Florida Volleyball Games to Remain on Campus During O-Dome Construction

Despite the $64.5 million renovations in the O’Connell Center, Gator volleyball will still have a place to call home for the 2016 season. In fact, it is a place they all know too well, the Lemerand Athletic Center. The “Lem” is where the team holds their practices as well as three practice gyms, meeting rooms, coaches offices, an equipment room, and training and locker rooms that several other sports teams at UF also use . It has a capacity of 700, which provides an ip-close view for fans.

“Gator volleyball will be the must-have ticket this fall so I encourage Florida fans to get their orders in early. The venue presents some unique challenges, but Gator fans have always been there for us in the past,” UF head volleyball coach Mary Wise said.

“We look forward to making the Lem every bit as successful as the O’Dome.”

The Gators have played in the Lem before. The last time they played there was against the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Gators had a 3-2 opening round win over them in 1995 during NCAA Championship action.

Florida Volleyball will spend nearly a month on the road playing powerful teams before opening up their season in their new spot at home. They’ll start off in the Pacific Northwest to Eugene, Oregon for the VERT Challenge. Florida will face the defending national champions Nebraska in its first game of the season. Later on in that challenge, they will face the Oregon Ducks for a second straight season.

Later, they will head to tournaments hosted by Michigan State (Sept. 3-4), LIU Brooklyn (Sept 10-11), and then they have a meeting against in-state rival Florida State (Sept.14) in Tallahassee.

Finally, the Gators will head home to open up their season with the annual Active Ankle Challenge, Sept.16-17. Jacksonville University, FAMU and Marshall will visit the Gators that weekend.

12 home games for the Orange and Blue will be hosted in the Lem this season.

The Gators will also host several SEC teams this year at home. Kentucky (Sept. 28), Tennessee (Oct. 2), Mississippi State (Oct. 21), Georgia (Oct. 23), Ole Miss (Oct. 28), LSU (Oct. 30), South Carolina (Nov. 11), Alabama (Nov. 13) and Auburn (Nov. 23) all get a chance to visit UF in the Lem.