Coach Mary Wise has built one of the premier programs in Gator athletics. Since 1991, Wise has constructed a volleyball program that is constantly at the top and rarely struggles to find its footing.
Wise and her players have always found a way to be competitive and represent the SEC with true class.
And this year won’t be any different.
Following a 2017 season that saw the Gators take the SEC championship and finish runner-up in the NCAA Championships, Wise has reloaded her arsenal of players and already played two of the toughest opponents the Gators will see this season.
Despite losing four key seniors in Rhamat Alhassan, Carli Snyder, Shainah Joseph and Caroline Knop, the Gators did work on the recruiting trail prior to their seniors hanging up the jerseys.
Following a weekend where they beat the defending national champions and fell in five sets to No. 3 Texas, the future looks solid for Florida.
The Gators added six freshmen and one transfer to the squad to try to replace the All-American talent that left the program.
Leading the pack is Thayer Hall, the most highly touted recruit from the 2018 class. The Gatorade National Player of the Year is already making an immediate impact to the team. Her 41 kills in two contests over the weekend led the team and backed up her accolades she achieved in high school.
In addition to the new faces, junior middle blocker Rachael Kramer returns to the front of the net following her breakout year. She’ll maintain a presence in the middle that opposing teams will have to gameplan for. Kramer will also have senior setter Allie Monserez up front, a pair that should provide the Gators with plenty of offensive aggression throughout the season.
It’ll be tough for UF to make a run like they did last season once again. Losing talent in every area of the court is tough for any team to rebound from.
However, the Gators’ volleyball program will take the crown as the best fall program in Gainesville. An SEC championship is never out of reach for Wise’s team, and a trip to the NCAA tournament is almost guaranteed while she sits on UF’s bench.
Regardless of their standing at the end of the season, the Gators will always provide a show inside the O’Connell Center. So when you have the time, take a few hours to go watch UF’s volleyball program work its magic.
Not only will you be watching the best team at Florida, you’ll be watching one of the most entertaining programs across the entire nation.
Justin Ahlum is a multimedia producer for The Alligator. Follow him on Twitter @justinn_case1 and contact him at jahlum@alligator.org.
Coach Mary Wise said that the NCAA tournament needs to be updated so teams aren't playing on consecutive days. "We’re still playing the rules of the 80s and the tournament designed in the 80s. And these guys are very different than the 1980s.”
