When the Florida volleyball team faces No. 13 Florida State in Tallahassee tonight, the No. 7 Gators (6-1) won’t be getting much love.
Thousands of spectators will pack into FSU’s Tully Gym to watch the heated rivalry.
“Tully Gym, there’s nobody there cheering for the Gators,” UF coach Mary Wise said on Tuesday.
Wise added that the crowd’s severe volume will be a difficult challenge for her team to overcome.
“We’ll have a great opportunity to work on our nonverbal communication,” she said, “because you really can’t hear a thing.”
Caroline Knop, who transferred to Florida from Michigan in the Spring, has yet to experience the fierce in-state rivalry.
And she can’t wait to get a taste.
“I want raucous crowds. I want people yelling obscenities at me,” the junior libero said of the impending matchup.
“Let’s get crazy.”
Knop has been a rock for the Gators in the backcourt so far this season.
Her 78 digs and 3.39 digs per set lead the team in both categories. In addition, Knop has been steady on the serve, dropping over seven service aces — tied for most on the team — to only one error.
Knop said the serve has been an area of focus for the Gators, an area that should help them take on a solid Florida State defense.
“Serving and passing is where you lose games,” she said. “To put pressure on a team from the service line is something that you will win a lot of games if you can do that really well.”
As for UF’s older players, it’ll be yet another chance to stick it to the Seminoles.
Last season, Florida defeated FSU (6-1) on two separate occasions, including a four-set tilt during the second round of the NCAA Tournament — a match that junior All-Americans Carli Snyder and Rhamat Alhassan dominated.
The duo scored 45 percent of the team’s total points in the December matchup, slamming down a combined 28 kills in the process.
And despite sweeping their last five opponents, the Gators aren’t taking anything for granted, especially with an opportunity to make it three straight against the Seminoles.
“FSU is one of those matches that we’re always so pumped to play,” Alhassan said.
“We’re really excited.”
For Wise and her squad, this will be their first match against a ranked opponent since Florida’s season opener against No. 1 Nebraska.
But she said they’re ready for the challenge.
“It’s what college athletics is all about, in terms of the rivalry,” Wise said.
“We know we’ll get Florida State’s best shot.”
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
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.
