They will single you out. Pick on you. And then cheer when you fail.
When Taylor Brauneis and Taylor Unroe stand behind the service line, ball in hand, they do not mind being bullies.
“We’re comfortable back there behind the line,” Brauneis said. “Serving is definitely a mental game. Just to be able to pick on certain players, pick on certain passers.”
Each Taylor approaches service runs differently, though.
Unroe’s jump serve, which consistently reaches 55 miles per hour, tests the defense’s reaction time.
Coach Mary Wise said the junior libero has increased her serve’s velocity every season, making Unroe one of the Gators’ favorite go-to point scorers behind the service line.
“She came to us with the jump serve, but it’s gotten faster as the years have gone on,” Wise said.
“We’re able to score points on her serve, whether it’s an ace or keeping the defense on their heels.”
Brauneis attacks opponents with her jump float, which hangs in the air without any spin, similar to how a baseball pitcher throws a knuckleball.
Similar to a knuckleball, it is difficult to tell exactly where a serve from Brauneis will end up.
As important as film on opponents is, Unroe said breaking down their own serves with associate coach Dave Boos is where the Gators can make the most improvements.
“It’s definitely a lot easier now because I’m familiar with ... what my body actually feels like when I’m doing something,” Unroe said.
“Especially on serving because Dave will be like, ‘Rotate your hips through the ball.’
“Now I know what it means. I know what it feels like. I know what it looks like, (and) I know what my serve looks like when it goes over the net, so it’s easier to change something because I actually know what I’m trying to get to.”
This season, Brauneis and Unroe rank first and third in the Southeastern Conference with 0.5 and 0.4 service aces per set, respectively.
Florida averages 1.7 aces per set, which is third in the SEC behind Missouri and Mississippi State.
Boos said serving shifts the balance of the match and determines what rotation the Gators use in a tight game.
“Serving is the great equalizer,” Boos said.
“It’s actually a big part of our strategy in terms of playing time.
“We need to score points (at) every position to maximize this season. We have to maximize the team with serving. We can’t have any rotation where we’re giving points away.”
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn.
Junior libero Taylor Unroe waves to the crowd during introductions prior to Florida’s four-set victory against Western Michigan on Sept. 14 in the O’Connell Center.
