Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 11 Florida volleyball team swept the LSU Tigers in straight sets on Friday evening in Exactech Arena.
The Gators have now won 10-straight matches, keeping them in first place in the SEC with five matches left to play.
Florida took the first set 25-20, then followed with a 25-19 win in the second frame. The Gators secured the match victory with a 25-18 win in the final set.
As a squad, the Gators hit .394 on the night, including a .500 clip in the second set. Florida’s offense was paced by Paige Hammons and Thayer Hall, who each recorded 13 kills. Holly Carlton added 11 in the match, while Rachael Kramer pitched in nine of her own.
Five Gators hit over .400: Marlie Monserez (.667 | 2-0-3), Carlton (.500 | 11-3-16), Hammons (.440 | 13-2-25), Kramer (.400 | 9-1-20) and Lauren Dooley (.400 | 3-1-5).
Monserez conducted the Gator offense, dishing out 41 assists in the match.
Allie Gregory controlled the backcourt defense for the Gators, recording 12 digs. Hammons added eight digs of her own, while Hall pitched in six.
Carlton paced the defense at the net, recording five blocks in the match. Dooley added four, while Kramer pitched in two.
Florida recorded seven service aces as a team, led by two from both Hammons and Hall.
The Gators are back in action on Sunday against No. 17 Kentucky in a battle of the two top teams in the SEC. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Records
No. 11 Florida (21-3, 12-1 SEC)
LSU (13-11, 7-7 SEC)
How it Happened
- With the first set tied 8-8, the Gators strung together a 5-1 run to put themselves up 13-9. Florida continued to hold the lead into the media timeout and came out of the break on a 4-2 run to take the 19-12 lead late in the set. LSU battled back to within four at 24-20, but a Thayer Hall kill secured the frame for Florida.
- Florida hit .258 in the frame, racking up 16 kills. Thayer Hall and Holly Carlton led the way with four kills apiece, while Rachael Kramer and Paige Hammons each pitched in three.
- After getting down 4-1 in the second set, the Gators stormed back with a 5-0 run behind the serves of Allie Gregory to take the 6-4 lead. From that point on, Florida did not trail, taking as large as a seven-point lead at 20-13. The two squads traded points after the 20-13 mark, with the Gators securing the 25-19 win to go up 2-0 in the match.
- The Gators hit .500 as a squad in the second frame, led by six kills from Hall. Carlton and Kramer both pitched in four kills in the frame as well.
- The third set was all Florida from the start, with the Gators jumping out to the 9-6 lead. Thayer Hall then led Florida on an eight-point spurt to take the 17-6 lead midway through the frame. LSU clawed its way out of that 11-point hole, pulling to within three at the 19-16 mark. The Gators closed out of the frame on a 6-2 to secure the 13th sweep of the year.
- Florida hit .424 in the final set, racking up 17 kills. Hammons recorded eight kills in the frame, while Hall and Carlton both pitched in three in the third set.
Notables
- The Gators extend their win streak to 10-straight matches, the longest streak in the SEC
- Florida improves to 46-13 against the Tigers
- UF remains atop the SEC standings with a 12-1 conference record
- The Gators improve to 28-7 against LSU in three-set matches
- Florida is now 23-5 against the Tigers in Gainesville, Fla.
- UF improves to 13-3 in three-set matches this season
Thoughts from Coach Wise
- “After we got into a rhythm as the match went on, we hit the ball well. Many of our points were scored behind the service line as we continue to evolve that part of our game.”
Up Next
- The Gators face No. 17 Kentucky in a battle of the top two teams in the SEC on Sunday
- First serve is slated for 3 p.m. on the SEC Network
No. 11 Florida vs. No. 17 Kentucky Broadcast Information
Time & Date: Sunday, Nov. 17 | 3 p.m.
TV Network: SEC Network | Live Stream: WatchESPN | Live Stats: Sidearm | Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM/850AM
Series Information – No. 11 Florida vs. No. 17 Kentucky
- This is the 67th meeting between the two schools
- Florida leads: 51-15 (49-8 under Mary Wise)
- 3-set: 36-7 | 4-set: 9-2 | 5-set: 6-6
- Home: 24-7 | Away: 23-7 | Neutral: 4-1
- Last Time Out: Oct. 6, 2019 | Lexington, Ky. | L, 2-3 (12-25, 25-19, 25-22, 19-25, 8-15)
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