The University of Florida volleyball team has its own standards and consistently performs at a high level year after year. However, the 2023 season was plagued by injuries as the Gators lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, the Gators are looking to the future.
Head coach Mary Wise announced that the team will add Erin Engel and Vera Lee to the roster.
Engel is a graduate transfer from the University of Maryland and Lee is a freshman. Both players are from Florida.
Engel's past
Engel played his final three seasons at the University of Maryland.
As a result, she joins the Gators as an experienced setter who played in all 32 games for the Terrapins last season. Engel tied for first on the team with 0.29 aces per set and was second with 31 aces, both career highs.
She excelled off the court as well, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors in the 2022-23 season. With Engel's help, Maryland finished 17-15 in 2023, an improvement from last season.
“I chose the University of Florida because of the unique opportunity to earn a master's degree from one of the top universities in the country while playing volleyball at the highest level. The ability to return home for my final year and become a Gator. I’m very excited about it.”
Return home in sunny conditions ☀️
Welcome to Gator Nation, Erin! #Go Gators pic.twitter.com/2YT4FtKH0V
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) February 26, 2024
Lee's past
Lee is a freshman from Tampa who joins the roster as a defensive specialist. She has an impressive resume from her high school days, including being ranked No. 1 in the state of Florida in digs for the 2023 season.
Lee was named to the 2022 Max Preps Underclassman All-American Team and ranked first in the state of Florida and second nationally in most digs for the 2022 season. She was a three-time All-American with her club team.
Lee was a member of the 2023 USA Volleyball Team Florida and the 2023 USA Volleyball All-Tournament Team.
“I chose Florida because they have a great coaching staff and I love the girls on the team. I knew Florida would give me the competitiveness I was looking for and would allow me to compete at the highest level. I look forward to growing and getting better with the coaching staff.”
Staying in her home state 🐊
Welcome to Gator Nation, @Lee6Bella! #Go Gators pic.twitter.com/CIKB9NrdHw
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) February 26, 2024
