Gator Watch
Gator volleyball, Fun for the whole family.
One of Gainesville’s best family activities also happens to be an opportunity to see some of the best athletes in the country – Gator volleyball. That’s right – Gator volleyball!
On a number of Friday nights and Sunday afternoons from now until November, the Gator volleyball team, which may very well be heading to the NCAA tournament, brings their exciting, entertaining brand of the game to the O’Connell Center.
The Friday night – Sunday afternoon home games have become a Gainesville family tradition. “This is something that has evolved over the years,” said Head Coach Mary Wise. “The students come and go, but the constant has been the community support. They range from the retirees who make up some of our hardcore supporters to the parents who bring their children.”
The Gators do their part to make it entertaining. First of all, they win. Last year’s Gators won their 12th consecutive Southeastern Conference and their 10th SEC Tournament title, set the NCAA record for most regular season conference wins and made their sixth trip to the national semifinal match. For the first time in school history, three Gators were named All-Americans, while four players were named All-SEC and Aury Cruz was named the MVP of the league.
Florida returns five starters and five other letterwinners from last year’s team that won 34 matches. In her 13th season with the Gators and 17th season overall, Wise will likely enjoy two coaching milestones this season, as she is approaching 400 wins as head coach at Florida and 500 total wins in her career. The Gators have recorded no fewer than 28 wins in a season since Wise took over the program in 1991, a feat that no other volleyball coach has equaled over that time span. When she reaches the 500-win mark, Wise will join a very elite club of coaches who have achieved the same honor.
Even the NCAA thinks this is a pretty good team. The organization has already chosen UF as a site for the regional tournament, one of several pre-determined sites. Usually the host plays in the regional. The Gators still have to win to get to any regional, but the early selection indicates that the NCAA believes that the school and the community will support the tournament.
Like any good coach, Wise credits the team for her success, and this year is no exception. “We have a very experienced team that only lost one senior,” she said. “But what really sets them apart is how athletic they are. It’s not a coincidence that the poster for this team has them posing as Terminator 3 robots.”
While Wise says the whole team is outstanding, two of her players stand out – Cruz and Benavia Jenkins.
Cruz, a two-time, first-team All-American, became the second Gator in history to win back-to-back SEC Player of the Year honors when she was named the league’s top player in 2002. She will once again bring international experience to the court, having played for Puerto Rico in both the Pan American Cup and in the Pan American Games.
“Coaches of other UF teams say that Cruz may be the best athlete on campus,” Wise said.
Jenkins established herself as one of the top blockers in the country last year. The two-time All- American is currently third on the UF career list for total blocks with 503, and will challenge Jenni Patterson’s school record of 540, set in 1989.
However, it isn’t just good athletes that attracts people to volleyball. “There’s something about this sport,” Wise said. “At some point, everyone has been at a picnic and found themselves at the net.”
There’s also the fact that the players and the sport is fan friendly. On Sundays there is the Family Fun Zone with games and activities for children. After the games, fans can come down to the floor and talk to the players. “We even lower the nets and make a spike line for the kids to hit the ball,” Wise said. “The players don’t run into the locker room after the game. They stay, sign autographs and meet all the kids.”
To view the current schedule and find more information about Gator Volleyball, please visit www.gatorzone.com/sched.php?sport=vollb