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Carter's Corner: Wise Stands Tall as Game, Times Change
Scott Carter / Senior Writer uaa
Veteran UF volleyball coach Mary Wise is a testament to strength and perseverance at a time when many people could use a reminder.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If there is one thing I've tried to be more conscious of over the past 18 months, it's to slow down and appreciate the small things more. It shouldn't take a global pandemic or family emergency to remind us of that, but unfortunately, that seems to be the way many of us are built.

To be clear, Mary Wise is no small thing. She is a 62-year-old woman in her 31st season as head coach of the University of Florida volleyball team. She is one of the greatest coaches the sport has known and has been a pillar for the Gators since taking over the program in 1991.

And now seems an opportune time to, yes, take a moment to appreciate Wise.

In case you missed it, in the first of a rare doubleheader for the Gators in this day and age – they used to be much more common earlier in Wise's career – the Gators beat UC Davis on Saturday afternoon in the Hornet Invitational at Sacramento State (Calif.) University. The victory was the 900th of Wise's career at the University of Florida, another milestone in a career full of them. She got win No. 901 later Saturday when the Gators swept the host Hornets to polish off three wins in two days to open the 2021 season. After the three wins, Wise sits at 982 wins overall as a head coach and is on the precipice of reaching 1,000 career wins later this season.

Wise scheduled No. 6-ranked Florida's trip to the Hornet Invitational as a prelude to Tuesday night's road match at No. 21 Stanford, one of college volleyball's traditional powers. In fact, since Wise took over the Gators, only nine schools have hoisted the national championship trophy at the end of the season, none more than the Cardinal (nine times). Wise wanted to get the Gators acclimated to West Coast time prior to facing Stanford; Florida opens its home season Sunday against Minnesota.

With everything that Wise has seen and accomplished in her career, she is in uncharted territory this season. This is the first time in history that the reigning national champion is a member of the Southeastern Conference. For years, as Wise built the Gators into a national power and dominated the SEC, most assumed Florida would be the first program in the league to reach the mountaintop.
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Carter's Corner: Wise Stands Tall as Game, Times Change - Florida Gators

 

Tight Game Gators Fall to Stanford

SIDEARMLiveStats

 

Did not play to their usual standard, small crowd and the team just did not play well Baylor is a good team with a deceptive record Hope our Gators can snap back tonight

 

BTW the next match is Saturday at Noon Coastal Carolina prior to the Bama Football Game good luck with that gate