Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida volleyball team was awarded the No. 8 overall seed in the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament, as the Division I Women’s Volleyball Selection Committee revealed during Sunday’s selection show broadcast.
The Gators extend their streak to 30-consecutive NCAA appearances, the third-longest active streak in the nation (Penn State – 40, Nebraska – 39).
UF – who earned a Top-16 seed – is rewarded with a first-round bye and will take on the winner of Creighton/Morehead State on Thursday, April 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Florida finished the 2020-21 campaign with a 19-3 record in the SEC-only format, good for second overall in the league.
Last season, the Gators made their way to the program’s 26th Regional Semifinal – falling to No. 7 Minnesota in five sets.
More information on the tournament setup/Florida’s matchup can be found below.
This Year’s Tournament Setup
* Due to the COVID-10 pandemic, the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament field is made up of 48 teams (30 automatic qualifiers, 18 at-large bids)
* The Top-16 teams, including Florida at the eighth-seed, will receive a first-round bye
* The entirety of the tournament will take place from April 14-24 at the Chi Health Center Arena in Omaha, Neb., running from April 14-24
* The match breakdown can be found below:
* First Round – Wednesday, April 14
* Second Round – Thursday, April 15
* Regional Semifinals – Sunday, April 18
* Regional Finals – Monday, April 19
* National Semifinals – Thursday, April 22
* National Championship – Saturday, April 24
First & Second Rounds Schedule (all times Eastern)
* First Round Match | Wednesday, April 14
* Morehead State vs. Creighton – 3:30 p.m. ET
* Second Round Match | Thursday, April 15
* Florida vs. Winner of Creighton/Morehead State – 3:30 p.m. ET
Links
* Florida Volleyball NCAA Tournament Record Book<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_documents_2021_4_1_2020-5F21-5FFlorida-5FVolleyball-5FNCAA-5FTournament-5FRecord-5FBook.pdf-3Fid-3D31352&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=acDF2UfEiWF7fqPA-Z3EidGsistX7iKjUPsmKNX1RiU&s=nu_K_HQkH37rnINfuBJ05_bNJQrThRHgUsz-deKR79w&e= >
* 2020-21 Florida Volleyball Media Supplement<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_documents_2021_1_14_2020-5F21-5FMedia-5FSupplement.pdf-3Fid-3D30957&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=acDF2UfEiWF7fqPA-Z3EidGsistX7iKjUPsmKNX1RiU&s=QF3btj4kYqJOwBgS1yhPC0-y1b-GfN-39-h8gF2PRc4&e= >
* Interactive NCAA Tournament Bracket<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.ncaa.com_brackets_volleyball-2Dwomen_d1_2021&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=acDF2UfEiWF7fqPA-Z3EidGsistX7iKjUPsmKNX1RiU&s=Fts2BnwIdjOnRCdvls2xxN8jhzmJN1KtVbcdzpTq0NE&e= >
Florida’s NCAA Tournament Notables
* This is Florida’s 30th-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament – making the field every year under Mary Wise
* This is the third-longest active streak in the nation behind Penn State – 40 and Nebraska – 39
* Overall, UF has been in the NCAA Tournament 30 times since the program’s inception in 1984
* The Gators are (3-1) against the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament Field
* Florida has made 26 Regional Semifinals and 15 Regional Championships in program history
* UF is seeking its ninth all-time NCAA semifinals appearance, looking to make it back for the first time since 2017
* Florida head coach Mary Wise boasts a 74-29 (.718) all-time record in the NCAA Tournament, with all of her postseason appearances coming with the Gators
* Her 74 NCAA Tournament wins put her fifth in Division I history
* The Gators carry a 75-30 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament
* Florida is 26-4 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament
Scouting Florida’s Potential Second Round Opponents
Creighton | 12-3 overall, 7-1 BIG EAST
* Florida and Creighton have never faced off
* Notable: The Bluejays have appeared in nine-straight NCAA Tournaments and won this season’s BIG EAST Championship
Morehead State | 16-1 overall, 15-1 Ohio Valley Conference
* Florida and Morehead State have never faced off
* Notable: This is the first time since 2013 that the Eagles have earned the automatic NCAA berth