In the finale of the Campus USA Invite last week, Florida rebounded to defeat Duke after showing some signs of weakness against LIU-Brooklyn the previous night.
Madison Monserez addressed the media following the victory over the Blue Devils and commended the Gators’ ability to make corrections within 24 hours of a match.
But No. 5 Florida took a step in the wrong direction Sunday by dropping three straight sets to then-No. 1 Penn State just a day after coach Mary Wise’s squad knocked off then-No. 2 Stanford.
Wise said it is more difficult for her team to adapt to the playing style of schools outside the Southeastern Conference because the Gators don’t always get much time to learn about non-conference opponents.
“We approached this weekend like all of our preseason tournaments where you learn about players you don’t play on a regular basis,” she said. “The turnaround in this tournament is so fast. It’s something we don’t have to face in the SEC because the teams are so familiar with each other.”
The challenge of a quick turnaround is made even more difficult when facing the some of the top teams in the nation.
This year’s Nike Big Four Classic marked the second time in UF history it faced the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in one weekend. In 2003, No. 3 Florida defeated No. 2 Hawaii in the NCAA Final Four before falling to No. 1 USC in the national championship match.
Wise said the stiff competition in the regular season allows the Gators to get a feel for the playoff atmosphere they will see in December if they make the NCAA Tournament.
“All four non-conference weekends really do prepare us for postseason when you’re learning about players for the first time,” Wise said.
However, Wise added that the team needs the beginning of the year to continue learning about itself as well as its opponents.
The Gators were served a tough offensive lesson Sunday against the Nittany Lions.
Gabby Mallette landed more attack errors than kills, which gave her a game-low -.053 hitting clip.
Simone Antwi, who was instrumental in leading her team past Stanford, couldn’t repeat her success Sunday as her hitting percentage dropped from .706 to .133.
Wise said going back-to-back days playing elite teams is a tall order this early in the season because of how much homework goes into preparing for just one opponent.
“We are asking our players to learn this information (and) process this information without the practice time,” Wise said. “All of that makes them have to work harder, but it makes us a better team.”
Since Florida began competing in the Nike Big Four Classic, the Gators have made three straight Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight appearance.
Although Wise would have preferred a pair of wins over the top-ranked teams in the country, she said she does not focus on the win-loss record in a tournament this early in the season.
“The win on Saturday does not define the weekend nor does the loss on Sunday define the weekend,” Wise said.
“What defines the weekend is what we learned from it and how much better we are moving from this point forward.”
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn.
Gabby Mallette squats to bump the ball during Florida’s 3-0 win against Duke on Aug. 31 in the O’Connell Center. No. 5 Florida beat then-No. 2 Stanford on Saturday before losing to then-No. 1 Penn State on Sunday.
