After Chloe Mann dominated last season, coach Mary Wise knew the middle blocker would be at the top of every opponent’s watch list.
Still, Wise wasn’t surprised when Mann played her best game of the season last weekend.
“You almost saw it coming because she had such a good practice Wednesday,” Wise said. “She was just doing some things, especially blocking. We talked to her about that, and she just brought it into Friday night’s match. She was in the zone.”
The junior middle blocker set a career high with 20 kills. She hit a season-high .621 and added four blocks as No. 11 Florida defeated Southeastern Conference foe South Carolina 3-1 (25-14, 25-23, 21-25, 25-17) on the road.
Mann topped her previous career-high of 19 kills, which she set on Nov. 13 in a five-set win against Arkansas.
But Mann’s weekend wasn’t over yet.
In only two sets during Sunday’s 3-0 (25-14, 25-9, 25-18) win against Mississippi State, Mann had six kills with one error in eight swings for a .625 hitting clip.
“When you talk about a basketball player who can’t miss, she was sort of like that,” Wise said.
Prior to the season, Wise said Mann, Betsy Smith and Simone Antwi were going to be a huge part of UF’s point production.
So far, Mann has proven her right.
By racking up a .407 hitting efficiency, 157 kills and 38 blocks in 40 sets, Mann has accounted for 54 percent of the points earned by Florida’s middle blockers.
Mann’s 3.92 kills per set are the most on the team.
The junior has also been one of the team’s best defensive players.
She leads the team in both solo blocks with eight and block assists with 30.
Mann’s contributions have helped the Gators lead the nation with a .328 hitting efficiency.
She ranks third in the SEC in hitting percentage and fourth in kills.
“Chloe is very compliant,” Wise said. “She has that personality, that attention to detail; she’s a grinder. She focuses in on whatever aspect we’re asking her to and she just attacks it. I think that’s why she’s become the player that she is just now in her redshirt junior year.”
Contact Katie Agostin at kagostin@alligator.org.
Chloe Mann (10) spikes the ball over Missouri’s Whitney Little (8) during UF’s 3-0 win on Sept. 21, 2012, in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
