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Less than a week ago, the Florida volleyball team suffered what could have been a defining loss.
After a challenging beginning to the SEC slate that saw No. 7 Texas and No. 15 Kentucky exit the O’ Dome with wins, Florida set out to get a tone-setting victory over South Carolina. It couldn’t accomplish that feat, allowing the Gamecocks (10-6, 1-4 SEC) to cruise to an unchallenged 3-0 win.
Dropping to five losses on the year, the Florida faithful began to grapple with the possibility the Gators were experiencing an unprecedented season. After all, Florida coach Mary Wise only has eight seasons with more than five losses in her 34-year career.
In UF’s first contest since last Sunday, the Gators put fans’ worries to bed for now in a dominating 25-23, 25-21, 25-20 victory against Texas A&M (12-4, 3-3) Friday night.
How Tables Turn
When the Gators entered College Station, Texas, one thing was nearly definite: they were going to commit errors. Florida (12-5, 3-3) had yet to put up an SEC performance with fewer than 30 errors this season. Often, it would eclipse 20 through attacking errors only.
Surprisingly, the error-prone party wasn’t UF in the late-night SEC match.
Texas A&M, while not particularly heavy in errors before facing Florida, logged 40 against the Gators. That wasn’t entirely the Aggies’ fault.
Florida’s block, which featured two freshmen and had been inconsistent throughout conference play, proved dominant. Finishing the three-set contest with 13 total blocks, seven to the credit of freshman middle hitter Alec Rothe, Florida consistently held the Aggies’ offense in check.
S1 | BLOCKED ‼️
Gators 13 | Aggies 8#GoGators pic.twitter.com/qROBj8SyGh
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 19, 2024
Off the first ball, Texas A&M was no better. The Aggies struggled to consistently serve the ball in the court, committing 12 service errors, while Florida’s serve pressured Texas A&M into six reception errors.
Wise heard the qualms over her team’s sloppy play and answered with the appropriate adjustments.
Impressive Close
After winning the first two sets of the match, Florida had to do something it has struggled with this season: finish the game.
It’s not that the Gators can’t score points—they really can at times—but they often struggle to finish sets and, more importantly, matches strong.
That wasn’t the case Friday night.
Kennedy Martin is killing the game #GoGators | #POTM pic.twitter.com/25B0lcsIoZ
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 19, 2024
Down 18-17 in the third set after a missed serve by freshman setter Taylor Parks, the Gators needed to close. In a run started by All-SEC opposite hitter Kennedy Martin, the Gators concluded the set on an 8-2 run, backed by another Martin kill and ace.
Up Next
Florida will continue its attempt at redefining this season on Sunday, facing LSU (11-6, 3-3) in Baton Rouge. The match is at 1 p.m. and will broadcast on ESPN 2.
