This is the year.
From where I sat for more than two thirds of the matches this season, I was privileged enough to witness a transformation. I watched a team grow up right before my eyes and I do not think they know it just yet. The message all season was to be better in December than in September. Deep down, this team took that message to heart.
This is the year.
Sunday night was more bitter than sweet on many different levels. While I personally realized that my 2011 radio campaign was in the books, the team I was fortunate enough to work found out they were going to be traveling for the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament. In my experiences of watching collegiate athletics, I have never seen a team get bent over like this team was Sunday night. The more I reflected, the more I knew it was not going to be an issue. At this point it does not matter where the match is being played, this team will be there.
This is the year.
The last month of volleyball was one for the ages and I had a front row seat. I saw seniors taking leadership roles on and off the court, motivating and willing their team to victory. I saw something that had not been done in over ten years at this school. I saw comeback after comeback, followed by sheer and utter domination of opponents. By the time the regular season I ended, I saw a group ready for the next level.
This is the year.
What I hope this team realizes and my humble message to them is that no matter who the opponent, they have what it takes to win six in a row. I have watched you all at your highest highs and lowest lows. When you play with the intensity that you have over the last month, there is a fire that surrounds this team that nobody is going to be able to put out. Go and play like the bad asses I know you are and show the country what Florida Volleyball is all about. Do not focus on the possibility that each match could be the last but rather how each match is still making you better for the next. Dig deep and remember how it felt in Baton Rouge to finally break through and win a match after dropping the first set. Go even deeper and bring back the feelings of the insane comeback in Fayetteville. Play with the intensity and drive that you brought back into the O'Connell Center for Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina.
This is the year.
Not winning the SEC was the best thing to ever happen to this team. You all started playing with more guts and determination once the focus was on being where you are right now. While you travel to another team's campus and gym, remember that the Gator Nation is everywhere. Summon the strength of those who walked onto the court before you and leave behind a legacy of memories for those that will follow you when your time at Florida is through.
Six matches...this is the year.
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