The Gators are officially out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament after taking care of business against Florida State. Florida volleyball put on a convincing performance, sweeping the Seminoles in three sets. The program is now 22-0 in first round matches all-time.
Set 1
The Gators jumped out to an 11-5 start. The gap began to close in the last few points of the match, but Florida maintained a 20-18 lead. The rivals went back and forth until a service ace from Rachael Kramer ended the set, 25-21.
The squad hit .214 and managed 14 kills in the process. Paige Hammons led the way with five kills (hitting .500 in the frame), while Taelor Kellum and Thayer Hall made three apiece.
Set 2
FSU led Florida 6-2, but the Gators fought back for a 7-7 tie. After that, Mary Wise‘s team caught fire. The squad went on a 14-5 run, making the score 21-12. However, the Noles were able to scale it back to a more manageable 23-19. Kramer then secured two kills to move on to set three. Gators win 25-20.
Florida hit even better this time around with a clip of .286, racking up 16 kills. Hammons matched her five kills from the first frame, but this time Kramer and Hall each pitched in four.
Set 3
The rivals were tied at 10-10, but an 8-point service run from Allie Gregory became too much to handle for the Seminoles. The Gators won set three 25-13, with a Hammons kill to end the night.
Florida hit .333 as a team while holding FSU to just .107. Hammons nabbed six kills, with Kramer and Kellum combining to contribute six more.
Gator Notables
Each of Florida’s All-SEC selections made their presences known against FSU. Paige Hammons went on a kill-streak, tying her career-high of a whopping 16 in a match. Rachael Kramer and Thayer Hall registered nine apiece and Taelor Kellum followed with seven.
Allie Monserez once again led the team in assists, dishing out 20. There have been only two matches where Monserez did not top the category. Her sister Marlie looks to be following in her footsteps, notching 16 assists of her own.
Allie Gregory matched her career-high in digs, making 22 saves on the night. Paula Cerame tied her career-best in the same category with 8.
Nine of Florida’s 11 blocks were courtesy of Rachael Kramer.
Up Next
Florida will face the FGCU Eagles for the rights to move on in the NCAA Tournament. FGCU upset 13-seeded (and host) UCF in a five-set thriller immediately after the Gators victory. The match is set to begin at 7:00 PM on Friday.