UF all-sports notebook: Volleyball ready for the beach

Mary Wise has been a head volleyball coach for 21 seasons. But she is experiencing a coaching first this week.

Wise, who has won 17 consecutive SEC titles coaching inside the O'Connell Center, is becoming consumed by the weather.

"I'm going to be watching a lot of the Weather Channel this week," Wise said Tuesday.

The reason, of course, is that her sport will be moving outside this weekend. The first SEC Beach Volleyball tournament will be held on Saturday at the sand volleyball courts next to the Southwest Rec Center on Florida's campus.

As Wise can tell you, the Weather Channel is calling for just a 30-percent chance of rain. That's good news for the Gators and the other 10 SEC volleyball programs that will be here this weekend.

The beach volleyball tournament has also provided Wise with another unique coaching situation: Since Florida will have four teams of two, Wise is having to decide which eight of her players to pair together.

She should have a good idea by Saturday. Wise has spent the last two springs taking her team outside to the sand volleyball courts by the Southwest Rec Center at least once a week.

Wise believes the beach game has helped improve her players overall volleyball skills.

"It's a lot less about how high you play as it is how well you see the other side of the net," Wise said.

There's no question her players are excited.

"Every time we go on the sand the players come off having enjoyed it," Wise said. "If you ask the players, 'Would you rather practice inside or outside in April,' I think they would all say the latter."

Florida campus will buzz this Saturday

Saturday will be the busiest sports day of the year on Florida's campus.

The schedule looks like this: Florida's men's tennis team hosts South Carolina at 10 a.m. at the Ring Tennis Complex. The SEC Beach Volleyball tournament begins at 10 a.m. and ends with a 6 p.m. gold medal match. The Orange and Blue game is at 1 p.m. at The Swamp. The Gator baseball team hosts Arkansas at 4 p.m. at McKethan Stadium. And the NCAA gymnastics southeast regional begins at 7 p.m. in the O'Connell Center.

To compensate, UF will run a shuttle from the commuter lot located on Gale Lemerand Drive beginning at 10 a.m. The bus will drop patrons at Gate 2 of the O'Connell Center for access to all events. The shuttle is free and will run until a half hour after the conclusion of the gymnastics meet.

LaPorta homers

Former Florida All-American first baseman Matt LaPorta continues his rapid ascent through pro baseball.

LaPorta, who was the seventh overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers last June, began this season with the Brewers' AA-affiliate, the Huntsville Stars. He immediately showed that he belonged.

LaPorta launched a grand slam in his second at-bat of the season last Thursday. Through the first five games, LaPorta is hitting .313.

Faehn calls Southeast regional the toughest

It is typically a formality that Florida's gymnastics team advances past NCAA regionals to the NCAA Championships. It's happened in 25 of the past 26 years.

This year should be no different. But Gators head coach Rhonda Faehn says the Southeast Regional, which Florida will compete in, is the toughest of the six.

The regional, held Saturday in the O'Connell Center, includes three teams that were in last year's NCAA Super Six — Florida, UCLA and Nebraska.

"People don't realize that this regional is going to be the hardest regional in the country," Faehn said. "Nebraska has been hampered by a couple injuries this year, but at the same time they are a very strong team and have a deep history. It's going to be a great competition."