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SOC: Gators earn first SEC win behind hat-trick from Lais Araujo

September 20, 2018
FINAL: FLORIDA 6, KENTUCKY 0

1H 2H OT FINAL

GATORS 4 2 X 6

WILDCATS 0 0 X 0

LEXINGTON, KY- The Florida soccer team has finally found the win column after crushing Kentucky by a 6-0 final. The Gators were 0-6-1 in their previous seven games which included a stretch of 677 minutes of action without a goal. For Florida, the hope is this game sparks the offense as the Gators move into the teeth of their SEC slate. Florida is now 3-6-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play. Kentucky falls to 4-7 overall and 0-2 in conference action.

Game Trends

Florida raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first half thanks to the natural hat-trick by senior midfielder Lais Araujo and the first career goal by senior forward Alyssa Howell.

Araujo started the scoring in the 14th minute, capitalizing on a cross into the box by Mayra Pelayo from the right wing. Pelayo and Madison Alexander were each credited with the assists on the goal.

The same trio combined on the second goal in the 24th minute as Araujo scored off the feed from Alexander. Alexander was running the middle of the field and sent the ball through the defense to Araujo who found the back of the net off a single touch. Pelayo earned the second assist.

Araujo completed the hat-trick with a 31st minute goal from about twenty yards out. Araujo stayed with the ball after her first attempt bounced off a Kentucky defender’s back and sent the shot to far side of the net just out of the keepers reach.

Howell headed in a cross from freshman Cassidy Lindley for her first goal as a Gator. The senior who has played sparingly in her time at Florida has twice earned SEC Academic Honor Roll honors.

During the halftime interview with the SEC Network broadcast team, head coach Becky Burleigh stated that they hoped to preserve the shut out.

Florida did just that while also keeping the foot on the gas, scoring a pair of goals in the second half.

Alexander and Pelayo would find the back of the net to push the lead to 6-0.

Alexander scored from inside the six yard box after a touch from Melanie Monteagudo went across the box where she had an easy tap-in for the goal. For Alexander, it was her third goal of the season.

Pelayo tacked on one in the 81st minute after a one-touch pass along the ground found its way to Pelayo who was able to squeak it past the Kentucky goalkeeper.

In total, Florida attempted 14 shots with six making it on net (and in the net).

Florida senior GK Kaylan Marckese finished the contest with three saves, including a big stop early in the game before the Gators had taken the lead. Florida’s defense stifled the Wildcats as Kentucky was unable to attempt a second half shot despite Florida rotating in a bevy of players with the big lead.

Fast Facts
- Araujo had scored four Florida goals in a row after scoring the only goal in Florida’s 2-1 loss to Vanderbilt on Sunday.
- With six points in Thursday’s match, Lais Araujo has taken over the team lead with nine. Madison Alexander moves into second with four points Thursday (8 total).
- Araujo’s hat-trick was the first for a UF player since Savannah Jordan did in 2015 against Miami
- Florida moves into the middle of the pack in the SEC, where only four teams remain unbeaten in conference play (Vanderbilt, Auburn, Georgia, Missouri).
What’s Next

The Gators will continue SEC play on Sunday with a home date against LSU. The match is scheduled for a 1:00 PM kickoff. LSU played Auburn to a scoreless draw on Thursday and sits at 6-3-1 on the season and 0-1-1 in SEC play.
VB: Gators open SEC play against Ole Miss on Friday

September 19, 2018

Photo via Chomp Talk

This weekend, the Florida volleyball team will begin conference play with a match against the Ole Miss Rebels. This season, the Gators are 9-3 and the Rebels will come to the Swamp with a similar 10-4 record. Last year, Florida topped Mississippi in 3 sets. Let’s take a look at how the Gators could fare against the rest of the SEC.

Last Season

In 2017, the natty-bound Gators were an insane 17-1 in conference play. The one loss was at the paws of the then-No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats, who took the match in four sets. A little over two weeks later, the Gators traveled to Lexington for a rematch and walked away with a sweep.

Out of Florida’s 17 SEC wins, ten were three-set sweeps, six were won in four sets, and just one match against Arkansas lasted to five.

In the end, the Gators were named Co-Conference Champions along with the Wildcats and made it all the way to the National Championship, where they fell to Nebraska.

Last season’s roster featured four All-American seniors, plus an honorable mention.

