Most everyone is focused on football, But Gator volleyball & soccer have gotten underway and I enjoy both. So after their first 3 games, Mary Wise's #15 ranked volleyball team is 3-0, having beat North Florida 3-1, East Tennessee State 3-1 and Virginia 3-0. This is a re-vamped roster and here is a link that talked about this year's team. https://floridagators.com/news/2022...f-2022-campaign-with-gators-invitational.aspx
Sophomore Merritt Beason was named MVP of the invitational that just concluded. Syracuse senior transfer, born in Russia, Marina Markova, appears to be a really good outside hitter, and freshman Alexis Stuckey, from Wyoming, is going o be counted on to be the primary setter, replacing the 3 Monserez sisters who have been in that role for many years. The Gators will get tougher tests in their next 2 matches, as they host Stanford Tuesday at 7 pm (SEC Network) and then go to Minnesota on Sunday Sept. 4 (Big 10+ Network).
As for soccer, under new coach Samantha Bohon, who replaced the only soccer coach the Gators have ever had, Becky Burleigh, they are off to a 1-2 start and will probably lose Sunday afternoon at #2 Texas. Florida lost their opening match 3-0 at UCF, then beat Stetson 3-0 in Deland before losing to Baylor 2-1 in Austin Thursday. I watched that match and it was 0-0 at the half, Baylor went ahead early in the 2nd half and the Gators tied it with about 9 minutes left in the game, then allowed Baylor to score with 2 minutes left. Florida squandered a couple of easy goal chances and just don't seem to have the talent to be very good this year. Unfortunately, Burleigh left the cupboard pretty empty and it's going to take the new coach some time to convince higher quality players to come to Gainesville. Gator soccer dominated the SEC for a long time, but we have been bypassed by a lot of schools in the SEC and FSU has now become the dominant program in the state, as they have recently won 2 national titles and are a perennial Top 10 team.
Sophomore Merritt Beason was named MVP of the invitational that just concluded. Syracuse senior transfer, born in Russia, Marina Markova, appears to be a really good outside hitter, and freshman Alexis Stuckey, from Wyoming, is going o be counted on to be the primary setter, replacing the 3 Monserez sisters who have been in that role for many years. The Gators will get tougher tests in their next 2 matches, as they host Stanford Tuesday at 7 pm (SEC Network) and then go to Minnesota on Sunday Sept. 4 (Big 10+ Network).
As for soccer, under new coach Samantha Bohon, who replaced the only soccer coach the Gators have ever had, Becky Burleigh, they are off to a 1-2 start and will probably lose Sunday afternoon at #2 Texas. Florida lost their opening match 3-0 at UCF, then beat Stetson 3-0 in Deland before losing to Baylor 2-1 in Austin Thursday. I watched that match and it was 0-0 at the half, Baylor went ahead early in the 2nd half and the Gators tied it with about 9 minutes left in the game, then allowed Baylor to score with 2 minutes left. Florida squandered a couple of easy goal chances and just don't seem to have the talent to be very good this year. Unfortunately, Burleigh left the cupboard pretty empty and it's going to take the new coach some time to convince higher quality players to come to Gainesville. Gator soccer dominated the SEC for a long time, but we have been bypassed by a lot of schools in the SEC and FSU has now become the dominant program in the state, as they have recently won 2 national titles and are a perennial Top 10 team.