Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team:
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 14 Florida volleyball team pulled out a hard-fought victory against the Texas A&M Aggies, winning in five sets.
The Gators won the first set and second sets by a score of 25-23, before Texas A&M took the third set 25-14. The Aggies won the fourth set 25-15 to force a deciding fifth frame. Florida was down 9-3 in the fifth set, before storming back to win 15-12.
Florida was led offensively by Thayer Hall, who posted 18 kills in the match. Paige Hammons and Holly Carlton both notched 10, while Rachael Kramer pitched in seven.
Marlie Monserez captained the offense, dishing out 41 assists on the afternoon.
The backcourt defense was led by Allie Gregory, who registered 17 digs on the afternoon. Hall pitched in 13, while Hammons added 10.
As a squad, the Gators recorded 16.0 blocks, led by a team-high nine from Kramer. Lauren Dooley and Hall both added five blocks apiece in the match as well.
The Gators are back in action on Wednesday when South Carolina comes to town. First serve is slated for 8 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Records
No. 14 Florida (13-3, 4-1 SEC)
Texas A&M (11-5, 3-2 SEC)
How it Happened
- With the first set knotted at 6-6, the Gators went on a 4-1 run to take the 10-7 advantage. Florida continued to hold at least a one-point advantage through the middle of the set. With UF leading by four at the 23-19 mark, TAMU went on a 4-0 run to tie it up at 23-23. An Aggie service error and a kill from Paige Hammons secured the victory for Florida.
- The Gators hit .297 in the first set, led by four kills apiece from Thayer Hall and Lauren Dooley. Paige Hammons pitched in three, while three Gators recorded two in the frame.
- The second set was a back-and-forth battle throughout, with Florida taking the 15-14 lead into the media timeout. The Gators pulled ahead 17-14 out of the media timeout, but Texas A&M clawed out of the deficit to tie it at 21-21, causing Florida to utilize a timeout. Out of the timeout, Hall and Carlton recorded back-to-back kills to put the Gators up 23-21, before A&M battled back to tie it at 23-all. Back-to-back Gator blocks gave Florida the win at put the Gators up 2-0 in the match.
- Florida hit .162 in the set, but held A&M to a .065 clip. Paige Hammons and Thayer Hall both notched four kills in the frame to lead the offense.
- The third set was Texas A&M from the start, jumping out to a 13-3 lead. The Gators pulled to within eight points at 21-13, but could not cut the deficit to any less than that. TAMU closed out the frame on a 4-1 run to force a fourth set.
- The Gators hit .000 in the frame, with Thayer Hall notching three kills.
- The Aggies jumped out the early 6-1 lead in the fourth set and the Gators were unable to climb out of that hole. Florida got to within six at 14-8, but was unable to pull any close the rest of the way, with A&M taking the set 25-15 to force a fifth set.
- Florida only hit -.059 in the fourth set. Holly Carlton recorded four kills in the frame, while Paige Hammons added two.
- The Gators found themselves down 9-3 in the final set, but behind the serves of Paige Hammons, battled back to take the 12-9 lead. Thayer Hall recorded three kills in the final three points to secure the victory for UF.
- Florida hit .444 in the fifth set, led by six kills from Thayer Hall.
Notables
- Thayer Hall recorded her eighth double-double of the season, notching 18 kills and 13 digs
- Allie Gregory is now 10th in program history for career digs with 1,143, surpassing Jenni Keene (1,142)
- The Gators move to 16-1 against Texas A&M in the all-time series
- UF is now 4-1 in five-set matches against the Aggies
- Florida is now 7-1 in College Station, Texas
- With the win, Florida broke A&M’s perfect record at Reed Arena this season
Up Next
- The Gators return home for the first time in the month of October on Wednesday when South Carolina comes to town
- The match will be aired on the SEC Network, with first serve coming at 8 p.m.
No. 14 Florida vs. South Carolina Broadcast Information
Time & Date: Wednesday, Oct. 16 | 8 p.m.
TV Network: SEC Network | Live Stream: WatchESPN | Live Stats: Sidearm | Radio: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM
Series Information – No. 14 Florida vs. South Carolina
- This is the 64th meeting between the two schools
- Florida leads: 57-7 (52-2 under Mary Wise)
- 3-set: 43-2 | 4-set: 10-4 | 5-set: 4-1
- Home: 29-1 | Away: 26-5 | Neutral: 2-1
- Last Time Out: Nov. 23, 2018 | Gainesville, Fla. | W, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-16)
TICKET INFO | Gator Ticket Office Online | Call: 352-375-4683 x6800 (Open M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
Season Ticket Prices:
- Reserved (Sections 09*, 11*, 13*, 15*, 23, 25, 27, 29) – $50 [all ages]
- General Admission (All other lower bowl areas) – $35 [ages 13 and up]
- Courtside Season Pass (subject to availability) – $150 [all ages]
- Loge Seating (subject to availability) [in front of the Sideline Club] – $75 [all ages]
Single-Match Ticket Prices:
- Reserved (Sections 09*, 11*, 13*, 15*, 23, 25, 27, 29) | $6 [all ages]
- General Admission (All other lower bowl areas) | $4 [ages 13 and up] / FREE [ages 12 and under]
- Student General Admission – FREE [with valid Gator1 ID]