Carter’s Corner: Gators Not Ready to Pull Off Their Band-Aid in Rematch Against Stanford

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — They last met 16 months ago on a late-August evening at Maples Pavilion. The Gators, fresh off a pair of wins at Tampa’s Amelia Arena over Penn State and USF to open the season, stepped onto the court on a Tuesday night in Stanford to face the No. 2-ranked Cardinal.

Florida was the younger team, and Stanford the nine-time national champion, expected to contend again for the game’s biggest prize. If those back home had not stayed up late to follow the action on the West Coast, they may have been surprised the next morning.

Florida 3, Stanford 0.

In 1 hour, 44 minutes, the Gators made a loud statement that caught the attention of their diehard fans and women’s college volleyball enthusiasts. The victory remains fresh in the minds of those preparing for tonight’s rematch in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in Louisville.

Perhaps no one more than Stanford head coach Kevin Hambly. He was tossed a question at Wednesday’s press conference at Freedom Hall about Florida’s underdog status.

“The last time they played us, they beat us at our place,” Hambly said. “I don’t feel like they’re underdogs. They have some great players, and we’re going to have to show up and do our best.”

 

Feelin’ sweet

📍Louisville, KY

🆚 Stanford

⌚ ️7:00 pm ET

📺 https://t.co/vFI1VUDMmf (ESPN2)

📊 https://t.co/y8Vfzt4I3b#GoGators pic.twitter.com/i3KwAzFxso

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 12, 2024

The victory was more than a significant win at the time for the Gators. It signaled that the 2023 Gators had the makeup of a team to be reckoned with. And that sentiment held true. Florida returned home to beat No. 5 Minnesota, then reeled off victories over Sacramento State, Clemson, Winthrop and a road win at Florida State.

The Gators climbed to No. 3 in the national rankings when a school-record crowd turned out at the O’Dome to watch the undefeated Gators face No. 1-ranked Wisconsin. After sweeping the first two sets, Florida appeared to be on its way to No. 1. However, disaster struck late in the second set when setter Alexis Stuckey, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Badgers stormed back, and Florida was never quite the same team, losing to Georgia Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

So, here we are, 471 days since Florida swept Stanford early last season. The stakes are much higher this time, with the winner facing the Louisville-Purdue winner on Saturday for a trip to the…