(VB) Ongoing Volleyball Thread

UF used to blast through the SEC schedule in both volleyball and softball. Most of the volleyball matches were 3-0 routs. The rest of the SEC finally got tired of getting their asses handed to them by the Gators and improved pretty much across the board in both sports. It's a good thing.

 

Gymnastics averages around 9,000. There is no reason not to be doing that or better for volleyball. The same is true for women's basketball although I suspect the quality of product has been a hindrance.

 

Yep, Gator gymnastics has proven that we can do it. The teams are consistently top-level, and that begets more attendance, and the attendance begets more top-level athletes. There's a connection.

 

Glance at Minnesota for Sunday matchup at 12 PM ET on ESPNU.

Top Players:

McKenna Wucherer 6'1" OH - top scorer. Wucherer was the consensus #1 player in the 2022 recruiting class.

Taylor Landfall 6'5" OH - Reigning B1G Player of the Year, 2nd highest scorer, and 3rd in digs. Noticed she had zero blocks vs. Texas.

Melanie Shaffmaster 6'3" Setter - Minnesota's Alexis Stuckey only not as good. She does it all leading the team in assists, 3rd in scoring, 2nd in digs, and gets her share of blocks.

Kylie Murr 5'6" Libero - GS transfer from Ohio State where she was All-B1G 1st Team, week 1 B1G Defensive Player of the Week, and leads the team in digs.

Phoebe Awoleye 6'2" MB and her partner in crime Alicia Davis 6'0" MB are decent scorers and good blockers.

OHs Julia Hanson 6'1", Lydia Grote 6'2", and Lauren Crowl 6'4" all contribute. Hanson is 4th on team in digs.

New Head Coach:

Keegan Cook is in his first year with Minnesota. He came to Minnesota from Washington.

After losing 1-3 at home to Texas, you can bet Minnesota will give UF their best effort. The difference will likely come down to Kennedy Martin. Minnesota doesn't have anyone like her on the squad.

 

Hard to tell Beason she made the wrong decision.

https://x.com/espn/status/1697060879932461216?s=46

 

Watched that match instead of the Nebraska gimmick. Arky had them on the ropes, just couldn’t finish.

hopefully the Gators keep humming along this weekend

 

I like what someone else posted: Maybe she saw the K's coming and bailed.
We have a couple of Special K's.

 

OK!

 

From behind enemy lines - What happened at Minnesota in 2022:

Gophers Chomp Gators in Home Opener - University of Minnesota Athletics (gophersports.com)

Inserting Kylie Murr for graduated CC McGraw to go along with Taylor Landfall and Melanie Shaffmaster gives you the top 3 Minnesota players responsible for hanging an L on the Gators. Add in McKenna Wucherer who played sparingly last year against UF due to coming off an injury and this 2023 Minnesota team may be better than the 2022 Minnesota team that beat the Gators 3-1.

 

Yea, just saw a piece on CNN and the coach interview. Kind of an outlier and included a country music concert but still impressive. Record for women's sporting event.

 

UM is a very good side and we will have to play our A game to beat them.

And as far as the Gainesville Sun knows we don't have a women's volleyball team.

 

That's a major problem. SS needs to get on that.

 

88-91 at UF and the Gainesville Sun was less than stellar.

 

There should be a big media blitz for the match on Sunday. Something like Let's fill the O'Dome and show your support for Florida Volleyball! Florida has already beaten two of the teams that many predict will be in the Final Four:
From ESPN: "Whittemore: My last four teams standing are Stanford, Wisconsin, Penn State and Texas. I think Stanford wins it all..."
And "Sunderland: Stanford, Wisconsin, Texas and Nebraska. Book it and enjoy Tampa."
"Voepel: But especially to start the season, you go with what is 'most' predictable: Texas, Wisconsin, Stanford, Louisville..."

 

problem with the gainesville sun is they go to print early, nothing stsarting after about 7pm is even in it until at least 2 days later, have not checked out the on-line edition, it might be better, but i like my paper with my morning coffee.

 

yeah, i

am tired of all the contrived games. remember the college football game at wrigley field where both teams had to go the same way because there was not enough room for a endzone on one side.basketball games on aircraft carriers.i dont mind the outdoor hockey games because that is how all the players started, and the field of dreams baseball game is ok, again, baseball started that way, but all this other stuff is too much

 

I imagine there's not much else to do in Nebraska...

 

Counting your NIL money can pass some time.

 

I am used to seeing news in the Gainesville Sun two and three days late. Sometimes even later.

Not a peep all season about Gator volleyball but some stories about high school volleyball.