The 11th-ranked Gators volleyball team not only begins its season against Colorado State on Friday, but also its 34th season with Mary Wise as Florida’s head coach.
Wise has led Florida to excellence since taking over as head coach in 1991. The Gators have made the NCAA Tournament every season since her arrival and are ranked in the preseason top 15 for the 33rd consecutive year.
The Gators picked up where they left off last season, posting a convincing 3-1 win in an exhibition match against Georgia Southern last Saturday.
Struggling with injuries
The Gators have had a 2023 season marked by injuries and challenges.
On September 17, the O’Connell Center was silent as fans watched Florida All-American setter Alexis Stucky take the court with a torn ACL and medial ligament against No. 1 Wisconsin.
Wise explained how Stucky’s injury and others forced the 2023 team to work together during a challenging season:
Unfortunately, Stucky is not yet cleared to start the 2024 season, but a speedy recovery is expected. In addition to Stucky, athletes Kira Hutson and Anna Dixon are also still recovering from injuries
New faces
Due to the injuries, some new talents are getting the chance to play on the pitch.
This includes young setter Taylor Parks, who made her first college appearance in the friendly against Georgia Southern. Parks finished the game with 46 assists, the best result for her team.
Wise is impressed with Parks and her skills as a setter:
Parks committed to the Gators as a sophomore after leading Calvary Christian to its first state volleyball title. She was named Class 3A Player of the Year with 1,076 assists, 89 kills and 283 digs on the season. This was just the beginning of an incredible high school career that saw Parks break the school record for most assists in a career with 3,232 assists.
Expectations are high and there is excitement about Parks’ college career when she faces Colorado State on Friday.
Veteran faces
Florida still has some experienced players. Wise explained how important these experienced players are to the young team:
A familiar face is 6-foot-6 outside hitter Kennedy Martin, who joins the team after an outstanding freshman season that earned 2024 preseason All-SEC team honors. Against Georgia Southern, Martin had 27 kills in just four sets.
Another veteran is five-year libero Elli McKissock, who has been an enforcer for the Gators during her career. With so many new faces, McKissock and Martin are the leaders on this 2024 team.
Next
The Gators travel to Fort Collins, Colorado, on Friday to face Colorado State. This game kicks off a weekend of games in Colorado with Northern Colorado on Saturday at 8 p.m. (ESPN+) and Michigan State on Sunday at 5 p.m.
