Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Junior right side Alex Holston put down a team-high 12 kills and hit .500 on an error-free afternoon, while sophomore outside hitter Carli Snyder notched a career-best .667 hitting efficiency with 8 kills on 12 errorless swings as the No. 17 Gator volleyball squad swept Auburn (25-23, 25-21, 25-18) to rack up back-to-back SEC victories following a weekend at home in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Florida (11-4, 3-3 SEC) battled an energetic and feisty Auburn Tigers squad (11-6, 3-2 SEC) Sunday afternoon in front of over 2,000 Gator faithful, but the Orange and Blue pushed through for a three-set victory, thanks to contributions from all over the court.
Senior libero Nikki O’Rourke notched 23 digs in the back row, two shy of her career high, to help stabilize UF’s efforts, while the Gators relied on redshirt freshman Lindsey Rogers and sophomore Sam Dubiel for consistency behind the service line. Senior middle Simone Antwi was solid per usual with a .385 clip, six kills and two blocks. Holston led all players on the floor in scoring with 13 points, while sophomore middle Rhamat Alhassan had five blocks to lead both teams.
After Auburn jumped on the Gators in the first set, Rogers entered to serve with UF trailing 16-14 and rallied for a six-point run that took Florida ahead, 20-16, a lead it wouldn’t relinquish en route to a 25-23 frame-one victory. In the second, Florida posted five blocks, including four from Alhassan, while Snyder hit .800 to help the Gators to a 25-21 decision and a 2-0 lead at the break.
After trailing the Tigers again in the third, Florida pushed it into gear and closed the match on an impressive 13-2 run, with the help of a four-point Dubiel service run that included three straight Gator blocks — solo stuffs from Snyder and Antwi, while senior setter Mackenzie Dagostino and Antwi teamed up for the third.
It’s back to the road for the Orange and Blue this week with a mid-week match with the Tennessee Volunteers, followed by a Sunday showdown with the Kentucky Wildcats in Memorial Coliseum.
MARY’S MINUTE
“It goes on the box score as a 3-0 win, but the great Gator fans here in the O’Connell Center witnessed a terrific performance by Auburn. They played with a lot of energy and made some great plays, especially in the back row.”
BY THE NUMBERS
- 23 | Digs for senior libero Nikki O’Rourke, two shy of her career high. O’Rourke now has five matches this season with 20 or more scoops
- 10 | Blocks for Florida, paced by five from the nation’s leading blocker Rhamat Alhassan. Florida has posted double-digit blocks in 13 of 15 matches so far this season and in five of six SEC matches
- 7 | Sweeps for the Gators this season, including two this weekend at home in the O’Dome. The Gators’ three conference wins have all come by sweep, as Florida is now .500 in SEC play
- 7 | Auburn became Florida’s seventh opponent this year to hit below .200. The Gators forced the Tigers to a .140 hitting efficiency Sunday, the second-lowest for a UF opponent in SEC play so far
- 4 | Service aces for UF. The Gators have at least four aces in all but two matches in 2015
- 2 | Aces for senior outside hitter Živa Recek to lead the way for the Orange and Blue. Recek has multiple aces in three matches this year (St. John’s: 3, Missouri: 2, Auburn: 2)
UP NEXT
After a weekend set in Gainesville, the Gators will hit the road again this upcoming week with a mid-week Wednesday tilt at Tennessee before traveling to Lexington, Ky., for a re-match with the Wildcats Sunday. The Gators and Vols will play live on ESPNU at 7 p.m. ET, while the Gators and Cats will clash on SEC Network Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.