to figure out how they are, who they are as people, and that’s been the fun part.”
Freshman Dana Backlund said she has increased her knowledge and love of the game just by watching the older players compete with the same mentality in practices as in games.
“It’s such a big help watching them,” she said. “You learn so much in what really needs to be done. So it’s a great learning experience for all of us. They’ve all been great leaders (and) great examples for all of us.”
Boos praised Backlund and the rest of the freshman class for being so receptive and ready to follow in the footsteps of UF’s veterans.
He said this attitude has given the Gators success thus far, and his team is prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.
“We’re really steady,” Boos said. “We’re composed. And from the very first serve you can tell we’re ready to go. You can see the belief happening.”
Senior Betsy Smith (14) celebrates after scoring a point during the FAMU match at Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Aug. 25. Her experience has helped carry Florida to an 8-2, 2-0 SEC record.
