Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 11th-ranked Florida volleyball team completed its perfect weekend in the Honda of Gainesville Gators Invitational, winning the 3-2 decision against Long Beach State on Saturday evening.
Long Beach State won the first set 27-25, but Florida rallied to take set two, 25-16. The Gators once again held control in the third set, winning 25-20, before falling in the fourth, 25-19. Florida was able to secure the match with a 19-17 win in the final frame.
Lauren Dooley was named MVP of the Invitational, while Thayer Hall and Holly Carlton were both named to the All-Tournament team.
Florida’s offensive attack was led by Darrielle King, who registered a career-high 15 kills in the match. Dooley added a career-best 14 kills, while Thayer Hall and Holly Carlton registered 12 and 11 kills, respectively. As a team, Florida hit .345, the best hitting percentage of the year.
Marlie Monserez dished out a personal-best 52 assists on the evening, running the Gators offense.
Defensively, Allie Gregory once again led the team in digs, recording 20 on the evening.
Dooley also led the blocking attack for Florida, posting four during the match. Holly Carlton and Darrielle King each added three blocks apiece as well.
As a squad, Florida recorded seven service aces, including three from Paige Hammons and two from Chanelle Hargreaves.
The Gators are back in action on Tuesday against in-state rival No. 25 Florida State. The match is slated for a 6 p.m. start on the SEC Network.
Records
No. 11 Florida (5-2)
Long Beach State (3-6)
All-Tournament Team
Lauren Dooley, MVP
Thayer Hall, Florida
Holly Carlton, Florida
Kashauna Williams, Long Beach State
Sarah Martin, JMU
Lindsey Pliapol, USF
How it Happened
- Florida and Long Beach State were neck-and-neck throughout the first half of the set. Long Beach State took a late lead at 24-22, but Florida staved off two set points to tie the frame at 24-24. An Allie Gregory free ball kill gave Florida the 25-24 lead, but the Beach closed out the set with a 3-0 run to take the first frame.
- The Gators hit .432 and racked up 19 kills in the first set, let by five from Lauren Dooley. Paige Hammons added four in the frame, while Darrielle King and Thayer Hall both pitched in three.
- It was all Gators in the second set, taking the early 11-5 lead in the frame. LBSU got within five points at 16-11, but that was as close as the Beach would get the rest of the way. Florida continued to extend its lead late thanks in part to five kills, including set point from Lauren Dooley.
- Florida once again hit over .400 in the second frame, recording a .417 clip. Lauren Dooley led the way with four kills, while Darrielle King and Thayer Hall both pitched in three.
- The Gators and LBSU battled throughout the three set, with neither team holding more than a three-point lead until the 23-19 mark. Florida closed out the frame on a Holly Carlton kill and an attack error from the Beach, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
- The Gators notched a .333 hit clip in the third set, led by three kills from Holly Carlton. Darrielle King and Thayer Hall both pitched in two kills as well.
- LBSU jumped out to a quick lead in the fourth set, holding the 4-1 advantage. Florida battled back to tie the set at 7-7, but from that point on, the Beach held the momentum. LBSU got up 22-14 in the frame before the Gators cut the lead to just five at 24-19. Florida could not stave off set point though and the Beach forced a fifth set.
- Florida racked up 16 kills in the fourth set, but LBSU hit .486 to push the match to a fifth set. Mia Sokolowski registered four kills in the frame, while Darrielle King, Thayer Hall and Holly Carlton all recorded three kills.
- The fifth set held the most drama of them all, with Florida falling into a 11-7 deficit late in the frame. Behind the serves of Thayer Hall, the Gators went on a 5-0 run to take the 12-11 lead. From that point on, the teams traded points until Lauren Dooley stepped up, registering a kill and a block back-to-back to secure match point.
- The Gators hit .318 in the fifth set, with Darrielle King leading the way with four kills.
Notables
- Lauren Dooley recorded a career-high 14 kills. Her previous career-best was one kill, which she recorded seven times.
- Darrielle King posted a career-high 15 kills on the night, besting her previous high of nine
- Marlie Monserez recorded a career-high 52 assists on the evening
- Allie Gregory led the team in digs for the seventh time this season, recording 20 on the night
- Florida moves to 5-6 all-time against Long Beach State
- The Gators are now 3-1 in five-set matches against LBSU
- UF moves to 4-1 against Long Beach State in Gainesville, Fla.
- The Gators move to 513-67 (.884) all-time at home
Thoughts from Coach Wise
- “That was some really good preseason drama. Credit the play of Long Beach, Williams was pretty special tonight. Both teams were playing a little underhanded, but it was a gut check and the team responded. Really proud of their growth, especially the growth by our middles.”
Up Next
- The Gators host Florida State on Tuesday, Sept. 17 in a battle of the in-state rivals
- First serve is slated for 6 p.m. on the SEC Network
No. 11 Florida vs. No. 25 Florida State Broadcast Information
Time & Date: Tuesday, Sept. 17 | 6 p.m.
TV Network: SEC Network | Live Stream: WatchESPN | Live Stats: Sidearm | Radio: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM
Series Information – No. 11 Florida vs. No. 25 Florida State
- This is the 63rd meeting between the two schools
- Florida leads: 42-20 (35-6 under Mary Wise)
- 3-set: 23-7 | 4-set: 13-5 | 5-set: 6-8
- Home: 24-6 | Away: 15-10 | Neutral: 3-4
- Last Time Out: Nov. 29, 2018 | Orlando, Fla. | W, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-13)
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