The stat line reads the same for almost every game — Taylor Brauneis leads Florida in assists while Chloe Mann and Ziva Recek take turns leading in kills.
Another constant for the No. 4 Gators (11–1) has been strong play from their bench.
“It’s not easy to come in off the bench and all the expectations that come with it,” coach Mary Wise said after Saturday’s sweep of Marquette.
“[The bench players] feel very confident.”
A deep bench — helped by the additions of freshman Alex Holston and sophomore transfer Mackenzie Dagostino — has allowed Wise to relieve her starters.
All but four players on the roster have played 21 or more sets. One of those four, Noami Santos-Lamb, is still recovering from an ACL injury that forced her to miss all of last season.
Dagostino often gives way to Brauneis during critical points, but opponents feel her presence when she is on the court.
Dagostino is second on UF with 2.75 assists per set and leads the team with a serving percentage of .984.
In Florida’s win over Iona on Sept. 14, Dagostino had a team-high 40 assists.
Mann and Recek are two of the best hitters in the country, but Holston boasts a hitting percentage of .410 — the third best clip among Gators who have at least 40 attempts and percentage that is in the top 40 in the nation.
Holston is not the only role player having an unheralded year. Sophomore middle blocker Simone Antwi leads UF with 38 blocks and is third on the team with 2.9 points per set.
Antwi is also second on the team with a serving percentage of .930, showing the versatility that the 6-foot-2 hitter has with her move from blocking to serving.
During her freshman season, Antwi played sparingly.
Former Gator Tangerine Wiggs saw most of the time on the court at middle blocker. With Wiggs’ departure, the Gators have relied on Antwi to be a fundamental contributor in all areas.
Having Antwi perform on kills, blocks and serving is one of the main reasons Florida has only one loss this season, which came to No. 1 Penn State in the sixth game of the year.
Not only have the Gators dropped only one match, but outside of their matchup with the Nittany Lions, they have lost only three sets, which includes games against No. 8 Stanford, LIU-Brooklyn and Western Michigan.
Last season, the Gators had already been swept and lost six sets through their fifth match.
Follow RJ Schaffer on Twitter @rjschaffer.
Mackenzie Dagostino squats during Florida’s three-set victory against Florida State on Tuesday in the O’Connell Center.
