Florida Gators Volleyball Set to Play Czech Team in Exhibition Match
The Florida Gators volleyball team will face an unfamiliar opponent for their last game before it heads into the season opener Sunday against Norfolk State.
The Gators will host the professional club Czech volleyball team, PVK Olymp Praha, in an exhibition game Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The club is facing the Gators as part of their preseason international training in Florida, before gearing up for their regular season in Prague.
In May, Florida set off on its 2025 International Tour, where the team balanced cultural excursions and playing international teams. Starting in Turkey, players trained with the Çekmeköy Isitme Engelli Kadin Voleybol club team, one of the country’s deaf volleyball teams, in Istanbul.
On day two, the Gators defeated the PSA Fire Ants in five sets (25-22, 25-16, 25-17, 25-21, 12-15). On their third and final day, the team competed in four sets against Team Shining Stars (25-20, 25-15, 25-17, 17-25) in Turkey.
From there, the Gators headed to Slovenia, where they spent the next two days exploring before playing two games against OTP Banka Brank, a professional women’s volleyball team based in Maribor in the northwestern part of the country.
Finally, Florida ended its tour in Italy with games against Italy’s National Team B. After this tour, the Gators are prepped and ready to host their European counterparts in the match at home.
The idea for a trip to America for preseason training started with discussions this spring, and just recently, the plans came to fruition. The Czech team started its trip to the U.S. at UNF on Saturday. The Ospreys defeated them in four sets.
Like the Gators’ international trip, PVK Olymp Praha’s trip is about not only facing American teams but also exploring American culture before the season kicks off. So far, the team is taking advantage of the amenities the Gainesville area has to offer, including rafting at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
PVK Olymp Praha has earned 12 Czechoslovak Women’s Championships and two European Champions Cup titles as it enters the 2025-26 season as the No. 2-ranked team in the Extraliga League.
After this exhibition, the Gators will turn their attention toward a first-time matchup against Norfolk State this Sunday in the home opener. Norfolk State posted an overall record of 13-15 and an away record of 5-7 last season. All-MEAC players setter Sydney McCree and outside hitter Gabby Gilbert will return from last season to lead the team.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Volleyball