Scouting The Season

While Florida took the dub against Nebraska this year, their non-conference record includes three more losses than last season’s did. Last season, the Gators were a perfect 7-0 in non-conference play, including two wins over then-No. 1 Texas and then-No. 5 Nebraska.

This season, Florida got its revenge on No. 2 Nebraska, but No. 3 Texas got its revenge against the Gators. Florida also lost to No. 7 Southern Cal and took a surprising 5-set L against unranked Northern Arizona.

Something the Gators lack on the court this season is experience, returning only two seniors and four juniors. Only four of those six get significant playing time (R-Sr. Allie Monserez, Sr. Taelor Kellum, Jr. Allie Gregory, and Jr. Rachael Kramer).

Besides them, a few freshman are working their ways into the mix. Superstar Thayer Hall is currently leading the team in kills and points. Marlie Monserez is getting significant playing time and making a big impact on defense. Freshman Paula Cerame is finding more and more time on the court, as well.

Coach Mary Wise harps on the fact that many of these freshmen are some of the most talented she’s ever coached. However, they are still freshmen who lack the refinement of veteran players at times.

Predictions

The Gators have a shot to go in the ballpark of 17-1 in the SEC again this season.

They have racked up plenty of experience against elite teams and as Coach Wise said, she has a talented bumnch. At No. 11, Florida is the highest-ranked SEC team. Kentucky is next at No. 20 and Alabama rounds out the poll at No. 25. But, as Northern Arizona showed the team, rankings do not always make a direct impact on the outcome of the game.

But for now, all the Gators have to focus on is getting past Ole Miss. Catch the game on Friday at 7 in the O’Dome.
FB: Recapping Dan Mullen’s Monday press conference

September 17, 2018

Photo via Getty Images

Gainesville, FL –The Gators held their weekly press conference on Monday and head coach Dan Mullen spent the majority of the time speaking of preparations for SEC rival Tennessee. While the mood was a little lighter following a blowout win, Mullen still displayed his extremely high expectations for the way his team practices and performs.

The conference began with an injury update that revealed that Malik Davis sustained a broken foot against Colorado State and will miss significant time. On the more positive side, LB David Reese and DB C.J. McWilliams are both likely to return to action this week. Defensive back Shawn Davis remains questionable heading into the weekend.

Many teams will use gimmicks throughout the week leading up to facing a rival. Urban Meyer actually placed urinal cakes with the Tennessee logo on them, in the restrooms of the football facilities. When asked if he does anything special to prepare for a rival, Mullen spoke on the unique situation that Florida is in.

“Yeah, I do all kinds of different things,” Mullen said. “Yet, I wanna see how our guys react to it. You know, one of the things here, I think sometimes, if you have the one set rivalry sometimes you can do a little more with it. Like, you don’t call the school by their name or one of those things. That kind of sparks people.

You can do too much if you have more than one rival or you can separate and make one more important than the other.”

“We need that mind set of if we’ve got the lead, finish it off.”

-Dan Mullen, speaking about last season’s contest with Tennessee

With Davis now out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, Mullen was asked what his thoughts were on freshman running back, Dameon Pierce.

“Yeah, I think he’s done a, he’s doing a good job and the big thing that I look for, he’s doing the things that we ask him to do. He’s doing a pretty good job on special teams. Playing hard on special teams. He’s a good player with the ball in his hands. It’s doing the other little things that he’s learning. You know, they have to learn them. You’ve gotta know what rout to run, how to run routes, how to catch the ball, how to protect within pass protection. All of those little things, I think are steps that he’s going to continue to grow.”

The Gators will be in a hostile environment for the first time this season on Saturday. Not only will they be playing in front of a raucous crowd at Neyland Stadium, they will do it at prime time. Mullen and company are already taking steps to prepare his team for a loud and unfriendly venue.

“We’ll mix Rocky Top into our crowd noise. We usually have music playing at practice a lot now for our guys and when we’re at home we put the speakers on the defensive end of the field. Because when you’re at home, the Swamp’s loud when you’re on defense. It’s just the opposite now so we’ll move all the speakers over to the offensive field.”

Mullen has been clear on several occasions that he hasn’t watched last year’s games but when asked about the final play of the Tennessee game, he admitted to having seen it several times. He followed by stating that the game had been replayed recently and he saw some of it. His thoughts on the way it played are indicative of a coach who is eager to change the culture.

