For coach Mary Wise, it all comes down to the grit and the grind.
In a weekend filled with difficult matchups, the Gators faced their toughest challenge yet — squaring off with two top-10 ranked teams within two days of each match.
In the grand scheme of the schedule, Wise wasn’t focused on the outcome, but the resilience her team showed.
"When we scheduled last week’s matches on the Thursday-Saturday note, we knew it was going to be quite the challenge for our team playing at Florida State on Thursday night and Texas on Saturday," Wise said.
"If we just look at the outcome, then I think we’re missing the point as a team. ... To go five with Florida State at Florida State, it says a whole lot about the grit of the team."
And senior defensive specialist Holly Pole has shown the grit Wise is looking for in her team. Pole relieved senior Taylor Unroe from the libero position against Oklahoma in Florida’s season-opening weekend — a sign of the depth that Wise continues to talk about.
After putting on the libero jersey for her second game of the season, Pole finished the night against Florida State with eight digs in five sets, just one dig behind junior setter Mackenzie Dagostino.
A little more than two days after Florida’s loss at Florida State, Pole improved from her five-set showdown with the Seminoles and led Florida with 11 digs in four sets against third-ranked Texas.
"She is our best defender, both in terms of her volleyball IQ and the plays she makes," Wise said.
"Our faith is that if you’re going to take your big time swing and we could choose one player in the back row to dig that, it would be Holly. ...She provides a stability for us that the team really recognizes and benefits from."
Playing in the libero position isn’t new to Pole.
The Ocala native, as well as senior Maddie Monserez, have been practicing in the position alongside Unroe so the Florida team could add depth to its defensive specialists.
Wise said having the versatility to rotate among Monserez, Pole and Unroe is beneficial when players are struggling to connect with their teammates.
"When Mary made that change against Oklahoma -- I mean there were nerves definitely coming out in the libero jersey, but it’s the same thing," Pole said.
"I’m still digging, passing and serving — those are my three main responsibilities and that doesn’t change, it’s just being out there for an extra two and a half rotations."
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Holly Pole digs the ball during Florida's 3-1 loss to Texas on Saturday Sept. 6, in the O'Connell Center
