Gators Volleyball Gears Up For Top-25 Showdown At Missouri

No. 21 Florida hopes to extend their winning streak to eight matches while ending No. 25 Missouri’s nine-match streak in an important SEC contest.

Gators On Roll

When the Gators (18-5, 9-3 SEC) lost 3-0 to Texas and South Carolina last month, they dropped to No. 24 in the polls, threatening to drop out of the rankings for the first time in more than a decade.

Those losses may have been what the team needed. Since then, they’ve won seven matches in a row, all in four sets or less.

Led by AVCA Division I Player of the Year semifinalist Kennedy Martin, Florida can take possession of second place in the SEC with a win. Martin ranks second nationally in points per set and third in kills per set and first in the SEC in both categories. She is the only Gator who made the list of 14, as teammate Isabel Martin was dropped from the 36-player initial watchlist.

Martin on a mission

Details » https://t.co/rKgs1keiLV | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/UiMilJkoxC

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) November 14, 2024

The Gators haven’t been coasting on their momentum, either. They set a season high with a .494 hitting percentage in their last game against Alabama, while Martin won her fourth consecutive SEC Offensive Player of the Week award and Alexis Stucky and Jaela Auguste were also awarded weekly SEC honors.

Stucky had 45 assists and five blocks, while Auguste recorded 11 kills. The team only appears to be getting better with time, and will need to continue doing so to defeat a tough opponent in Missouri.

Tigers Looking For Statement

Missouri (18-5, 9-2), led by last season’s SEC Coach of the Year Dawn Sullivan, is undefeated at home this year. The Tigers have an incredibly strong attack, leading the nation in assists and kills per set.

The Tigers also have plenty of momentum, riding a nine-match winning streak, including a recent 3-2 win against defending national champion Texas.

With the Tigers ranked for the first time since 2021, a win against the Gators would make a major statement.

Match Time

The match in Columbia will be played tonight at 8 and will be streamed on SEC Network+.