Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sophomore outside hitter Carli Snyder put up her fifth career double-double (14K, 11D), while junior right side Alex Holston made it four consecutive double-digit slam outings with a team-tying 14 kills as the No. 15 Gators blanked Tennessee for their 15th sweep of the 2015 campaign (25-21, 25-23, 29-19) Sunday in the O’Dome.
Sophomore middle Rhamat Alhassan led the Gators with a .562 clip and joined Snyder and Holston with double-digit kills (10) and just one error on the afternoon against Tennessee (20-11, 6-10 SEC) as the Orange and Blue improved to 20-5 on the season, 12-4 in Southeastern Conference play with just three regular-season matches remaining.
Florida hit .400 or above for its second straight match, and for the fourth time in the last six outings, as senior setter Mackenzie Dagostino directed a Gator offense that out-hit the Volunteers .413 to .286. In addition to UF’s double-digit kill leaders in Snyder, Holston and Alhassan, Dagostino connected with seniors Živa Recek and Simone Antwi for seven kills each, while also taking a monster swing of her own.
The Gators made it a clean sweep of Tennessee this season after also sweeping the Vols in Knoxville earlier in October. Sunday’s match brought 25-21, 25-23 and 25-19 set wins en route to UF’s 47th win all-time against UT. After a battle of a first set that featured seven ties and two lead changes, Florida was able to take advantage of a four-point Dagostino serving run for 13-9 cushion. While the Vols were pesky, the Gators closed the door with a pair of kills from Antwi and one from Holston.
In the second, after ties at 5-5 and 6-6, the Gators distanced themselves with a seven-point lead at 18-11 before Tennessee went on a run to put pressure on Florida to finish it out. With set point at 24-23, Recek put it away with one of her seven rockets. While five ties laced the third and final set, Florida maintained control, never trailed and with a one-point lead at 18-17, closed the match with a 7-2 run for the sweep.
Next up, the final regular-season road trip awaits the Gators with matches at LSU (Nov. 20) and Texas A&M (Nov. 22) before UF’s home finale and Senior Day Nov. 27 against LIU Brooklyn at 3 p.m.
MARY’S MINUTE
“If it were a basketball game, the final score would have both teams in the 90s. The good news is we scored 90 points, the bad news is so did they. Our offense was the difference — we made big points at the right times.”
BY THE NUMBERS
- 47 | Wins all-time against Tennessee (47-12), including a 43-7 record under Florida head coach Mary Wise. The Gators improved to 25-6 all-time against the Volunteers in Gainesville
- 15 | Sweeps for Florida in 2015, 11 in SEC play. The Gators have swept 10 of their last 12 matches
- 14 | Kills for junior right side Alex Holston and sophomore outside hitter Carli Snyder to lead the Gators. Holston has now led or tied UF in kills in five of Florida’s last six matches, while Snyder was two kills shy of a season-best 16 (vs. Kentucky)
- 8 | Matches this season Florida has hit .400 or higher, including six in SEC play and both matches this weekend against Alabama and Tennessee
- 7 | Matches this season senior setter Mackenzie Dagostino has served up multiple aces. Dagostino had two against the Volunteers to account for UF’s two on the afternoon
- 7 | Straight wins for the Gators at home in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center to defend their home turf
- 5 | Career double-doubles for Carli Snyder, all this season. Snyder had a team-tying 14 kills, two shy of her season high 16, and 11 digs. Senior Nikki O’Rourke led the Gators with 16 digs as the duo combined for 27 scoops, over half of Florida’s 48 digs on the afternoon
- 3| More regular-season matches: the weekend set at LSU (11/20) and Texas A&M (11/22) and Nov. 27 at 3 p.m. for Senior Day the afternoon after Thanksgiving
UP NEXT
Florida will take one last regular-season road swing with matches at LSU and Texas A&M next weekend. First up, the Gators head to the bayou to take on LSU in Baton Rouge before trekking to College Station for their second match-up with the Aggies this season. Both matches will air live on SEC Network, with first serve slated for 6 p.m. ET Friday and 2 p.m. ET Sunday. The Gators have just four more regular-season matches remaining — including Senior Day in the O’Dome Nov. 27 at 3 p.m. The 2015 NCAA Selection Show will air at 9 p.m. Nov. 29 on ESPNU.