A Milestone Year in Review - UNF Volleyball
12/22/2021 10:23:00 AM | Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - After gaining momentum in the unusual spring 2021 indoor volleyball season, North Florida volleyball kept its traction going into the fall season to put up the winningest season in North Florida volleyball Division I history. Behind a multitude of team and individual accomplishments and countless "firsts", UNF posted a 25-8 record.
North Florida's 25 wins marks a program record for the school's Division I days, while 12 ASUN wins gave the Ospreys their most victories in conference competition since joining the ASUN. While hard to capture in words, today looks at North Florida volleyball's series of accomplishments from the fall 2021 campaign.
Dates of Note
7-for-7
UNF won its first seven matches of the season, defeating Wofford, FAU, Stony Brook, Virginia Tech, Georgia State, Davidson and Houston Baptist to earn its best start to a season in nearly two decades.
After shaking off a loss at TCU Sept. 9, UNF turned around to post a season-long eight match winning streak between Sept. 10 and Oct. 1. During that streak, UNF defeated Seton Hall for the program's first-ever win against a Big East foe. Sept. 25, North Florida knocked off eventual ASUN runner-up, Jacksonville State, in a 3-2 thriller.
Uncharted Territory
Within two weeks, North Florida achieved a pair of firsts for its play in the ASUN. UNF swept Liberty Oct. 15 for its first win at Lynchburg in series history. Oct. 24, North Florida capped off a 3-0 ASUN Crossover weekend with a 3-1 win against Lipscomb, giving the Ospreys their first win against the Bisons since 2012.
North Florida also reached the 20-win milestone for the first time since 2015. UNF concluded the year 12-2 at home, UNF's best winning percentage at the UNF Arena since a 13-2 mark in 2004.
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All-ASUN All the Way
North Florida combined to earn six ASUN weekly honors throughout the year, with Rocio Moro and Bre Walp combining for five ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honors. Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana was named ASUN Player of the Week on one occasion.
Moro and Hollingsworth-Santana both earned All-ASUN First Team honors, with Moro earning consecutive ASUN Defensive Player of the Year award, backing up her ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
Freshman setter Annie Antar was named ASUN All-Freshman after putting up 562 assists, 5.11 assists/set and four double-doubles in a 6-2 rotation with Julianna Askew.
Postseason Play
North Florida won against Lipscomb for the second time, this time in the ASUN Championship Quarterfinals Nov. 18. The win gave UNF consecutive appearances in the ASUN Championship Semifinals for the first time in program history.
Despite a loss in the semifinals to FGCU, North Florida earned a spot in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) for the first time.
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UNF advanced to the NIVC Quarterfinals as one of the last eight teams playing in the tournament. North Florida moved on past UNC Greensboro and swept Troy before falling to UConn in the quarterfinals.
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Statistical Records
North Florida's 25 wins marks a program record for the school's Division I days, while 12 ASUN wins gave the Ospreys their most victories in conference competition since joining the ASUN. While hard to capture in words, today looks at North Florida volleyball's series of accomplishments from the fall 2021 campaign.
Dates of Note
- Sept. 3 - The Ospreys defeat Virginia Tech for UNF's first win against a P5 team since 2005
- Sept. 9 - UNF sweeps Houston Baptist to start 7-0, the first time UNF has started 7-0 since 2003.
- Sept. 20 - Rocio Moro and Bre Walp combine to win the first four ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honors, setting a UNF and ASUN record.
- Oct. 4 - UNF secures its highest Division I RPI at 49
- Oct. 25 - Rocio Moro sets an ASUN record with her seventh-career ASUN Defensive Player of the Week award.
- Nov. 13 - With a sweep of Liberty, UNF claims 23 wins, setting a program DI-era record.
- Nov. 17 - Rocio Moro and Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana were named All-ASUN First Team, the first time UNF has had two honorees in the same year since 2012.
