Outside hitters Thayer Hall, T’ara Ceasar and Holly Carlton have been a fearsome trio at Florida’s pins.
Each boasting a hitting percentage above .200, they have carried coach Mary Wise and Co. to a 6-2 record and a No. 10 ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
But the four opponents it clashed with during the fall all rank outside the top 25.
The Gators’ offense needs more balance to find success this weekend against Ole Miss — and to be crowned SEC Champions once again. The first match of their double-header is Friday at 3 p.m. in Oxford, Mississippi. Then, they’ll run it back at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Wise received a gift over the holiday break in middle blocker Lauren Forte, a transfer from the University of California. She’ll finally have the chance to put Forte to the test against the Rebels.
The ex-Golden Bear redshirt junior was named to the All-Pac-12 team in 2019. She also finished fifth in the conference with a .336 hitting percentage.
Forte’s game will remind Gators fans of Rhamat Alhassan, who was a four-time All-American and Honda Sport Award winner for Volleyball for the 2017-2018 season, Wise said.
Forte is comparable to the 2017 graduate because of her ability to play fast and above the net, Wise added.
Florida is also expecting the return of a middle blocker who missed six matches due to an ankle injury. Redshirt senior Darielle King started the first two matches versus Auburn before becoming sidelined. She’s capable of bringing the hammer offensively because she dropped 15 kills versus Long Beach State in 2019.
Since King left the lineup, junior Lauren Dooley and freshman Nnedi Okammor have been the current pair at middle blocker. Dooley and Okammor have done their best Dikembe Mutombo impression, denying shots at the net. Florida is currently 16th in blocks per set.
The Gators offense's inability to become more balanced has made them easier to guard.
Wise wants her middle blockers to be more active on offense. But for that to occur, the back row needs to dig the ball better after an attack or a serve for them to be involved in the offense.
“It’s hard to get the middles involved if we’re not controlling the first ball,” she said. “We’ve spent a lot of time on servicing and passing and if we can control that first ball then that’s going to open up lots of options for Marlie.”
Setter Marlie Monserez has run the offense like Pablo Picasso painting in a studio — masterfully. She ranks 34th in the country, dishing out almost 10 dimes a set.
The Gators will kickoff their spring season Friday at 3 p.m. The match can be streamed on SEC Network+.
Contact Zachary Huber at zhuber@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @zacharyahuber
