For Jennifer Robinson, returning to Gainesville meant reliving one of the most successful seasons of her volleyball career.
“Just walking in the gym, like everything came flooding back,” Robinson said. “The good memories I have just from playing here. [Florida coach Mary Wise] was a huge part of my playing career, and it’s really great to be back.”
Robinson is returning to Gainesville for the first time as an assistant coach. After No. 9 Florida’s season opener against New Orleans at noon, LIU-Brooklyn, where Robinson is on staff, will take on the Gators tonight at 7:30.
Robinson played as a graduate student during the 1999 season and helped the Gators repeat as Southeastern Conference Tournament champions.
That season, Robinson was named SEC Tournament MVP and All-SEC First Team. Having a player of Robinson’s pedigree was something that brings Wise memories.
“The very first match of the year, you’re going back to the very first weekend of the year — we played Penn State at Nebraska,” Wise said.
“Penn State went on to win the national championship, but it did so with one loss and that loss was to that Florida team.”
Facing her former coach is something that Robinson knows will be strange, but it is a challenge she is willing to accept.
“I hope we win,” Robinson said. “It will (be strange). She’s been a very gracious mentor through the years and as I became a coach and continue into my coaching career. She’s always been a very supportive person in my life. I’m excited.”
Although Robinson is the pupil in this scenario, she may not necessarily be the underdog. The Blackbirds are coming off a season in which they reached the NCAA Tournament after riding a 19-match winning streak.
Returning to the site where Robinson chose to continue her career will be a chance to relive some of the best moments she had on the court.
“Coming in as a transfer student, I knew what I was looking for,” she said. “I knew as I visited Florida that this was the place for me.
The opportunity just to come was incredible and the entire season was, honestly, everything that I was looking for.
“The coaching staff has always treated me like family … I always felt like part of the Gator family.”
Seeing a former player return to Gainesville as a coach and continue a successful volleyball career is something that Gators junior defensive specialist Madison Monserez thinks makes the Florida program unique.
“It’s very cool,” Monserez said. “Mary is a great coach and has a great history behind her, and every season people come back to see her and it really makes you feel excited to play for such a great program that has a coach that has touched so many players lives.”
Despite the fact that it’s been more than 10 years since Robinson’s final match in a Gators uniform, she sees very little difference in Gainesville.
“I haven’t seen much outside of campus, but the practice facility and the training room where I spent the majority of my time here looks and feels exactly the same,” Robinson said.
“Being here in the O-Dome, honestly, brings the adrenaline back.”
Follow RJ Schaffer on Twitter @rjschaffer.
UF coach Mary Wise (above) will square off against former Gator and current LIU-Brooklyn assistant coach Jennifer Robinson when both teams play tonight at 7:30.