- Nov. 18 - Gabby O'Connell is named CoSIDA First Team All-District, becoming the first Osprey to earn the honor twice in a career in UNF's DI-era.
- Nov. 28 - The Ospreys are selected to the NIVC for the first time
- Dec. 4 - The Ospreys sweep Troy to claim their first win in December in UNF DI history.
7-for-7
UNF won its first seven matches of the season, defeating Wofford, FAU, Stony Brook, Virginia Tech, Georgia State, Davidson and Houston Baptist to earn its best start to a season in nearly two decades.
After shaking off a loss at TCU Sept. 9, UNF turned around to post a season-long eight match winning streak between Sept. 10 and Oct. 1. During that streak, UNF defeated Seton Hall for the program's first-ever win against a Big East foe. Sept. 25, North Florida knocked off eventual ASUN runner-up, Jacksonville State, in a 3-2 thriller.
Uncharted Territory
Within two weeks, North Florida achieved a pair of firsts for its play in the ASUN. UNF swept Liberty Oct. 15 for its first win at Lynchburg in series history. Oct. 24, North Florida capped off a 3-0 ASUN Crossover weekend with a 3-1 win against Lipscomb, giving the Ospreys their first win against the Bisons since 2012.
North Florida also reached the 20-win milestone for the first time since 2015. UNF concluded the year 12-2 at home, UNF's best winning percentage at the UNF Arena since a 13-2 mark in 2004.
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All-ASUN All the Way
North Florida combined to earn six ASUN weekly honors throughout the year, with Rocio Moro and Bre Walp combining for five ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honors. Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana was named ASUN Player of the Week on one occasion.
Moro and Hollingsworth-Santana both earned All-ASUN First Team honors, with Moro earning consecutive ASUN Defensive Player of the Year award, backing up her ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
Freshman setter Annie Antar was named ASUN All-Freshman after putting up 562 assists, 5.11 assists/set and four double-doubles in a 6-2 rotation with Julianna Askew.
Postseason Play
North Florida won against Lipscomb for the second time, this time in the ASUN Championship Quarterfinals Nov. 18. The win gave UNF consecutive appearances in the ASUN Championship Semifinals for the first time in program history.
Despite a loss in the semifinals to FGCU, North Florida earned a spot in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) for the first time.
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UNF advanced to the NIVC Quarterfinals as one of the last eight teams playing in the tournament. North Florida moved on past UNC Greensboro and swept Troy before falling to UConn in the quarterfinals.
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Statistical Records
- Set the UNF DI era attack percentage record (.240)
- Finished with a 75 RPI, a DI-era record
- 476 block assists, set a DI-era single record
- Gabby O'Connell became the third student-athlete in program history to reach 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs, 100 blocks, 100 assists and 100 aces
- O'Connell set the program sets played record, finishing fifth all-time and first in the DI era for matches played with 136.
- Solimar Cestero became the 12th student-athlete in program history to reach 1,000-career kills.
- Bre Walp led the ASUN in blocks with 148, finishing with the 10th most in the NCAA.Â
- Walp's 1.08 blocks/set set a UNF DI-era record. Her block total also set a UNF DI-era mark.
- Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana surpassed 1,000-career kills and finished with 148 matches played, good for the 22nd most among active NCAA volleyball student-athletes across Division I, II and III.
- Rocio Moro led the league in digs and digs/set, concluding the year once again atop the UNF record book in digs/set for her career (4.99).
- Julianna Askew finished the year just seven assists shy of setting the UNF DI-era career assists record.
More Notables
- North Florida's offense was one of the most balanced in the nation,with six Ospreys finishing with at least 150 kills. Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana, Gabby O'Connell, Solimar Cestero, Bre Walp, Maddie Boyd and Anna Butler all reached at least 150 kills.
- Five Ospreys reached at least 50 blocks (Bre Walp, Maddie Boyd, Solimar Cestero, Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana and Anna Butler).
- UNF went 35-18 during the 2021 calendar year.
Players Mentioned
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