The 12th-ranked Florida Gators fell to the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats in five sets in Lexington. This is the first loss for the Gators in 10 matches.
After dropping the first set (12-25), the Gators fought back to win the second (25-19) and third (25-22) to take a two-sets-to-one lead. However, the hosts ended up winning the fourth set (19-25) to force a fifth set, which they would ended up winning (8-15).
Not the result we wanted, but battled hard against No. 15 Kentucky.
Highlights ⬇️#GoGators pic.twitter.com/a0671II1V2
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 6, 2019
Team Stats
It wasn’t the prettiest of matches. Neither the Wildcats nor the Gators broke .250 as a team. The Gators ended with a percentage of .130, and the Wildcats ended the game with a .237.
Florida and Kentucky both played well defensively. The Gators put up 16 blocks to the Wildcats’ 10. The Gators also edged the hosts in team digs with 77 to Kentucky’s 74.
Lauren Dooley and Leah Meyer led the game in blocks with seven each. Gabby Curry registered the most digs in the game with 22. Allie Gregory and Thayer Hall both trailed closely with 20 and 19 respectively.
Alli Stumler gives her reaction to https://t.co/F6Dl4yC0rm's @michellachester after No. 15 @KentuckyVB edged No. 12 Florida in a five-set battle in Lexington.#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/PpyK9zHTMw
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) October 6, 2019
Offensive Struggles
Florida’s heavy hitters struggled against the Kentucky block. Hall, who has consistently been the Gators’ most lethal weapon, again led the team with 17 kills. However, it took 65 swings, and she gave away 11 errors. She ended the afternoon with a percentage of .092.
Paige Hammons had an equally tough game. In 30 total attacks, Hammons picked up seven kills and six errors for a hitting percentage of .090.
One of the bright spots in the attack for UF was Rachael Kramer. She picked up 16 kills and two errors on 28 attempts. She led the team with a clip of .357.
What It Means
As a result of the match, the Gators now sit at 11-3, 2-1 in the SEC. Florida has two more road SEC matches before they return to Gainesville. These come against Arkansas on Friday and Texas A&M on Sunday.
Friday’s match will begin at 8 p.m. in Fayetteville. For the latest news on Gator athletics, follow @ChompTalk and @JEricksonReport on Twitter.