Gator Volleyball Set To Open Season In Colorado

The 11th-ranked Gator volleyball team not only sets off its season Friday against Colorado State, but also the 34th season with Mary Wise as Florida’s head coach.

Wise has led Florida to excellence since stepping into the head coaching job in 1991. Since her arrival, the Gators have made it to the NCAA Tournament every single season. They are ranked in the preseason top 15 for the 33rd straight year.

The Gators already picked up where they left off last season with a dominating 3-1 exhibition win over Georgia Southern last Saturday.

Struggling with Injuries

The Gators are coming off of a 2023 season that was plagued with injuries and challenges.

Last Sept. 17, the O’Connell Center was silenced when fans watched Florida All-American setter Alexis Stucky hit the court with an ACL and MCL tear against No.1 Wisconsin.

Wise discussed how Stucky’s injury and others pushed the 2023 team to work together during a challenging season:

Unfortunately, Stucky is still not cleared for the beginning of the 2024 season, but a recover is expected soon. Along with Stucky, athletes Kira Hutson and Anna Dixon are both still recovering from injuries

New Faces

Due to the injuries, some new talent gets the opportunity to take the court.

This includes freshman setter, Taylor Parks, who got her first collegiate start in the exhibition game against Georgia Southern. Parks finished with a team-high 46 assists.

Wise is excited about Parks and her ability as a setter:

Parks committed to the Gators when she was just a sophomore after leading Calvary Christian to its first state volleyball title. She was named the Class 3A state 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 where Parks broke the school’s record for career assists with 3,232.

Expectations are high and exciting for Parks’ collegiate career to unfold as she starts Friday against Colorado State.

Veteran Faces

Florida still has some veteran players with experience. Wise discussed how important these veteran players are to the young team:

A familiar face is 6-foot-6 outside hitter, Kennedy Martin, who is entering with 2024 preseason All-SEC team accolades after a stellar freshman season. Against Georgia Southern, Martin had 27 kills in just four sets.

Another veteran is fifth-year libero Elli McKissock, who has been an enforcer for the Gators in her career. With so many new faces, McKissock and Martin are the leaders on this 2024 team.

Up Next

The Gators travel to Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday to take on Colorado State. This match starts a weekend full of games in Colorado with Northern Colorado on Saturday at 8 p.m. (ESPN+) and Michigan State on Sunday at 5 p.m.