The Florida volleyball team may be in Hawaii, but they’re not on vacation.
It’s a business trip, if anything, for the Gators.
No. 2 UF (4-0) takes on Eastern Washington (4-3) and No. 16 Hawaii (5-1) in Honolulu tonight at 10:30 and 1 a.m. Friday, respectively.
UF will then finish its trip at the 2015 Outrigger Resorts Volleyball Challenge against San Diego State on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
While it may seem like just another volleyball tournament for the Gators, there’s much more time management that goes into it.
Just like any other student, they still have schoolwork.
"We all have classes, so we’re gonna have to stay on top of that," sophomore outside hitter Carli Snyder said.
"[We] can’t just be like, ‘oh two week vacation to play some volleyball.’"
Head coach Mary Wise said before the trip that her players would be studying on the plane and in the hotel.
"That’s part of college athletics is learning to be proactive in the schoolwork," Wise said.
"Get work done ahead of time, communicate with the professors [and] take advantage of the down time that there is."
But the Gators will have their work cut out on the court too.
The 16th ranked Rainbow Wahine boast a .266 hitting percentage and one of the best hitters in junior Nikki Taylor, whose five kills per set ranks 7th in the nation.
But Florida has the blocking ability to stop a player like Taylor.
Sophomore middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan leads the nation with 2.5 blocks per set, a main reason UF’s 3.18 blocks per set are eighth best in the country.
Alhassan's work has not gone unnoticed outside Gainesville.
The Glenarden, Maryland, native was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday after recording a team-high 13 kills, two service aces and nine blocks in UF's 3-1 upset over then-No. 3 Texas at the VERT Challenge.
The Gators have also been potent on the offensive side of the ball.
Florida’s .330 hitting percentage is third in the nation — led by three players hitting over .400 in Simone Antwi, Ziva Recek and Alhassan.
And while Hawaii has Taylor, Florida has junior right-side hitter Alex Holston, who leads the team with 3.93 kills per set.
Eastern Washington isn’t as formidable an opponent as Hawaii.
The Eagles come into tonight’s match with a .209 hitting percentage, which is ranked 147th in the nation.
Between the double header and managing her courses, senior setter Mackenzie Dagostino said it’ll be easier than it seems.
"We are student-athletes, we have to balance workouts, school, practice, traveling...all the time," Dagostino said.
"So it is an extended period of time, but I think we’re all pretty good at it and we’re gonna be OK with it."
Follow Patrick Pinak on Twitter @Pinakk12
Mackenzie Dagostino sets the ball during No. 8 seed Florida's 3-1 win against Miami in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 6, 2014, in the O'Connell Center.
