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AUSTIN REGIONAL NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPDecember 13, 2019Mary WiseRachel KramerHolly CarltonAustin, Texas Minnesota 3, Florida 2 HEAD COACH MARY WISE: We entered this match against Minnesota and we thought what a great opportunity to see how far we've come; could we have narrowed the gap from the last time we played them, and the answer is obviously we had. I cannot say enough about things about a group, how they overcame so many obstacles just to get to this point. Maybe it was a month ago, the last time we had the entire team healthy enough to play, what Thayer did, very seldom in athletics do you see more guts from what Thayer, who hadn't even hit a ball in two weeks, which she did tonight. The play of Rachel from the first time we played Minnesota, as a senior, you just hope that they can go out playing their best volleyball. It might have ended too soon, but I can't say enough good things about this team, what they have accomplished, to have -- we've only lost to three opponents, and in those three matches, we only lost five matches, and three of them were in five sets. We were right there. This group did as much improving over the course of a season as I've ever been around, and the only thing that surpasses the improvement is the character, and it has been an awesome ride. Just wish it had lasted a little longer. Q. Even the fifth was a little lopsided at first, the want-to and the passion and the fight, the time-out that you called, what fight you saw? HEAD COACH MARY WISE: Certainly I thought we battled. We battled hard. Credit Minnesota. They were very low air. They play very clean. That's a team that obviously we struggled defensively. They hit the ball well. They are just very low air, and the margin of error against a team that good is really, really small. We just made a few unforced errors, a few more than they did and that's the difference in the match. I can guarantee anybody who saw the Florida-Minnesota match in person, would not have expected the score today. But 15 kills here was a big difference. Q. Rachel, obviously you come from Arizona and you've had an amazing four years and played a National Championship and won SEC championships. What has this meant to you? RACHEL KRAMER: I'm really sad to see it come to an end. I loved every single second being a Gator. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I love this team. I love the fight we put into it this year. This is one of my favorite teams to play on and we're all best friends. Leaving here today, I'm sad the volleyball is over, but I know I have best friends for life. I will come back next year and try to see a couple matches next year because I'm just not ready to be done with this school, I love it so much. I'm a Gator through and through, and I'm really sad to leave. Q. Talk about the senior class and what they brought. HOLLY CARLTON: Even just transferring last year, coming in, they were such a big part of the group. Rachel was one of my first friends and got to play together with USA and she was so welcoming on my visit. Once I got down here, it's just been amazing to just see the leadership of that group, and obviously they were here in the 2017 season when the team went to the Finals, and for those who came in after that, they did such a nice job following up on the leadership and still sharing with us how they got there and what that's going to take and leaving a legacy of selflessness, and just great teammates and awesome people to be around. Q. What will you remember about these four seniors? HEAD COACH MARY WISE: I always said that they embrace the Gator lifestyle the best. They are true -- they believe the orange and blue, and it was from the time they committed, all the way through, you just could see it in all how they approached academics, how they approached volleyball, is they just loved being a Gator. As a coach, could you ask for anything more? I don't think so. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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