Florida Volleyball Hosts Tennessee For Dig Pink Match

The No. 24 Florida Gators volleyball team faces the Tennessee Volunteers at 7 tonight in the O’Connell Center.

Gator Dominance

After winning both matches on the road last week, the Gators (13-5, 4-3 SEC) return home. Over the two matches, they limited opponents to a .126 hitting percentage, defeating Texas A&M (14-4) and LSU (11-7) in three sets each.

Florida has dominated Tennessee (10-7, 3-4) with a 53-13 series record. Tennessee won last year 3-2 in Gainesville.

The American Volleyball Coaches’ Association has ranked Florida as a Top-25 team for 526 consecutive week and they have never dropped from the Top-25 for nine consecutive seasons.

https://twitter.com/GatorsVB/status/1849814966724968572

Greater Cause

This particular match stands for a much greater cause. Dig Pink, an organization dedicated to raising funds for research and revolutionizing breast cancer treatments, is being honored.

Gators volleyball social media team released a tribute video in which the players talk about a special person and dedicate their game to them in honor of Dig Pink.

Many players had emotional and heartfelt messages as they shared their own personal experiences with breast cancer, others discussed their role models.

https://twitter.com/GatorsVB/status/1849611359266189452

Missing Player

The Florida players will display a new dynamic for the first time. Senior middle blocker Gabrielle Essix announced Thursday she will sit out the rest of the season after suffering an undisclosed season-ending injury that will require surgery.

Essix has appeared in 72 games for UF.

Game Coverage

The SEC match is scheduled to air at 6:45 p.m on ESPN 98.1-FM and 850-AM WRUF. Pink tumblers will be given to the first 1,000 fans who enter through Gates 1 or 3.