Florida Volleyball: A Night of Streaks, And A Milestone Win

The sixth ranked Florida volleyball team swept Georgia on Wednesday night in Athens for coach Mary Wise’s 400th SEC win.  The Gators got their fifth straight sweep and ninth consecutive victory.  The win also takes Florida (21-2, 11-1 SEC) into first place atop the SEC standings.

Florida’s strong offensive performance and stellar play behind the service line led the Gators to swift victories in the first two sets (25-18, 25-12).  However, the night was not without drama.  The Bulldogs bounced back for a competitive third set with the largest Florida lead only being by four points.  The set ended with a double challenge call from each head coach, but Wise was confident Carli Snyder had the save.  The challenge was ruled in favor of the Gators and Florida took the third set 25-20.

Overall, Florida played with a balanced effort.  One key difference-maker…Chanelle Hargreaves. Wise says Hargreaves’ service talent helped the Gators sweep the Bulldogs.  Adding to Hargreaves’ pair of aces,  fellow freshman Allie Gregory also served up two of her own. Junior All American middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan and junior outside hitter Carli Snyder led the Gators with 13 points apiece, and standout libero Caroline Knope held down the back row with 22 digs, the highest total in a three-set SEC match this season.  Also notable, senior Alex Holston served up nine kills without a single error in the match.  Wise says Holston’s ability to play at a high level without errors is evidence she’s an All Star player.

Next up, the Gators hit the road to Mississippi State for another SEC match up.  Florida is 10-0 on the road this season and hopes to keep a clean record against the Bulldogs (12-12, 4-6 SEC).  Tune in Sunday at 12 on ESPN Gainesville 95.3 FM for the call.

#Gators SWEEP!!! We're all alone atop the SEC standings!

And that's career SEC win No. 4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ for @GatorMary!! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/amH0y06fgJ

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) November 3, 2016