You wouldn’t believe the depth Florida’s volleyball team has.
One starter, senior outside hitter Ziva Recek, is 5,000 miles away in Slovenia.
Another regular, sophomore outside hitter Carli Snyder, is still nursing an injured ankle.
And to make matters worse, junior right-side hitter Alex Holston had her worst game of the season.
Yet the No. 5 Gators still found a way to defeat then-No. 18 Seminoles on Sunday, showing just how talented their roster is.
Snyder, who injured her ankle Sept. 8, said it was sore prior to the match but still played through it. By the end of the 3-1 victory, she said it didn’t hurt but joked that she might’ve been on an adrenaline high.
"I was a little nervous before the match because it was hurting," Snyder said, "but I’ve been back in practice and they (her teammates) were very supportive and it ended up going great."
Head coach Mary Wise opted to start Snyder, and it paid great dividends.
The sophomore from Macomb, Michigan, compiled a double-double (11 kills, 12 digs) and scored 14 points in the win.
"That’s not Carli at full strength," Wise said.
"I thought it was a really gutsy performance from her."
Then there’s Recek, who plays her first match for the Slovenia national team in the 2015 Women’s European Volleyball Championship Saturday against the Netherlands. She couldn’t be at the game Sunday.
But Recek’s face was still there, sort of.
Wise said a friend of Recek’s was Facetiming her from the stands so that she could watch.
"We just didn’t feel it was fair to her to deprive her of that opportunity," Wise said.
Another problem for Florida on Sunday was Alex Holston’s play. Holston, UF’s star All-American, tallied seven kills and hit just .080 — her worst mark of the season.
"If we were a basketball team we’d say Alex didn’t shoot the ball particularly well," Wise said after the game. "And she has carried us literally for two years. She’s allowed to have an off shooting night."
With a depleted and damaged roster, Wise had to play some cards she wouldn’t normally use.
Senior outside hitter Gabby Mallette stepped up when her name was called. She slammed 10 kills and added four total blocks.
Mallette has seen her role and playing time increase since Snyder’s initial injury.
"She’s handled it just like all the other players have handled it," Wise said, "and understanding that we are the best we can be in combination and collection of all the talents, and that sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone."
Another player who looked relaxed a little bit out of her comfort zone was senior middle blocker Simone Antwi.
Antwi led the Gators with 14 kills and hit a team-high .542 while adding five total blocks.
With the roster the way it was, Wise opted to get the ball to Florida’s middles, Antwi and Rhamat Alhassan, who didn’t disappoint. The two combined for 26 kills and 15 total blocks.
Although it was just one match, albeit a big one versus rival FSU, it illustrated just how talented and deep the Gators are this year.
As UF opens up Southeastern Conference play Friday against Ole Miss, a win with adverse conditions just might have been what Florida needed to gain some steam.
Wise said she and her team don’t discuss the prospects of once again going undefeated in SEC play after doing so last year.
"All we’re trying to do is be the best version of ourselves each time," she said.
"Right now we’re undefeated, but so is everybody else."
Follow Patrick Pinak on Twitter @Pinakk12
UF outside hitter Carli Snyder swings for a kill attempt during Florida's 3-1 win on Sept. 20, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.
