The Florida volleyball team snuck into the weekend’s Southeastern Conference opener with caution. The then-No. 6-ranked Gators were set to face a pair of teams that had already gotten off to solid starts to the year.
On Friday night, Florida faced an Ole Miss team that had won 11 of its first 13 games. On Sunday afternoon, Florida squared off against a 12-2 Alabama team that had recently knocked off then-No. 19 Texas A&M.
The weekend was supposed to be a battle.
It wasn’t.
The Gators (12-1, 2-0 SEC) dropped just one set to the Rebels and defeated the Crimson Tide in a clean sweep.
To UF coach Mary Wise, however, this team can still improve.
“I don’t think any of us realize just how much this team, the ability for them to improve from all 18 players on the roster,” Wise said, “so much of that is because of how hard they work and their attention to detail.”
Based on the performances of Florida’s upperclassmen, it’s difficult to see how the team can improve.
Juniors Caroline Knop and Carli Snyder have been on a tear so far this season.
Knop, who registered a career-high 31 digs against Ole Miss, has been an anchor for the Gators’ backcourt, leading the team in digs (167) and digs per set (3.8).
Snyder, along with senior Alex Holston and fellow junior Rhamat Alhassan, has been a focal point of Florida’s deadly attack.
The 6-foot-1 outside hitter leads the team with 167 kills and has totaled 180 points.
So how does a team that features three dominant point scorers and an elite defensive specialist improve?
The answer lies with its freshmen — all eight of them.
“A lot of times you have veteran teams that they’re just not gonna get that much better over the course of a season,” Wise said. “Obviously, our young players. Starting from ground zero.”
Leading that group of freshmen are 6-foot-8 middle blocker Rachael Kramer and 6-foot-3 outside hitter Morgyn Greer.
Kramer, who played just one set in three of her first four games this season, is now a fixture in the Gators’ rotation, leading all freshmen in points (83.5), kills (62) and kills per set (2.14).
Greer isn’t far behind.
In 34 sets, she has accrued 57 points and 51 kills, including a nine-kill performance against Morgan State on Sept. 3.
Delving further into its SEC schedule, Florida will continue to rely on the fearsome quartet of Knop, Snyder, Alhassan and Holston.
But its freshmen will be there to help out.
The Gators return Wednesday to the Lemerand Athletic Center for an 8 p.m. showdown with the Kentucky Wildcats.
“We think it’ll be a great match come Wednesday night,” Wise said.
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
Caroline Knop serves during Florida's 3-0 win over Jacksonville at the Lemerand Athletic Center on Sept. 16, 2016.
