Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 10 Florida volleyball team opens the 2019 season at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky.
Florida faces the 25th-ranked Louisville Cardinals on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a matchup with Dayton on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Five Things to Know About the 2019 Gators
- Streaking in the Top-15. Florida debuted at No. 10 in the AVCA Division I Coaches’ Poll on Aug. 13, marking the 28th consecutive season the Gators are a preseason Top-15 team. The streak runs all the way back to 1992, and only Nebraska and Stanford boast longer streaks.
- Gators in the SEC. After finishing third in the SEC last season with a 15-3 record, the Gators were selected to finish second in the league, behind the Kentucky Wildcats. Rachael Kramer was named to the All-SEC Preseason team for the second consecutive season.
- Seasoned Squad. This Gator squad returns all but two seniors – Allie Monserez and Taelor Kellum – to the 2019 campaign. With two transfers coming in (T’ara Ceasar – Georgia; Anaya Martin – Louisville), the team has been together since January. Florida returns 84.5% percent of its kills, 80% percent of its service aces, 73.8% percentage of its solo blocks, 77.6% percent of its block assists and 83.2% percent of its digs
- Marquee Matchups. Florida will face five teams ranked in the 2019 AVCA Top 25 preseason poll. The team kicks off the season against No. 25 Louisville, followed by a matchup against current No. 1 and reigning national champions Stanford on Sept. 4. The remaining ranked teams the Gators are set to face are No. 3 Minnesota (Sept. 7), No. 7 Kentucky (Oct. 6 & Nov. 17) and No. 19 Tennessee (Oct. 27).
- Among the Elite. Mary Wise is one of two coaches to have been named AVCA Coach of the Year at least three times in their career (Russ Rose, Penn State, five times). Florida sits third all-time in program wins since 1984 with 1,006. That trails only Penn State and Nebraska for the most in the nation.
No. 10 Florida at No. 25 Louisville Broadcast Information
Time & Date: Friday, Aug. 30 | 7 p.m.
Live Stream: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats: Sidearm
Radio: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM
Series Information – No. 10 Florida at No. 25 Louisville
Cardinals | 2018 season synopsis: 22-9 overall, 14-4 ACC
- This is the eighth meeting between the Gators and the Cardinals
- Florida leads 7-0 (5-0 under Mary Wise)
- 3-set: 5-0 | 4-set: 1-0 | 5-set: 1-0
- Home: 5-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 2-0
- Last Time Out: Sept. 1, 2018 | Gainesville, Fla. |W, 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22)
No. 10 Florida vs. Dayton Broadcast Information
Time & Date: Saturday, Aug. 31 | 4:30 p.m.
Live Stats: Sidearm
Radio: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM
Series Information – No. 10 Florida vs. Dayton
Flyers | 2018 season synopsis: 23-8 overall, 12-2 A-10
- This is the third meeting between the Gators and the Flyers
- Florida leads: 2-0 (1-0 under Mary Wise)
- 3-set: 2-0 | 4-set: 0-0 | 5-set: 0-0
- Home: 1-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-0
- Last Time Out: Sept. 2, 2005 | Gainesville, Fla. | W, 3-0 (30-25, 30-26, 30-16)
The Gators will play 17 home matches this season, six of which will be against 2018 NCAA Tournament qualifiers – Stanford, Florida State, Northern Arizona, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Season tickets and single-match tickets are still available to the public.
TICKET INFO | Gator Ticket Office Online | Call: 352-375-4683 x6800 (Open M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
Season Ticket Prices:
- Reserved (Sections 09*, 11*, 13*, 15*, 23, 25, 27, 29) – $50 [all ages]
- General Admission (All other lower bowl areas) – $35 [ages 13 and up]
- Courtside Season Pass (subject to availability) – $150 [all ages]
- Loge Seating (subject to availability) [in front of the Sideline Club] – $75 [all ages]
Single-Match Ticket Prices:
- Reserved (Sections 09*, 11*, 13*, 15*, 23, 25, 27, 29) | $6 [all ages]
- General Admission (All other lower bowl areas) | $4 [ages 13 and up] / FREE [ages 12 and under]
- Student General Admission – FREE [with valid Gator1 ID]