By now, Florida’s volleyball team is tired of hearing about Chloe Mann.
Or rather, about her absence.
Mann was a two-time All-American and led UF in hitting percentage for three straight years, beginning in her sophomore season.
She was No. 1 on the team in both kills and points as a senior, and was a large part of Florida’s 28-4 record last season and second place finish in the Southeastern Conference.
She was Florida’s unquestioned leader at the net.
And now she’s gone, but she left something behind.
"Towards the end, (Chloe) kind of knew it was gonna be me (replacing her)," junior Simone Antwi said. "So it wasn’t that drastic of a transition because Chloe kind of eased me into it towards the end of the season."
Antwi has inherited Mann’s role as the team’s oldest blocker.
And just as Mann helped her, Antwi is now facilitating freshman blocker Rhamat Alhassan’s transition into Florida’s system.
So far, the junior has set a good example.
Antwi is fourth in the SEC in hitting percentage (.398), and of the conference’s top 20 hitters, she has the fourth fewest errors (26).
The 6-foot-2 blocker not only takes pride in her own ability, but also in the help she is able to provide Alhassan.
"It’s weird now because I’m the oldest middle, so I have to kind of be the mama bear," Antwi said. "When Rhamat’s in (the game) and she does something, it’s not like I can go out of the game and just check out. I have to pay attention and see what she’s doing. ... I’ve kind of embraced the role of helping her."
Antwi’s mentorship has allowed Alhassan to flourish beyond expectations during her first season.
The freshman has surpassed Antwi in hitting percentage (.476) while collecting just one more error (27).
For Antwi and Alhassan, the distinction between junior and freshman is clear. The line between student and teacher is less so.
"She’s helped me more than she knows, to be honest," Antwi said.
After not starting to begin the year, Alhassan has now secured a permanent spot in the opening lineup.
"Who would of thought that a player who didn’t start the first set of her first match of her freshmen year can produce the kind of numbers that Rhamat is producing right now?" coach Mary Wise said.
Some of Alhassan’s success is a direct result of Antwi’s assistance, but even more of it is due to the precedent that Mann set during her Florida tenure.
Mann’s gone now, but she left something behind.
"Chloe, having her around was a really big thing, but she also kind of helped us along the way," Antwi said. "While she was here … (I) learned so much from her. Now we’re kind of carrying it on for her."
Follow Ian Cohen on Twitter @icohenb
Simone Antwi (16) hits the ball over the net for a kill attempt during Florida's 3-0 win against Ole Miss in the O'Connell Center.
