Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- After seven matches on the road to open 2015, the No. 5 Gators debuted at home in winning fashion with a 3-0 sweep of St. Johns University Thursday in the O’Dome to improve to 7-1 on the season. WATCH: UF vs. St. John’s highlights and post-match comments<http://www.gatorvision.tv/watch/?Archive=2933> Florida cruised to 25-15 and 25-13 first and second-set victories, while the third was a tightly-contested 25-21 victory in favor of the Orange and Blue. In the second frame, it was senior outside hitter Živa Recek that had one of her six slams and then followed with a seven-point serving run to give the Gators cushion towards a 2-0 advantage at the break. Florida posted 13 roofs -- it’s second-most this season -- to St. John’s four. Midway through the third and final set, the Gators were out-blocking the Red Storm, 10-0. The nation’s blocking leader, sophomore middle Rhamat Alhassan, posted six blocks to lead the Gators’ potent front, while seniors Mackenzie Dagostino and Simone Antwi had four each. Recek finished the night with three service aces towards UF’s six total, and also led the way with 10 digs for the Orange and Blue, her fifth match this season with double-digit scoops. Offensively, four Gators hit above .400 on the night, led by Alhassan’s .636 efficiency, while junior right side Alex Holston had a team-best nine kills. Florida will now turn its sights towards a meeting with No. 18 Florida State Sunday in the O’Dome. First serve between the Gators and Noles is slated for 5 p.m. on the SEC Network. UF is 2-1 this season against top-20 opponents. MARY’S MINUTE “The match will go down as a 3-0 win, but for our team, we celebrate being back at home in front of our great fans and the chance to play a team with a very unique style -- it gave us the opportunity to get better.” BY THE NUMBERS .636 | Hitting efficiency for sophomore middle Rhamat Alhassan, the fourth match above .500 this season 13 | Blocks for the Gators against the Red Storm. At one point, Florida had a 10-0 advantage at the net. Florida has double-digit blocks in seven of eight matches this season and its 13 are the Gators’ second-most this season 10 | Digs for senior Živa Recek to lead the Gators. Recek now has double-digit scoops in five matches this season 9 | Kills for junior Alex Holston to lead the Gators in the category 7 | After slamming down one of her six kills Thursday, senior Živa Recek went on a seven-point serving run in the second to string together eight Gators’ points to pull away from the Red Storm, 18-10 6 | Service aces for Florida against the Red Storm, compared to just one for St. John’s. Six aces tie for the most for UF this season 3 | Kills for sophomore setter Abby Detering, a new career high in two sets of play Thursday. Detering additionally had six assists, the third most in her career NEXT UP The No. 5 Gators will match up with their fourth ranked opponent this season when they play host to Sunshine State rival No. 18 Florida State. The Gators and Noles will clash at 5 p.m. in the O’Dome on SEC Network. FLORIDA VS FLORIDA STATE BROADCAST INFORMATION Florida State University (Sept. 20) Time: 5:00 p.m. ET TV: SEC Network<http://www.getsecnetwork.com/> Live Stream: WatchESPN<http://es.pn/1XHBIbZ> Radio: ESPN Gainesville<http://www.wruf.com> Live Stats: Sidearm Stats<http://www.sidearmstats.com/florida/wvball/> UF | FSU SERIES HISTORY · 2015 Record: 6-3 (host rv Texas A&M Friday) · Series Record: Florida leads, 36-19 (29-5 under Mary Wise) · 3-set: 21-7; 4-set: 9-5; 5-set: 6-7 · Home: 21-5 | Away: 12-9 | Neutral: 3-5 · Last Time Out: Sept. 4, 2014 at Tallahassee | L, 3-2 (30-28, 21-25, 25-23, 23-25, 9-15)