Bait & Bits: Carlos Alvarez as Mr. Two Bits, Olympian Signed, and Women’s BBall Wins

Nov 9, 2013; Gainesville, FL, USA;Florida Gators helmet against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to Bait & Bits, a series on Hail Florida Hail that will feature one “bait” about an opposing school and some bits about the Gators. Have any links that you want on Bait & Bits? Tweet it at us @HailFloridaHail or @BrettKaplan13 or email it to us at BrettKaplanHFH@gmail.com.

Bait

Kentucky Volleyball Head Coach Craig Skinner. Kentucky Wildcat’s volleyball head coach Craig Skinner holds second-place on the school’s all-time list for victories at 201. In his ninth-year, Skinner trails Kathy DeBoer by eight wins. He’s done a great job getting the Wildcats’ to national prominence. In comparison, Florida head coach Mary Wise is the nation’s winningest coach since 1991 when she took over. Wise has amassed 712 wins for the Gators.

Bits

Carlos Alvarez to Serve as Mr. Two Bits for Florida-Florida State. Former Gators’ wide receiver Carlos Alvarez will be Florida’s honorary Mr. Two Bits for the annual tilt against Florida State. Many consider Alvarez UF’s greatest WR ever. He was a All-American in his sophomore season in 1969 and finished his career for the Gators with 172 receptions for 2,563 yards and 19 touchdowns. Possibly Alaverez’s most important stat for Saturday: He was 3-0 against the Seminoles, including a 17-15 win during his senior season when the Gators were a 14-point underdog.

Women’s Basketball Beats St. John’s. January Miller led the Gators with 17 points as Florida (4-2) defeated St. John’s (4-1) 72-68. Miller was one of three Gators in double figures as Christin Mercer tallied 16 points and Jaterra Bonds scored 13 for her 16th consecutive game in double figures. The Gators held a substantial lead at 21 points in the second half, but the Red Storm came back to cut the lead to three with 6:27 left in the game. Florida outscored St. John’s 11-10 the rest of the way to get to the final score. Florida next plays in the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas Friday, as they take on the Illinois State Redbirds.

Women’s Swimming and Diving Signs 2012 Olympian. Florida head coach Gregg Troy added another impressive swimmer to their incoming class in 2012 Olympic semifinalist Theresa Michalak. Michalak swam for Germany in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Michalak joins eight other signees, including the number one overall recruit in the nation. She holds the German records for 100-meter IM and 200-meter IM.

Sebastien Rousseau Named SEC Swimmer of the Week. Redshirt-senior swimmer Sebastien Rousseau was named the SEC Male Swimmer of the Week for his performance over the weekend at the Ohio State Invitational. Rousseau swam the nation’s fastest 200 butterfly, won two individual events, and helped lead two relay teams. Rousseau was one of four men and five women to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. Florida lead’s the nation with nine swimmers qualified for the NCAA’s and registered 22 automatic qualifying times at the Ohio State Invitational. This is the second time this year Rousseau has won the honor.

Volleyball Finishes Regular Season Tonight. The sixth-ranked Florida (26-3, 15-2 SEC) volleyball team will conclude the regular season in Lexington, KY when they take on No. 17 Kentucky (21-7, 13-4 SEC) tonight. The Gators are 47-10 all-time against the Wildcats, including a sweep earlier this season. The match starts 8:00 pm and can be heard on ESPN850.

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