“Weren’t we winning? By like, two scores?” said Mullen. “So that stuck out to me. Why did we need a hail Mary? Like, with four minutes left in the game we’re up two scores. Let’s finish the game off. Why didn’t we finish the game off on offense? Why didn’t we get first downs and put it away? We need that mind set of if we’ve got the lead, finish it off.”

It was suggested that the pass rush would be vital to succeed this week. While Mullen agreed, he added to this by saying, “We’ve gotta be balanced on defense too. I think one of the things, the biggest thing we gotta do better of defensively, is we gotta get off the field on third down. I think we were a lot more physical against the run this past week.”

Finally, the topic of whether or not the offensive line has improved was approached. Mullen was hesitant to heap praise on the group.

“Mmyeh, a little bit,” he waffled. “I mean, I’m not jumping up and down yet but I think they’re improving.

Florida takes on SEC rival Tennessee Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. in Knoxville. Look for the ChompTalk.com preview later this week.
VB: Taelor Kellum Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

September 17, 2018

Photo via Chomp Talk

Senior middle blocker Taelor Kellum put on a show at the Honda of Gainesville Gator Invitiational. This week, she is getting rewarded for it by being named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

Kellum led the team in blocks last weekend with a stellar 22. She even tied her previous career high of seven against the Jacksonville University Dolphins. Averaging 1.02 blocks per set puts Kellum seventh in the conference.

Kellum also made kill after kill. Out of 49 attempts, 28 balls pounded the floor to translate to Florida points. Although her overall clip was .429, Kellum hit an .889 percent (8/9 kills) against FIU.

The Gators will return to the court Friday against Ole Miss to begin conference play.
FB: Jabari Zuniga named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

September 17, 2018

Photo via Getty Images

In Florida’s 48-10 drubbing of Colorado State last Saturday, defensive end Jabari Zuniga stood as a man amongst boys. The coaches have been vocal about Zuniga’s potential since arriving in Gainesville.

The consensus has been that he is a monster talent but needs to work on stringing excellent reps together. On Saturday, it appeared that he has received the message. Zuniga terrorized K.J. Carta-Samuels and anyone else who had the misfortune of getting in his way.

On the day, Zuniga amassed 2.5 sacks for a loss of 25 yards, a QB hurry, and five tackles. Zuniga was also there to assist on a pair of tackles for loss.

His performance was good enough to earn him SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. Zuniga and the Gators defense will travel to Knoxville this weekend where they will attempt to shut down the Volunteers offense. Florida has won 13 of the last 14 meetings with Tennessee.
FB: Gators roll past Colorado State 48-10

September 15, 2018

Final: Florida 48, Colorado State 10

1st Quarter: Gators 6 Colorado State 0

Gainesville, FL- After a humbling loss at home last week, many wondered how the Gators would respond to adversity. Head coach Dan Mullen seemed pleased with the team’s approach to improving in practice this week for the most part and many players claimed that it was the most intense week of practice that they’ve experienced yet. Tonight was their first opportunity to display the fruits of their efforts.
After missing tackle after tackle last week and being bullied in the trenches, the Gators looked as though they took it personally. There is still much work to be done with this team but they showed marked improvement over last week as they imposed their will over Colorado State.
This game was originally set as a condition of Jim McElwain‘s buyout and cost the university $2 million. For what it’s worth, the Gators got their money’s worth as the Gators put on a show.
It wasn’t perfect but with every play the Gators are getting a little closer to the team that Mullen expects them to be. After a three and out to open the game, Florida’s defense returned the favor, forcing a punt. A bad snap led to a fumble and the Gators would take possession on the Rams 12 yard line.
After a couple of miscues and self inflicted wounds, the Gators would have to settle for an Evan McPherson field goal.
Colorado State, brought with them a passing offense that was ranked 10th in the nation and the ability to strike from anywhere on the field. Florida had their work cut out for them as their secondary has been depleted by injury. None the less, Florida’s defense contained the Rams aerial attack and limited them to their weakest output of the season.
After 12 plays, the Rams were forced to attempt a 52 yard field goal that never had a chance, sailing wide right. Very wide. With that, the Gators went back to work but the offense would leave in a hurry as Feleipe Franks threw his second interception of the season. One play later, the Gators defense forced and recovered a fumble.
The offense still sputtered along and ultimately would settle for another McPherson field goal. This time, he hit from 48 yards out and gave the Gators a 6-0 lead.

