The NCAA tournament may have just started, but it’s been on the mind of Florida’s players for several months.
For freshman Carli Snyder, the promise of an opportunity to compete for a national championship has been occupying her thoughts all season.
“(Everyone’s) been talking about the tournament since August and I’ve never experienced it,” Snyder said. “So just coming out and knowing what they were talking about, how exciting it really is to see the O’Dome packed with people and all the fans. I was really excited.”
Coach Mary Wise placed the hard-hitting freshman in the starting lineup, and the Gators reaped the benefits.
Snyder finished with eight kills, one dig and a .571 hitting percentage.
At the opposite hitting position was sophomore Alex Holston, who led Florida with 14 kills, three total blocks, one service ace and a .522 hitting clip.
At this point last year, Holston’s nerves might have played a factor in her performance, but a year to mature has given her the confidence she needs to rack up points in bunches for UF.
“That’s something huge for me, always being comfortable,” Holston said after collecting 16.5 points in Florida’s 3-0 win over Alabama State on Friday. “I talked about it with our coaches a bunch of times. But last year I was definitely really nervous and this year I’ve definitely settled into my role.”
Holston and Snyder figure to play a major role in Florida’s offense as the team advances further into the tournament, beginning with Miami on Saturday at 7 p.m.
“I think it was great… but we take it one game at a time,” Holston said. “Alabama State is done and it’s time to move on to Miami.”
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Carli Snyder serves during No. 8 seed Florida's 3-0 win against Alabama State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in the O'Connell Center.
Alex Holston swings for a kill attempt during No. 8 seed Florida's 3-0 win against Alabama State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in the O'Connell Center.
