The eighth ranked Gator volleyball team will be back in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center this weekend for a two-match home stand when Florida hosts Missouri (13-9, 5-4 SEC) Friday and Mississippi State (6-17, 1-7 SEC) Sunday.
Florida (14-3, 8-0 SEC) has won nine consecutive matches heading into the weekend, thanks in part to senior Maddy Monserez, who earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for her play against South Carolina and Arkansas.
The Gators now sit alone atop the conference standings, after Kentucky registered its first SEC loss against LSU on Sunday.
But head coach Mary Wise is quick to say that her squad is not becoming complacent.
“It’s not about the end result,” Wise said. “It’s about where we are today and trying to be a better Gator team today, than where we were yesterday. And regardless of the results, and that we’re not going to be so driven on the final outcome, we are embracing the moment of opportunities to get better, and that’s how we’re staying focused.”
The Gators are 3-2 all-time against Mizzou, the defending SEC Champions as Missouri took both meetings in 2013. UF swept the Bulldogs in Starkville October 5th and is now an undefeated 44-0 against MSU, 35-0 under head coach Mary Wise.
First serve between the Gators and Tigers is slated for 7 p.m., while Florida and MSU will tilt at 1:30 p.m. Sunday to wrap up the weekend.
You can catch both matches on ESPN 850 WRUF.
For comments from coach Wise, click below:
Wise on avoiding complacency during this nine match win streak
Wise on facing a much different Missouri team than last season
Wise on the improved play of outside hitters Gabby Mallette and Ziva Recek