Coach Mary Wise said some of the offensive numbers Florida has put up have blown away her preseason expectations.
The Gators are the No. 1 hitting team in the Southeastern Conference, and their high-powered attack has bailed out UF’s ugly side: defense.
Wise said that because her squad’s attacking has been so effective, other integral parts of the game don’t have to be up to par.
The defense, which ranks last in the SEC in digs and ninth in both opponent hitting percentage and average blocks per set, has fallen short of this year’s expectations.
But with senior Tangerine Wiggs leading the conference with a .465 hitting clip, the Gators offense has picked up the slack left by the defense.
“These are not numbers we would have predicted,” Wise said.
“But if we can get [Wiggs] scoring points night in and night out (and) hitting a high efficiency, at least that will make up for when we can’t stop the other team. At least we’re scoring points.”
Florida’s .318 hitting clip is 30 points higher than Missouri, the next closest SEC school.
The Tigers boast a .288 hitting percentage, and they are also the most recent recipient of a three-set sweep at the hands of the Gators.
UF allowed 63 points against Missouri on Friday, and Wise said the Gators didn’t live up to their defensive potential.
“We still think there’s lots of room for improvement,” she said.
“Balls that aren’t blocked that should be, balls are landing and we think we can dig. ... It’s something that will come in the future. But it does have some potential.”
Until Florida’s defense can catch up to the level of play of sophomore libero Taylor Unroe, who won SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17 and ranks fourth in the league with 4.47 digs per set, the Gators will have to rely on the play of a few offensive threats.
Junior Taylor Brauneis tops the SEC in assists per set with 11.43.
Junior Chloe Mann and freshman Ziva Recek are in the top five in kills per set.
Wise said it’s still too early to compare her offense with others around the nation, but she said her team is speaking for itself on the court.
“There are some rotations that it’s tough to defend all three hitters in the front row, or even a two hitter is tough to defend,” she said. “Our offensive numbers have proven that. I’d like to keep them going.”
Libero Taylor Unroe celebrates after recording an ace in a 3-0 sweep of Missouri. The sophomore had 15 digs and 5 assists against the Tigers on Friday.