Passing Leaders

Florida

Franks: 8/15, 119 YD 2 TD 1 INT

Colorado State

Carta-Samuels: 21/33, 217 YD 1 TD

2nd Quarter: Gators 21 Colorado State 3
After a slow and awkward first quarter, the offense finally began to find its footing.
Franks began the game 0/6 but would complete every attempt he made in the second quarter. On the first possession of the second quarter, Jordan Scarlett would score the first rushing touchdown by a Gators running back of the season.
As the Gators defense continued to oppress the Rams offensive attack, the Gators offense began to hum. Franks would find Freddie Swain for an 18 yard touchdown strike on the very next Gators possession.
After seeing success by the offense and the defense, the special teams decided that they wanted a piece as well. And they were absolutely special tonight. From punting to field goals, the Gators special teams could do no wrong. After the defense, once again shut down CSU, the Gators special teams unit came away with a blocked punt that was recovered in the endzone by Tyrie Cleveland.
Florida had put together a 27-0 lead and seen the Rams miss field goals to right and to the left before they would finally find themselves on the scoreboard. Wyatt Bryan would give the Rams 3 points from 53 yards out, as time expired in the first half.

Receiving Leaders

Florida

Jefferson: 2 REC, 62 YD 1 TD

Swain: 1 REC, 18 YD 1 TD

Colorado State

Williams: 9 REC, 106 YD

McBride: 3 REC, 60 YD 1 TD

Johnson: 5 REC, 43 YD

3rd Quarter: Gators 0 Colorado State 7
After being outdone in all phases of the game during the first half, Colorado State would need to pull off some of their late game heroics. Previously, they rallied from a 37-7 deficit vs Hawaii only to come up just short and just last week, overcame an 18 point Arkansas lead to beat the Razorbacks.
With their first possession out of the halftime break, it looked like they just might tap into that second half magic once again when Carta-Samuels found Trey McBride for a 48 yard touchdown. With the lead cut down to 27-10, the remainder of the third quarter was a power struggle going back and forth between the teams.

Rushing Leaders

Florida

Pierce: 5 CAR, 87 YD 17.4 AVG 1 TD

Scarlett: 6 CAR, 56 YD 9.3 AVG 1 TD

Perine: 7 CAR, 37 YD 5.3 AVG

Colorado State

Kinsey: 15 CAR, 79 YD 5.3 AVG

4th Quarter: Gators 21 Colorado State 0
The fourth quarter began with some more special teams fireworks as Freddie Swain returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown. This marked the first time the Gators had returned a punt for touchdown in three years.
The defense got back to work and just 6 plays later, forced another fumble to get the ball back. Carta-Samuels was under heavy pressure for the majority of the night as Jabari Zuniga, Jachai Polite, and even Chauncey Gardner-Johnson took turns putting him (and the ball) on the turf.
With the ball back in his hands, Feleipe Franks threw a dart to Van Jefferson. The 38 yard touchdown strike is Franks’ ninth of the season and the third to Jefferson. Keep in mind, we are three games in and Franks has now matched his season total from a year ago.
With nothing to do but run out the clock, QB Kyle Trask would enter the game on Florida’s next possession but that would be short lived. On the first play, Trask handed the ball to freshman Dameon Pierce who took it 68 yards for another Gators touchdown.
There are still things to work on but for now, the Gators are back in the win column. If they keep improving each week, this can still be a special season.

Team Stats

1st Downs

Florida 14

Colorado State 22

Total Plays

Florida 44

Colorado State 83

Time of Possession

Florida 21:27

Colorado State 38:33

Passing Yards

Florida 119

Colorado State 240

Rushing Yards

Florida 222

Colorado State 70

Penalties-Yards

Florida 8-75

Colorado State 6-33

Total Yards

Florida 341

Colorado State 310

Turnovers

Florida 1

Colorado State 3

East Standings Conference-Overall

Georgia 1-0 3-0

Kentucky 1-0 3-0

Mizzou 0-0 2-0

Vandy 0-0 2-1

Florida 0-1 2-1

South Carolina 0-1 1-1

Tennessee 0-0 2-1

*Some games may still be in progress

Up Next

Florida takes on the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. The game will be broadcast live at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN 2. Be sure to check out the live game threads on the ChompTalk.com Facebook and Twitter accounts too!
FB: Previewing the opponent: Colorado State

September 14, 2018

Photo via Getty Images

Florida vs Colorado State

9.15.18 / 4:00 PM

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

SEC Network

The Rams of Colorado State University will be coming to Gainesville on Saturday to take on the Gators. This will be the first time the two teams have faced each other. Florida scheduled the Rams as a condition of former head coach Jim McElwain‘s contract buyout with CSU. The Rams will earn $2 million dollars for making the trip.

