Florida women’s basketball coach Amanda Butler found herself using the word "elevate" to describe specific elements of the team during the team’s Media Day on Thursday.
How could she not?
The team has elevated its expectations, hoping to improve upon a season that saw the Gators make the postseason for the third time under Butler’s eight-year reign.
They’ve also elevated their roster, adding the necessary element of height that is so critical to a basketball team’s success.
Redshirt senior Kayla Lewis was the tallest healthy player on the team last season, standing an even six feet, although probably a little taller in her Nike high-tops.
She was often called upon to play center and power forward, a drastic shift for a player who’s used to playing guard with the ball in her hands.
That’s not the case this season.
Lewis, the lone senior on Florida’s roster, will hand the low-post reigns to a trio of players taller than herself – redshirt junior Viktorija Dimaite, along with freshmen Brooke Copeland and Haley Lorenzen.
Though her position will change, Lewis is eager to continue her role as a seasoned leader of the Gators in her more natural guard position.
She doesn’t think anything has changed, except the way people outside the team view her.
"I don’t think there’s a difference in my role as a leader on the team," Lewis said. "From the outside there’s an expectation that ‘OK you’re a senior, you’re supposed to lead’, but not much has actually changed for me.
"I think internally, my teammates have the same expectation of me that they had last year, which rose as the season went on."
Admittedly, it was a tough road getting to this point. Lewis’ first two seasons were wrought with injuries, and she missed the final 14 games of her freshman season in 2010 due to an injury.
After rehabbing and regaining her form, Lewis suffered a stress fracture just three games into her sophomore season that led to her redshirting the rest of the season.
Her breakout season came the following year, where she went on to start every game for the Gators and scored in double-figures 21 times that season.
With expectations high for Lewis, she made sure not to disappoint. Along with graduated senior Jaterra Bonds, Lewis was often looked upon to lead the Gators. Her consistent improvement led to her being named the 2013-2014 Most Improved Player on the Florida Gators.
Eager to show her versatility, Lewis made sure to contribute to the Gators in every category she could.
In turn, she led the team in rebounding, field goal percentage, blocked shots, free throw attempts and minutes played.
"I don’t feel any heightened responsibility," Lewis said. "I just want to raise my game to a higher level from last season."
Moving back to the guard position with the added experience she gained playing center, Lewis knows she can bring a new element to her game that may have been missing before.
"We are excited with the versatility we do have, because with me and Ronni (Williams) both being guards, and having some true post players inside, we will have more of a dual post game than we had last season," Lewis said.
"We have some shot blocking and shot changing people down there that we didn’t have last year, and I think that’s going to make a huge difference."
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Kayla Lewis attempts a shot during Florida’s 81-76 loss against Missouri on Feb. 20 in the O’Connell Center. Lewis will be the Gators’ only senior on the team’s roster next year.
