There was a moment in coach Mary Wise’s press conference on Monday that may go unnoticed, but shouldn’t.
The topic was then-No. 6 Florida’s 3-2 road victory over then-No. 3 Texas two days earlier, a match where the Gators proved to anyone watching, and to themselves, that they are a team to be feared in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
"Even if we had come out on the other side and lost," Wise said, "I would’ve felt equally as good."
Then, she hesitated.
"Ok. Maybe not quite as equally."
There is no time for feeling good after a loss in late November.
That feeling is reserved for moments like in the first week of September, when Wise’s still improving team fell to then-No. 8 FSU on the road and then to the same No. 3 Texas team at home two days later.
But Saturday was not like that first week in September, when Wise and the Gators still felt good even in defeat, because they recognized that they were only five matches deep into a 28-match journey.
Saturday was not like September, because a 3-2 loss at No. 3 Texas on Saturday, although commendable, would have fallen short of UF’s expectations.
But Florida won, and with it came a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament and home field advantage in the first two rounds. ESPN volleyball analyst Maria Taylor even declared Florida her sleeper pick in the tournament.
She’s wrong.
Florida should be a favorite, but its seeding suggests otherwise.
After upsetting Texas, Wise assumed that Florida would receive a higher seed than what they were given.
"We thought going into (Texas)… that Texas was the No. 2 seed, and Florida was going to be the No. 8 seed," Wise said. "After the match we thought there might be some change in that. Honestly, you have to wonder if the (selection) committee was dismissed before the match was over. That’s the only way I could think that there wasn’t a change in it."
Despite its No. 5 ranking and the fact that it holds the only undefeated conference record in the top 25, UF is flying under the radar when compared to the nation’s other elite teams.
Perhaps it’s because its young players receive large chunks of playing time, although UF’s younger players play as well as anyone in the nation at their respective positions.
Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year Rhamat Alhassan leads the nation in hitting percentage (.465), ahead of two seniors.
SEC Player of the Year Alex Holston is one of the most versatile hitters in the league, and racked up 41 kills over the week while recording the third most points in a match in Florida history, with 32 against Texas.
And junior Mackenzie Dagostino, while not as young as Holston and Alhassan but currently in her first year as Florida’s starting setter, is 16th in the nation in assists per set (11.41).
Entering the NCAA tournament, Florida has a chance to prove that its No. 8 seed has undersold them, and to show the nation why.
There is a different vibe around this Florida team now than there was in September.
Now, no one will feel good after a loss.
September was a time for developing chemistry, for establishing starters and role players, for setting out a plan and devoting an entire season to achieve it.
But in December, things are different.
In December, it’s time to win.
Follow Ian Cohen on Twitter @IcohenB
UF players celebrate after a point during Florida's 3-0 win against Missouri on Friday in the O'Connell Center.
