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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 13:00:53 GMT -5
It's a hectic week for Florida's volleyball team.
The Gators are preparing for Friday's NCAA regional semifinal match against Louisville in Omaha, Neb.
That means they're tediously breaking down film on the Cardinals, trying to learn their assignments. They sweat through their gameplan for several hours on the practice court each afternoon.
The Gators will then find time to pack their bags for today's trip to Omaha. When they arrive the forecast low temperature is expected to be negative-1 degree. So they plan to pack ... everything.
On Thursday the Gators practice and hold a news conference at Omaha's Qwest Center. And on Friday at 6 p.m. they face Louisville.
It's a long, tough week.Then consider that this is final exam week at UF - you know, the most important academic week of the semester. The one most UF students spend living in libraries and coffee shops.
These student-athletes have to eat, sleep, break down film, practice, pack their luggage before even worrying about final exams.
Feeling stressed out yet?"Stressful is probably an understatement," said Florida senior Jane Collymore, who will take three finals this week before Friday's match.
It's nothing new. It's the life of a collegiate volleyball player. The culmination of their season happens to coincide with finals week. Tough luck.
Some players take finals prior to leaving town. Sometimes, like in 2003, Florida's players were taking finals in the team hotel prior to the national championship match.
"During this time of year you've just got to gut it out," Florida setter Angie McGinnis said. "You eat, sleep, play volleyball and study."
Some Gators will take finals this weekend at the Omaha Hilton under the supervision of the team's academic advisor, Lindy Brown. Other players, like Kisya Killingsworth, have finals scheduled next week.
Killingsworth is scheduled to take finals in Marriage and Families and Family, Youth and Community Services the day before and day after the NCAA national semifinals in San Antonio.
If Florida wins twice this weekend, Killingsworth will be taking those finals in San Antonio.
"It's certainly very difficult to prepare to take final exams, practice and prepare to leave town," coach Mary Wise said. "But it beats the alternative."
What is the alternative? Not playing in the NCAA Tournament.
Omaha's Qwest Center close to record sellout Florida's volleyball team should be playing in front of some record crowds this weekend at the NCAA regional semifinals and finals in Omaha.
Over 12,000 all-session ticket packages have been sold for the 15,000-seat Qwest Center as of Sunday afternoon, according to the University of Nebraska.
The 12,002 all-session passes sold through Sunday afternoon ranks third all-time for a single NCAA volleyball postseason match (an all-session pass allows entry for both all three matches at the Qwest Center).
If 1,192 more tickets are sold it will set the NCAA single-match record crowd of 13,193 set in 1998.
Additionally, the 24,002 tickets sold for all sessions has broken the previous NCAA all-session record of 23,978 set by Wisconsin during the 1998 national semifinals and finals.
The semifinals begin Friday when eighth-seeded Florida faces No. 9 Louisville at 6 p.m. followed immediately by No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 16 UCLA.
"It will be a special atmosphere," Wise said. "No question."
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 13:02:23 GMT -5
By BRANDON ZIMMERMAN
Sun sports writer
The basketball scholarships started arriving in Kisya Killingsworth's mailbox by the bunches. Florida State extended an offer. Then Valdosta State and the University of Miami.
But Killingsworth just tossed each letter aside. In her heart, this two-sport Deltona Pine Ridge standout wanted to play volleyball. And the University of Florida was where she wanted to play it.
"My dad wanted me to play basketball," Killingsworth said. "But my mom wanted me to do what I love."
It turned out volleyball was her true love. And the Gators are glad it is.
Killingsworth, a 6-foot-3 sophomore middle blocker, is a big reason why eighth-seeded Florida is 32-2 and preparing to face Louisville on Friday in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals in Omaha, Neb. But becoming an elite level player for Florida hasn't come easy for Killingsworth.
It's been the challenge she expected it to be. Killingsworth played sporadically as a freshman outside hitter. Following the graduation of middles Michelle Chatman and Sherri Williams, however, Killingsworth became Florida's primary middle blocker.
That was a difficult role for a player who only began playing the sport her freshman year of high school.
