It has been a long and uneasy road for the Florida Gators Volleyball program this season. From being ranked in the top-5 nationally while leading against the No. 1 team in the nation 2-0 in a match against Wisconsin. Through severe injuries to key contributors up and down the lineup, UF has powered through adversity to land themselves the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
On Sunday night, the tournament selection committee announced the 64 teams that will be competing. The team will be compete in the top left bracket with the rights to advance to final four and possibly a national championship. The first and second rounds will be hosted by the Ga at Exactech arena in Gainesville, Florida.
The 2023 tournament marks the 29th time in program history that Florida will host the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators will play host to their first and second round matchups on Thursday and Friday.
The first opponent in the opening round for UF features a matchup with Florida Gulf Coast Thursday at 7 p.m. Georgia Tech and Southern Alabama will also square off at the O’Dome Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The winners of the two matches will square off on Friday at 7 p.m.
Last season, the Gators battled their way to the programs 26th Regional Semifinal in program history. The team would eventually fall short to Pittsburgh in four sets in the following round.
Florida has been forced to rally and come together as a team with the losses of Alexis Stucky and Anna Dixon this season. The team has experienced heartbreak from the injuries however was forced to come together and rally. They will now have their skills put to the test in a win or go home atmosphere in front of their hometown crowd.
ChompTalk.com 
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