The two schools are on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum after facing very different outcomes last Saturday. This year’s Florida team will go down in history as the first to lose to SEC foe, Kentucky in 31 years. Adding insult to injury, it is the first time Kentucky has defeated Florida in the Swamp since 1979.

Florida had all of their weaknesses exposed in the humbling loss and were manhandled through much of the game. On the flipside, Colorado State picked up their first win of the season as they rallied from an eighteen point deficit to defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks by a final score of 34-27.

At a glance:

Colorado State Rams

Fort Collins, CO

Enrollment: 22,727

2018 Record: 1-2

Head Coach: Mike Bobo

In three games, Colorado State has found themselves in deep deficits every time. After trailing 37-7 against Hawaii in week zero, the Rams powered back and actually had an opportunity to defeat the Rainbow Warriors before eventually falling by a final score of 43-34.

There were no such heroics when they faced in state rival Colorado, however. The Buffalos were in control from the onset as they stampeded to a 45-13 win. Though, each game has yielded different results, there are some key commonalities in each one.

K.J. Carta-Samuels has been a very real threat to opposing defenses. In three outings he is 84/130 for 1,102 yards with 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Add to that receivers, Preston Williams, Olabisi Johnson, and Cameron Butler, and Florida’s depleted secondary will have a very heavy workload Saturday afternoon.

Williams is a transfer from the University of Tennessee and has made a huge impact on the offense this season, racking up 27 Rec, 391 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Johnson is responsible for 17 Rec, 286 yards, and 3 touchdowns, while Cameron Butler added 107 yards on 4 catches against Arkansas.

With such a powerful set of weapons, the Gators can’t afford to take their foot off of the accelerator if they get a lead. The Rams can and will come back strong.

The good news for Florida is that this CSU defense is atrocious, to say the least. Opposing offenses have found the endzone twelve times against a benign Rams defensive unit. The Rams have allowed 894 yards through the air and an additional 763 on the ground.

Florida will need to take advantage of every opportunity that the Rams defense gives them and put up points in wholesale. The defense must show better fundamentals in gap discipline and tackling. Last week, they missed on 20 tackles that resulted in an additional 168 yards for the Wildcats.

Dan Mullen has indicated that he is pleased with the overall response and attitude in practice this week. The team has come in to game preparation with intensity. They will need to keep that focus and resolve through four quarters on Saturday.

If Florida comes out angry and focused on being more physical than their opponent, then there’s a good chance we will see a win this weekend. If they allow Colorado State to believe that they can compete with them, it could be a long afternoon.

Florida is currently a 19-point favorite over Colorado State. Kickoff will be at 4 p.m. EST. Game coverage will be broadcast live from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the SEC Network. Don’t forget to check out the live game threads on the ChompTalk.com’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
VB: #11 Gators Top Florida State in 4 Sets

September 12, 2018

Photo via Chomp Talk

The No. 11 Florida volleyball team can add another win to its tally after topping the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee.

Breakdown

The Gators nabbed the first two sets, winning 25-22 both times. Unfortunately, the Noles took the third set, 25-16. But, Florida was able to hit back in the fourth, going 25-19 and taking the match with them.

Florida hit a .212 clip, but forced Florida State into committing a whopping 26 hitting errors.

Freshman Thayer Hall‘s 12 kills led the team for the fifth time this season. Hall tops the NCAA freshman leaderboard in kills (3.73) and points (4.11) per set. Junior Rachael Kramer made seven blocks, contributing to the Gators’ season-high of 14.

The Gators are now 41-20 all-time against the Noles.

Up Next

Florida will host the Honda of Gainesville Gator Invitational Friday September 14th. Jacksonville, FIU, and Army are making the trip to the Swamp for the invitational.
FB: Recapping Dan Mullen’s Monday press conference

September 10, 2018

Photo via Getty Images

Gainesville, FL – Florida held its weekly press conference this afternoon. Head coach Dan Mullen started the briefing with an update on the team’s injuries.

Star cornerback Marco Wilson suffered a torn ACL in Saturday night’s loss to Kentucky and will miss the remainder of the season. This is a big loss in an already thin secondary. OLB David Reese and DB’s C.J. McWilliams and Shawn Davis are all listed as hopeful for this weekend’s clash with Colorado State.

