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The Florida volleyball team will head to Lawrence, Kansas, later this week for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators earned the sixth seed in the lower left region of the bracket and face North Carolina State in the first round Friday.
WE’RE IN ‼️
The #️⃣6️⃣ Gators are heading to Lawrence, KS!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/gUzfpTd149
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 1, 2024
Looking Back
The Gators hope to turn around their recent play, entering the tournament on a two0match losing streak. Before this dip, the team had won 10-consecutive matches, nine against SEC opponents.
The team finished the regular season 21-7 and third overall in SEC play with an 11-5 record. This tournament appearance will mark 34-consecutive selections for Florida, the third-longest active streak in the country behind Penn State and Nebraska.
https://twitter.com/GatorsVB/status/1863381489359938038
At last year’s tournament, the Gators fell in a five-set heartbreaker to Georgia Tech in the second round. They are 81-33 all-time in the NCAA Tournament under coach Mary Wise.
Season Leaders
Florida will turn to its stars to make a deep run in the tournament. Sophomore Kennedy Martin will be a huge contributor as she led the team in kills with 440. She set the school record for most individual kills in a single-match back in November, recording 32 against Missouri. Martin also made the All-SEC First Team this year.
On 🔝
Kennedy Martin with 32 kills to secure a program record! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/cDHzgXkfjh
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) November 16, 2024
Fifth-year Elli McKissock has played in every match this year as starting Libero, leading the team with 436 digs and 36 service aces. She ranks second in program history for career digs with 2,049. Her veteran presence in the Gators’ backcourt will be essential in the tournament.
Freshman phenoms Jaela Auguste and Taylor Parks will also look to make a splash for the Gators. Both were named to the SEC All-Freshman team and Auguste was awarded SEC Freshman of the Year. Auguste leads the team in blocks with 103 and is fourth in kills with 178. Parks has 794 assists, the most on the team, and matched McKissock for most service aces with 36.
Rookie Recognition ‼️
Jaela Auguste and Taylor Parks named to the SEC All-Freshman Team!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/7DxlVOGCDm
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 1, 2024
First Round Foe
NC State enters the tournament 16-12 and on a two-match win streak. This will be the Wolfpack’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and first under coach Luka Slabe.
They are one of nine ACC teams in this year’s tournament, matching the number of teams from the SEC and Big Ten. NC State is 1-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches, with its only win coming in 2017 against Oregon State.
Match Time and What’s Next
Florida and NC State will serve up the action at 5 p.m. Friday (ESPN+). The winner will play the winner of Friday night’s Kansas (24-4) vs. Colgate (19-10) match in round two Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