"In this day and age," coach Mary Wise said, "that's a relatively late time to start."
But Killingsworth has grown up in a big way this season. With a thin corps of middle blockers, she's had to.
"Kisya has always been a very athletic player," Florida senior Jane Collymore said. "Now that she's back in (in the middle) she's a true playmaker on our team. People have trouble stopping her."
Just ask Kansas State. Killingsworth posted a match-high 19 kills in Florida's 3-0 win against the Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last Friday at the O'Connell Center.
That was nothing new. Killingsworth, who can jump-reach 10-feet, 4-inches, has done that most of the season.
Killingsworth is hitting .409 this season including a .565 mark in the NCAA Tournament. With just one more hundredth of a point she will pass former middle Heather Wright for the fifth highest hitting percentage by a Gator in a season.
"She's one of the quickest middles I have ever seen," Gators setter Angie McGinnis said. "She has the ability to hit over blockers."
No one has questioned her offensive ability. But Killingsworth's weakness is something Florida is sorely in need of - blocking. It's something she's worked hard to improve this season. But Killingsworth admits her blocking hasn't come around like she hoped.
"As far as hitting, I've done very well," Killingsworth said. "But as far as blocking, I feel like I've decreased some. I need to improve more on that."
While Killingsworth works to improve her blocking, she continues to wow her coaches and teammates with her explosive offensive ability.
"If you compare her to some of the other great middle blockers we've had here, she's further along in her offensive ability at this point in her career," Wise said. "Kisya has the ability to get kills from antenna to antenna. And she has the ability to hit around and over the block. Add to that her foot speed and she's hard to defend."
All this from a player who is relatively new to the sport. It wasn't until Killingsworth's senior season at high school when she finally decided to put down the basketball and concentrate strictly on volleyball.
It paid off. Killingsworth led Deltona Pine Ridge to the 2003 district championship and a third-place finish at the final four. She capped it off by being named 2003 Miss Florida Volleyball.
It seems like she picked the right sport.
"I had been playing basketball since I was five," Killingsworth said. "So I figured volleyball would be more of a challenge."
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Post by Thrill of the 'ville on Dec 8, 2005 13:11:50 GMT -5
Thanks for posting those.
I'm glad people are starting to write articles on Killingsworth because she deserves more recognition.
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Post by Keystonekid on Dec 8, 2005 14:13:31 GMT -5
You're heart has to go out to Killingsworth, those finals in Marriage and Family, and Youth and Community services sound gruelling.
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 14:17:58 GMT -5
Well, when your major is Family, Youth & Community Sciences, those are the kinds of classes you have to take.
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Post by TDCincy on Dec 8, 2005 14:39:51 GMT -5
Go Gators!
Good luck this weekend!
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Post by Alberta on Dec 8, 2005 14:53:20 GMT -5
You know, the SID for volleyball at UF really ought to check his facts. Kisya is great, but she was NOT the 2003 Florida Miss Volleyball. The 2003 Miss Volleyball was from Gainesville High School. Kisya was her Classification Player of the Year, but she did not win the overall title.
This misinformation is in the media guide also.
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 14:57:34 GMT -5
Michelle Stalbaum, she's at USF now.
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Post by Alberta on Dec 8, 2005 15:00:06 GMT -5
Michelle Stalbaum, she's at USF now. Yes, she's the one. Somebody needs to correct the SID, or maybe Kisya is giving them this info. |
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Post by Kampy on Dec 8, 2005 15:34:53 GMT -5
Michelle Stalbaum, she's at USF now. Yes, she's the one. Somebody needs to correct the SID, or maybe Kisya is giving them this info. A fire-able offense, this not correcting a "resume". Just ask George O'Leary about his Notre Dame experience. |
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Post by gobigred on Dec 8, 2005 16:10:29 GMT -5
This was in today's Omaha paper. It's got some quotes from Jane Collymore's parents...
NCAA Tourney Already a Hit
Omaha - More than 13,000 volleyball fans will flock to downtown Omaha this weekend, spiking hotel and restaurant business and serving as another sign that the city is becoming an attractive place for major sporting events.
