Gators Volleyball Team Sweeps No. 2 Stanford

Five days into the college volleyball season, the Gators have let it be known they may be better than predicted.

The Gators swept No. 2 Stanford 3-0 on Tuesday night in Palo Alto, Calif., after opening the season last Friday with a 3-1 win over then-No. 8 Penn State in Tampa.

https://twitter.com/GatorsVB/status/1696717008446931008

The Gators, who were ranked No. 11 to open the season and are now No. 8, also took a five-set win at USF on Saturday.

UF improves to 3-0 for the fourth consecutive season and the 27th time in program history with the defeat of Stanford (2-1).

Florida faces another perennial volleyball power in its home opener Sunday vs. No. 5 Minnesota. The Gators’ stacked non-conference schedule also includes a home date vs. No. 1 Wisconsin in September.

Gators in 5!#GoGators | #GatorsWin
Presented by: @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/Bk7WEbvja1

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) August 27, 2023

Seesaw Sets with the Bulls

The momentum of the match kept shifting, as each set kept fans on their toes with back-and-forth wins from both teams. During the first set, USF (0-2) started strong taking the 25-22 win. Not backing down, the Gators responded quickly with a 25-18 win during the second set.

With the match now tied up, the tensions were rising, and pressure was applied to the Gators. Despite Florida starting the third set off strong, the Bulls came back and took the third set, winning 25-22. The energy inside Yuengling Center intensified at this point. The Gators were looking for opportunities to come back after an intense third set.

Florida then forced a fifth set after tying the match with a 25-16 win in the fourth. The Gators took advantage of their momentum and finalized the match, winning the fifth set 15-8.

Expectations from Coach Mary Wise

WRUF’s Steve Russell sat down with Coach Mary Wise ahead of the opening matches to discuss her expectations for the season.

Wise said it’s a wonderful time to be following strong female athletes, particularly volleyball players, as her team seems to be one to watch and follow, especially since the games are televised. Wise said having seniors on the roster is a huge advantage, particularly during match days. The leadership roles that come from seniors as AC Fitzpatrick and Sofia Victoria have been deemed especially valuable because they’re massive point scorers.

With the assistance of team veterans, Wise has no doubts that the team can work together to build chemistry and continue winning games.

Up Next

UF hosts Minnesota (2-0) at noon (98.1 FM/850 AM and ESPNU) Sunday.