Miami Primed for Match-Up with Florida, South Carolina
April 1, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team will take to the road this weekend to face in-state rival and 2003 National Champion runner-up Florida at the Lemerand Center in Gainesville, Fla. as the Hurricanes continue their spring scrimmage season.
The Hurricanes will square-off with the 2003 SEC Champion Gators along with South Carolina in a round-robin format beginning around 9 a.m. with UM lining up with Florida in a two-game match to 30 points followed by a similar match with the Gamecocks.
Miami will return in the afternoon for a two-game session to 25 points with both UF and USC.
“I think our team is excited about playing Florida,” Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “We have really been working hard this spring and this is the time to rise up to the challenge of playing a great team and see where we stand among the nation’s best teams.”
“These scrimmages are also a good time for us to change around our lineup. We have a few injuries right now so this gives us an opportunity to put some people in different positions and see how they perform.”
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“We have really been working hard this spring and this is the time to rise up to the challenge of playing a great team and see where we stand among the nation’s best teams.” Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch |
This will be the Hurricanes’ third scrimmage of the spring. Last weekend in Boca Raton, Fla., Miami took on in-state foes Barry and Florida Atlantic, falling to Barry in three games and downing FAU in two.The UM coaching staff noted tremendous strides on the defensive side of the net in last week’s matches, in particular from Miami’s liberos and defensive specialist.
“Jamie Grass, Kaitlin Kozak and Ann Gallo did an excellent job with their ball handling and defense last weekend,” Assistant Coach Erik Olson said. “Overall, I think our team as a whole has improved in those areas and that is something we have really been working on.”
Miami should get a true test offensively against a Florida squad that returns nine players from a 2003 team that finished seventh in the nation in blocks per game led by Second-Team All-American Sherri Williams.
“Our leftside and outside hitters were very efficient against Barry and FAU so we are looking forward to see how they stand up against a bigger and stronger blocking team like Florida,” Olson added.
Florida Spring Tournament Schedule
Morning – Two games to 30 pointsMiami vs. Florida – 9 a.m.Miami vs. South Carolina – 10 a.m.South Carolina vs. Florida – 11 a.m.
Home – Two games to 25 pointsMiami vs. Florida – 1 p.m.Miami vs. South Carolina – 2 p.m.South Carolina vs. Florida – 3 p.m.
