After a late-season bye week, the No. 5 Gators will try to shake off any rust and bring home a Southeastern Conference title.
“It feels good to be back because we haven’t played anyone but ourselves in a while,” junior libero Taylor Unroe said. “So, it’s always good to see some fresh faces on the other side of the net.”
During the bye week, UF worked on weaknesses that the coaching staff noticed in a five-set win against Texas A&M on Nov. 3.
Florida (22-2, 11-1 SEC) will play four of its last six games at home to finish the season, starting with a struggling South Carolina squad tonight at 6 p.m.
The Gamecocks opened the season with three straight sweeps but have won just three of their last 10 matches. Each loss came in three sets.
The danger for Florida will be not overlooking a team that could ruin its shot at the SEC title before No. 7 Missouri comes to Gainesville on Friday.
Florida has a chance to avenge its four-set loss at Missouri on Oct. 20 and reclaim the top spot in the conference.
“Any team in the SEC on any given day can win, especially against us because they’re going to play their best,” Unroe said.
“It’s pretty easy not to overlook them because we know we’re going to get their best shot, and something crazy could happen.”
Senior middle blocker Chloe Mann will likely give the Gamecocks’ inexperienced defense fits.
Mann has added to her impressive career with a senior season for the record books.
She currently leads the NCAA in hitting percentage at .514. The next highest is Missouri’s Whitney Little, who is hitting .493.
“Chloe’s a freak,” Unroe said. “It’s always good to have her on our side of the net. I would never want to play against her.
"It’s awesome playing with her every day. She’s a crazy person.”
Follow RJ Schaffer on Twitter @rjschaffer.
Redshirt senior middle blocker Chloe Mann spikes the ball over the net in Florida’s 3-0 win against Auburn on Oct. 25 in the O’Connell Center.