Ticket sales for the regional tournament at the Qwest Center Omaha have broken the NCAA attendance record for postseason volleyball.
Organizers say the 13,252 all-session tickets sold so far show that fans in the region are craving big athletic events.
Fans will get more in the next few years at the arena, including the Nebraska high school state wrestling tournament in February, NCAA women's volleyball final four next December and U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials and NCAA men's basketball tournament games in 2008.
"It demonstrates what a strong sports community we have," said Dana Dyksterhuis, spokeswoman for the arena.
The volleyball tournament also shows that the arena, which opened two years ago, is the type of venue Omaha needed to compete with other cities for events, she said.
Teri Hoppe of Omaha will be at the two-day volleyball tournament with her family to root for the No. 1-ranked Huskers.
Heading downtown to the arena beats driving to Kansas City, Minneapolis or other larger cities for tournaments, she said.
"It gives more (fans) an opportunity to experience it," she said.
Omaha has an edge over "major league" sports towns in drawing NCAA tournaments and similar events, said Dan Morrissey, president of the Omaha Sports Commission. Without major league sports teams, there are fewer distractions for fans when a big event comes to Omaha, he said.
The organization that picked Omaha for the Olympic Swimming Trials has said the goal was to find a city that would promote and embrace the event, allowing it a "dominant position in the marketplace" during its stay.
"We use that all the time in our proposals," Morrissey said. "We tell them when (your event is) in town you are the biggest thing in town. The focus will be on you."
Morrissey's group is trying to attract other events to Omaha, including the Frozen Four NCAA hockey championship and exhibition games for U.S. Olympic basketball and hockey.
Big sporting events not only draw from the Omaha area, but also from across the region and country.
The Greater Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that volleyball fans will pump an estimated $3.5 million to $4 million into the Omaha-area economy this weekend by spending at local hotels, restaurants and other merchants.
"It's a big boost," said John Windover, assistant general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel downtown.
He expects that his hotel will sell out Friday and Saturday.
Victor Collymore has never been to Omaha, but he will be staying downtown with his wife when they arrive Friday for the tournament.
They are flying from their home in a Seattle suburb to watch their daughter, Jane, play for the Florida Gators.
He said it's good that the NCAA doesn't just pick warm-weather cities or major metro areas for events, giving cities like Omaha an opportunity.
When he gets back home, he said, he knows there will be questions from friends about Omaha.
"There's always excitement when you are seeing a new city," he said.
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Post by gobigred on Dec 8, 2005 16:18:22 GMT -5
There's always excitement when you are seeing a new city," he said. I hope he doesn't have too high expectations about Omaha. I mean, the people are nice, the downtown area is alright, and the Qwest Center is fabulous, but other than that, there's not a whole lot going on this time of year. You can find a good steak. It's just that we're not exactly the entertainment capital of the world here. But I do hope everyone visiting has a great time and enjoys their stay. |
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Post by Alberta on Dec 8, 2005 16:35:12 GMT -5
There's always excitement when you are seeing a new city," he said. I hope he doesn't have too high expectations about Omaha. I mean, the people are nice, the downtown area is alright, and the Qwest Center is fabulous, but other than that, there's not a whole lot going on this time of year. You can find a good steak. It's just that we're not exactly the entertainment capital of the world here. But I do hope everyone visiting has a great time and enjoys their stay. Sounds like Gainesville, so since the Collymore's have been here a lot they'll feel right at home...only colder. |
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Post by FreeBall on Dec 8, 2005 16:38:21 GMT -5
The zoo in Omaha has some fabulous indoor attractions. It is well worth the price of admission any time of the year.
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 16:41:41 GMT -5
I went to Omaha in 1996 for the College World Series and had a blast. Partly because we beat FSU twice, but I just loved the city and the CWS was well run and it was just so much fun. It was hot, too. I am sure the regional will be well run and I just hope the play matches the enthusiasm and level of excitement the fans have shown, scooping up all those tickets. It's a great thing for the game of volleyball and will be a wonderful experience for all the players, who I'm sure, have never played before crowds that large in their lives.
And the steaks are world class!
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