Gator Country

Florida redshirt-sophomore outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel goes up for a block during the Gators' 3-0 win against FIU in the second round of NCAA Tournament on Friday at the O'Connell Center. / Gator Country photo by Casey Brooke Lawson

Sophomore Florida middle blocker Cassandra Anderson turned in a match-high-tying nine kills on .692 hitting with a match-high seven blocks Friday and the No. 14/15 Gators out-blocked FIU 12.0-1.0 in a 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-16) win in the NCAA Second Round at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

The Gators (25-5) advance to the NCAA Round of 16 for the 18th time in the last 19 years. Florida will face the winner of the State College, Pa., subregional on Friday at the O’Connell Center. Confirmed regional times will be released later.

Florida, which had only five team blocks in the first two sets combined, exploded for seven blocks in the final frame to post its largest blocking margin of the season at +11. The Gators recorded their 25th victory of the season to extend the nation’s longest streak of consecutive 25-win seasons to 19.

Anderson’s nine kills came on 13 swings with no errors for a .692 hitting percentage for a match-high 13.5 points. Junior right-side Callie Rivers also recorded nine kills on .467 hitting with five digs.

Senior libero Elyse Cusack charted a match-high 19 digs to increase her career digs total to 2,123. She needs just four more digs to become the Southeastern Conference’s all-time career digs leader.

Sophomore outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel added eight kills and a season-high four blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Colleen Ward tallied eight kills on .300 hitting with three blocks and four digs.

Sophomore right-side/setter Kelly Murphy continued to direct an efficient Florida offense, dishing out a match-high 32 assists to lead the Gators to a .375 team hitting percentage. For the squad’s two NCAA Tournament matches, Florida is hitting .424 as a team. The Gators limited the Golden Panthers to a .112 hitting efficiency on the evening.

Junior middle blocker Lauren Bledsoe registered four blocks and served a career-high-tying two service aces.

Photo Gallery: UF Volleyball vs. FIU, 12/4/09 (click here to view gallery)

DIRECTORY OF GATOR COUNTRY PHOTO GALLERIES

About the author

jumper42

Casey Brooke Lawson earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Florida in December 2008. Lawson was born in Sarasota, Fla., but now still resides in Gainesville, Fla. Lawson picked up her first camera before she could walk, and now, 24 years later, she has made a career of her first love. She has been working as a photojournalist for eight years. She began at her high school, Sarasota High School, interned with the Gainesville Sun, Sarasota Herald Tribune, The Independent Florida Alligator and Sports Illustrated. Now, Lawson is a regularly contributing photojournalist for Gator Country. Trained in sports photography by Gator Country's own Tim Casey, sports photojournalism has become one of Lawson's favorite parts of her job.

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