After rallying from deep deficits in each of there previous games, Colorado State will present an interesting challenge for the Gators. One that was recognized by Mullen.

“Interesting in how they play.” Mullen, said. “Obviously, they have some very good skill players, offensively that can put up big numbers. Quarterback, receiver, transfer guys that are probably pretty highly rated recruits. Four or five star type recruits.”

After being beaten in multiple phases of play and being manhandled in general by Kentucky, Mullen spoke on the performance and the process of changing the program’s culture.

“Change takes time. Change is uncomfortable for people. If you don’t like how things are, you’ve gotta change.” stated Mullen. “However you want to change, it’s uncomfortable ’cause you’re kind of used to this way and, ‘I’m used to it and I can’t do it how I’m used to doing it.’”

In each of the past two weeks, the Gators have given up massive yardage after first contact. Mullen noted that Kentucky benefited from 20 missed tackles by the Gators defense, gaining an additional 168 yards after contact.

“Everybody in the world’s got problems, successful people have solutions.”

-Gators head coach Dan Mullen

“We’ve gotta become more physical of a football team. The only place that’s gonna happen is on the practice field. In your demeanor and your attitude to how you practice.” Mullen, said. “Everybody in the world’s got problems. Successful people have solutions. Our guys, we’ve gotta go out on the field today and find the solution to fix our problem.

When asked about the progression for a program to adapt to the physicality that is necessary for success, Mullen suggested that the scout teams are crucial to that.

“When we split up on scout teams, our defense, I gotta be like, ‘Whoa! These are our own guys. Be careful.’ We can’t be hitting guys this hard. You know, just wrap ’em up and keep ’em up. Let’s not be laying everybody out.” he, added. “The offensive line with a nastiness, just trying to maul people. When I gotta say, ‘Whoa!’ instead of ‘Sic ’em’ we’ll be in much better shape.”

On the Adarius Lemons transfer decision, Mullen simply said, “We’ll wish him the best. We’ll sign his release for him to go wherever he wants to go and support him however he does.”

Florida will take on the Colorado State Rams this Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will be televised live from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the SEC Network.

*Check back Friday for a preview of Florida’s bout with Colorado State.
VB: Recapping Florida’s weekend at the Lumberjack Invitational

September 9, 2018

Florida volleyball is now 5-3 after taking part in the Lumberjack Invitational. The Gators played a total of three matches, which ended in a sweep, a loss, and a win.

CSUN (W 3-0)

The Gators’ first match was an easy one. The score breakdown for each set was 25-12, 25-18, and 25-12.

Florida posted an overall clip of .409, a season-high, while holding the Matadors to just .025 percent.

Superstar freshman Thayer Hall and UNC transfer Holly Carlton notched seven kills apiece, with junior Rachael Kramer and freshman Haley Warner making six each. Kramer also blocked five Matador efforts.

Coach Mary Wise was pleased with her team by the end of the night, saying, “In a match where we have the size advantage, the stat line we would hope to see show up is blocks and it did today. This was one of our better blocking performances this early in the season.”

Northern Arizona (L 3-2)

In a more surprising game, Florida dropped its third match of the season against Northern Arizona in five sets. The Lumberjacks hosted the invitational and did not let the Gators get away.

The score breakdown was 25-19 (NA), 25-22 (UF), 25-20 (NA), 25-20 (UF), and 15-13 (NA).

This is the team’s first loss to an unranked team all season. However, Florida’s usual suspects filled their stat sheets. Carlton, Hall, and Kramer posted 19, 17, and 17 kills, respectively, with Kramer also making six blocks. Redshirt senior Allie Monserez dished out a season-best 47 assists and freshman Allie Gregory finished with a career-high 22 digs.

The shocking win moved Northern Arizona to a 7-2 record, while the Gators dropped to 4-3.

Southern Illinois (W 3-1)

The final match at the Lumberjack Invitational was a positive one for the Gators, coming up with a four-set win over Southern Illinois.

After falling 25-17 in the first set, Florida came back swinging winning the next three sets 25-12, 25-10 and 25-16.

Kramer and Hall had the most amount of kills with 17 and 12, respectively. Kramer once again had six blocks. To top off her night, Kramer posted a season high .636 hitting mark.

Looking Ahead

The two wins and one loss set Florida’s overall record at 5-3 heading into Wednesday’s matchup at Florida State. The Seminoles are currently 5-4, with a 4-0 record at home.