Mary Wise has not had much reason to be angry this season.
Florida is undefeated in Southeastern Conference play and is currently top-3 in the conference in hitting percentage, service aces, kills and assists. But sometimes anger comes with the job.
"Is there a time when I lose the smile?" Wise said. "Ask the players that. Ask the players when I put the clipboard above my face."
Wise has seen her team’s potential, and from her perspective, they haven’t come close to reaching it.
No. 8 Florida (12-3, 6-0 SEC) will face South Carolina (13-4, 3-2 SEC) in Columbia, S.C., tonight at 6 in what could be UF’s most challenging conference match yet.
Statistically, the Gamecocks and the Gators match up evenly.
Alex Holston, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, is fifth in the league in kills (3.5/set) and points (4.05/set). 6-foot-4 Middle blocker and SEC Freshman of the Week Rhamat Alhassan leads the conference in hitting percentage (.475) and is fourth in blocks (1.34/set).
Against South Carolina, Holston faces the SEC’s second ranked digging team (15.18/set) and Alhassan will try to out block the SEC’s leading team in blocks per set, at 2.66.
"Our offense better be on point," Wise said. "South Carolina is a team… where balls are going to come back. Hopefully not too fast at the net, but we have to stay patient offensively."
The Gators excel at limiting opposing team’s kills. They are second in the SEC in opponent hitting percentage at .167.
The Gamecocks are first at .160.
"One of the things we really hang our hat on and try real hard is to hold a team under their typical hitting efficiency," coach Mary Wise said. "Can we make kills (for the opponent) difficult to come by?"
South Carolina looks to accomplish a feat no SEC team has done this year: win at least two sets against Florida.
Wise welcomes the challenge on the road and views it as an opportunity for growth. The stronger competition they face, the faster Florida can reach the level of play Wise knows it’s capable of reaching.
It’s her job to get them there.
"The hard part is when your expectations are greater than what the players have of themselves. And when the player’s expectations are similar to that of the coach, then you’re in a really good place," Wise said. "But the hardest part is to get players to understand how much better they can be. How hard they can push."
When former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden spoke to UF’s coaches a few years ago, Wise heeded a piece of his advice that she still uses today.
"I loved (Wooden’s) line: every player needs a pat on the back," Wise said, "but some players’ pat needs to be a little bit lower."
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UF coach Mary Wise calls out a play during Florida's 3-2 win against Oklahoma on Aug. 30 in the O'Connell Center.
