It’s a look fifth-year senior libero Elli McKissock has commanded for five years, and it’s a look that’s permanently etched into the fabric of the Gator standard.
The sixth-seeded Gators’ season ended Thursday in a 3-1 defeat to second-seeded Stanford in the NCAA regional semifinal. The familiar matchup of two of the sport’s heavyweights lived up to the tape in a physical, offensively-minded bout at Louisville’s historic Freedom Hall.
Just like they did when faced with adversity all season, the Gators did not go down easily. Every set but the second went into extra points and was there for either team to take.
McKissock, who is from the Windermere community outside Orlando, certainly doesn’t leave Gainesville without a legacy. During the match, she became the program’s all-time leader in digs, finishing a standout final season that rewarded her with her first All-SEC selection.
She was there as captain when Florida captured its 25th SEC crown in 2022. She suited up as a Gator in more matches than anyone ever has throughout her five-year career.
Being the face of the program through all of it was a lifelong goal in the making for McKissock.
“I’m from Florida, so growing up and getting to play five years here is just a dream come true,” McKissock said.
Within Florida’s core of 14 returners, however, that’s not what she’ll be remembered for. In Mary Wise‘s program, the person off the court has always come before the player on it.
Overcoming adversity in both places is what sets the Gator culture apart.
“One of the legacies this group will leave is that you can embrace the hard,” Wise said. “These seniors, they didn’t run from it. They ran to it.”
When junior defensive specialist Emily Canaan left the match with an injury, Trinity Adams did just that and stepped into a role she’s been familiar with throughout her four years with the Gators.
Adams, a Radford, Va., native known to her teammates as “Coach Trin,” will stay in Louisville to attend her first American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention, hitting the job market and extending another branch in Wise’s ever-growing coaching tree.
Florida’s senior class cemented its…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Florida Gators…