Year in Review: Gators volleyball team had a season for the ages
By Andrew Huang | Dec. 23, 2017Things were supposed to be different this time for Florida’s volleyball team.
Things were supposed to be different this time for Florida’s volleyball team.
With two and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter, Florida guard Paulina Hersler received a pass at the top of the key. She stepped back, jumped up and drained the three-pointer, giving the Gators a 24-point advantage, their largest lead of the contest.
Dyandria Anderson hadn’t scored all game. Undeterred, the Florida guard drove down the right side of the court. With the Gators down by three and just under five minutes remaining in the contest, Anderson lurched hard into a trailing defender and drained a layup while drawing a foul. She then swished the free throw and tied the game up at 55 apiece.
The Florida men’s and women’s diving teams wrapped up action at the Auburn Invitational on Tuesday afternoon, finishing in fourth and third place, respectively, in the three-day competition.
The relentless hustle of Nebraska and a night riddled with miscues doomed Florida’s chances of winning its first NCAA title in program history, capping off what was otherwise a solid season for UF after reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2003.
The motto has been the same for Florida all year long: Find a way to win.
As Rachael Kramer lightly hit the ball over the net and away from the outstretched arms of a diving Stanford player, Florida's volleyball team exploded with excitement.
Sewing together articles of clothing. Knitting blankets and scarves with friends.
The last time Florida’s volleyball team reached the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, the current players on its roster were still in elementary school. Some weren’t even in kindergarten yet.
With less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Florida guard Dyandria Anderson stopped her dribble and launched a cross court pass to teammate Funda Nakkasoglu. Nakkasoglu caught the ball, launched a three from the corner of the court and watched it fall through the bottom of the net.
Gators senior Rhamat Alhassan sat next to redshirt senior Shainah Joseph and coach Mary Wise. Microphones were perched in front of them and a backdrop checkered with the NCAA’s logo stood behind them.
Following a Florida timeout late in the first set, freshman Paige Hammons had one job to do: pass a settable ball to one of her teammates so the Gators could tie the score at 24-all.
Halfway through the third quarter, Florida’s women’s basketball team felt momentum shifting in its favor.
Just five days from Christmas 2003, the Gators volleyball team was in Dallas, hoping to win its first national title and avenge its only loss of the season against undefeated Southern California.
On Sunday night, the Gators (5-3) celebrated their second road win of the year the same way as their first.
I had my first panic attack during my junior year of high school.
I’m not very skilled at basketball. I can’t shoot. I can barely dribble. And being short enough to order off a kids’ menu doesn’t help.
Gordon Neale had everything settled. As a top-25 prospect in his recruiting class, he had his pick of offers from high-profile programs. But there was only one school he wanted to attend. With a scholarship lined up, he was headed to play golf at Southern Methodist University.
As Funda Nakkasoglu missed a wide-open layup, she and teammate Haley Lorenzen shared a laugh. Her embarrassing miss didn’t matter, as the Gators (5-3) were just minutes away from sealing an 80-61 road victory over the Oklahoma Sooners (3-4).
The matchups for the College Football Playoff have officially been set.