Darrielle King: The volleyball star’s journey from the Big D to the GNV
By Noah Ram | Dec. 21, 2020Always dreaming of going to school in Florida, King left her hometown of DeSoto for UF in 2016.
Always dreaming of going to school in Florida, King left her hometown of DeSoto for UF in 2016.
After facing unranked opponents during the first half of its schedule, UF is slated to face three ranked foes, including No. 2 Kentucky and No. 8 Missouri.
Redshirt junior T’ara Ceasar waited two years to knock off her former squad.
One Florida student yelled “wake up,” encouraging the Gators to play better after Georgia’s Kacie Evans clinched the first set for the Bulldogs. The orange and blue faithful in attendance tried to jumpstart Florida, cheering loudly every time it strung together a few points.
Most coaches and players are ready to move on to the next match after a difficult loss.
Florida came into this shortened 2020 season with title dreams, but there was one thing it had yet to deal with this campaign:
Redshirt senior Holly Carlton spent most of her offseason alone because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Florida added four new players to its 2021 recruiting class, even though there has been a recruiting dead period in place since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coach Mary Wise had one big concern heading into the 2020 season: How to replace Rachael Kramer.
Junior Haley Warner didn’t see the court on Friday night when the Gators defeated Alabama 3-0. Coach Mary Wise called her name late in the first set on Saturday with Florida nursing a narrow 20-19 lead.
Florida coach Mary Wise said after practice on Wednesday that the one-two combo of outside hitters Thayer Hall and T’ara Ceasar could, in time, prove to be a deadly one.
There were multiple instances in the past few months that Florida coach Mary Wise didn’t think Florida’s home opener on Friday against Alabama would happen.
Despite an unconventional, pandemic-hindered offseason, the Gators hit the court for the first time Wednesday. Everything suddenly felt conventional that night in Auburn, Alabama, though, including the win.
Thayer Hall raised her hitting percentage from .198 to .250 in 2019. She has struggled through the Gators’ first two matches this season, leaving coach Mary Wise to find a way to replace her production.
T’ara Ceasar traded in her red and black for the orange and blue on Nov. 19, 2018, and ever since she stepped foot in Florida’s gymnasium, her teammates and coaches have raved about her.
The Gators play their first match Wednesday after six months of holding meetings on Zoom and completing workouts at home hundreds of miles away from each other.
The Gators announced that fans will be in attendance at Florida volleyball games this season.
During typical times, the O’Connell Center would be packed in mid-September with fans hoping to see coach Mary Wise and the team finally win that elusive national championship they’ve been seeking for years.
Florida volleyball’s 2019 season will be remembered like a lot of its other seasons: A strong regular season before bowing out in the NCAA Tournament.
Coach Mary Wise knew one of her student managers for Florida volleyball was different than most quickly. In her 33 years of coaching, she had never seen someone so interested in the minute details of her program.