Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 12th-ranked Florida volleyball team fought back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs in four sets on Sunday afternoon.
The Gators push their win streak to nine matches, with all nine coming at home. That mark is tied with Ole Miss for the longest streak in the SEC.
Georgia took the first set 25-22, but the Gators battled to take the second set 25-21. After trailing 17-10 in the third set, Florida battled all the way back to win the frame 25-23, then closed out the match with a 25-17 win in the fourth.
As a team, the Gators hit .325 and racked up 53 kills, led by 15 from Thayer Hall. Holly Carlton added 14 kills with a .414 clip on the afternoon.
Three Gators registered seven kills in the match: Rachael Kramer, Paige Hammons and Lauren Dooley.
Marlie Monserez dished out 45 assists on the afternoon, averaging 11.25 per set.
Allie Gregory led the backcourt defense, recording 20 digs. Hall added 11 on the afternoon, while Monserez added eight of her own.
Florida recorded 13 blocks on the afternoon, with 12 of them coming after the first set. Dooley, Kramer and Carlton led the way at the net, each registering four blocks.
The Gators hit the road for the first time in almost a month, heading to Lexington, Ky. for a matchup against the No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Records
No. 12 Florida (11-2, 2-0 SEC)
Georgia (9-4, 1-1 SEC)
How It Happened
* The first set was tied 6-6 early, but Georgia went on a 9-4 run to hold the 15-10 advantage. The Bulldogs continued to hold at least a five-point lead, garnering as much as an eight-point advantage at the 21-13 mark. The Gators continued to fight, pulling within three points at 23-20 behind the serves of Allie Gregory. Florida staved off two set points to get within two at 24-22, but was unable to close out the frame.
* Florida hit .273 in the first set, racking up 14 kills, but Georgia posted a .455 clip in the frame to secure the victory. Thayer Hall led the way with four kills, while Holly Carlton added three in the set.
* UF trailed early in the second set, falling into a 4-1 deficit. Behind the serves of Allie Gregory and Paige Hammons, the Gators were able to take the lead and from that point on, they would not trail. Florida held the 19-13 advantage before Georgia closed the gap to just three points at 23-20, but a Thayer Hall kill and a Georgia service error secured the set and tied the match at 1-1.
* The Gators hit .323 in the second frame, with Hall notching five kills. Carlton added three in the set, while Paige Hammons and Lauren Dooley both posted two apiece.
* The Gators fell into a large deficit in the third, falling behind 17-10. A challenge went UF’s way at 17-11, swinging the momentum the way of the Gators. Florida inched its way back into with five at 20-15. From that point on, Florida outscored the Bulldogs 8-3 to tie the set at 23-23. Holly Carlton recorded her 11th kill to put the Gators ahead 24-23, then a block by Rachael Kramer and Marlie Monserez secured the set and put Florida ahead 2-1 in the match.
* Florida hit .241 in the third frame and held UGA to a .167 clip. Carlton led the way with five kills on seven swings with no errors. Dooley added two kills of her own in the frame.
* With the fourth set tied at 10-10, the Gators opened a 9-4 run behind the serves of Thayer Hall and Riley Fischer. With the 19-14 lead, the Gators closed out the frame with a 6-3 run to secure the victory and remain undefeated in conference play.
* The Gators hit .500 in the final set of the evening, holding Georgia to a .094 clip. Hall led the way with five kills, while Kramer and Carlton both pitched in three.
Notables
* Thayer Hall recorded her fifth double-double of the year, finishing with 15 kills and 11 digs
* Florida notched 13 blocks on the match, 12 of which came after the loss in the first set
* The Gators extended their streak to nine matches – all nine coming at home
* Florida is now 2-0 in four-set matches this season
* UF improves to 65-9 against Georgia in the all-time series
* The Gators are now 14-2 in four-set matches against the Bulldogs
* Florida is 30-2 in Gainesville, Fla. against Georgia
Thoughts from Coach Wise
* “This is a prequel to SEC volleyball – there is so much talent around the country. Every night we are getting high-level volleyball. The difference maker was our blocking. Early on, we did not block balls and Georgia’s offense was seamless. We knew until we started blocking balls, that we would have a hard time.”
Up Next
* Florida hits the road to face No. 16 Kentucky on Sunday, Oct. 6
* First serve is slated for 1 p.m. on the SEC Network
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