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The Florida volleyball team will have its spring home opener against in-state rival Florida State. The matchup is set for tomorrow at 5 p.m.
The team looks to play their second match of their spring season, as their hunt for a national championship continues under new head coach Ryan Theis. Theis returns to Gainesville after being an assistant coach for the Gators in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Prior, Theis led Marquette for 11 years. He tallied 10 NCAA tournament appearances for the Golden Eagles. Of those runs, three (2018, 2022, 2024) were semifinal chances.
A new chapter begins
Welcome, Coach Ryan Theis, as the new leader of Gators Volleyball!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/oWuabr3FSS
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) February 18, 2025
The Gators hold a record of 23-8, losing half of their lost games at home. The team went up against UCF in Orlando for an exhibition game on March 28. Those reps will prove to be a solid warmup for tomorrows scene against the Noles.
Florida State also welcomed a new coach to its roster in February. Jon Wong was named assistant coach for the Seminoles after 10+ years of experience with big-time programs including Rice University, former national champions the Texas Longhorns, Texas Tech, and Bradley. Along with his collegiate experience, Wong was on the USA Volleyball coaching staff that led the U’19 team to the 2023 championship game.
The Noles were 21-10 overall in the 2024 season.
What to expect
There are five new players joining the Gators squad, and with the young core from the previous season, the team looks to be a title contending team.
New players: De’Andrea McMillian (MB), Aniya Madkin (OH), Flormarie Heredia Colon (OH), Devin Dzienny (L/DS), and Jordyn Byrd (OH).
They join the offensive weapon Kennedy Martin (OH/RS) who poses as team captain and 2024 AVCA First-Team All-American. The South Carolina native was a national leader in points per set as a sophomore and tallied double-digit kills in all 24 matches she played in.
The Gators volleyball team looks to put all the pieces together, and make it pass the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament which was the furthest they got last season.
SEC schedule is here
Released today was the Gators SEC schedule with a total of 8 home games and 7 away games.
