No. 5 Florida falls 3-1 to No. 20 Stanford

The Florida volleyball team had a tough matchup on Tuesday, falling 3-1 to No. 20 Stanford on the road. T’ara Ceasar led Florida offensively with 13 kills, and Marlie Monserez added a team-high 21 digs. Florida is currently 3-1 for the season and will host 10th ranked Minnesota this Sunday.

Recap

Florida and Stanford traded points in the first set, with neither team holding more than a one-point lead. The Gators pulled ahead 10-8 but fell just short to Stanford with a score of 26-24. Florida hit .229 in the first frame, led by four kills from Ceasar.

Stanford continued its dominance, jumping out to a 12-4 lead in the second set. The Gators continued to battle, pulling to within six at the 18-12 mark. However, the Cardinal closed out the second set, 25-18, extended their lead 2-0. Ceasar posted a team-high five kills in the second frame.

Florida fought back in the third set, leading 6-1 but the Cardinal knotted the set at 8-8; but the Gators pulled through at the end, winning the third set 25-17.

Florida had momentum going into the fourth set, but Stanford was able to close out the match, winning the fourth set 25-23.

Final from Stanford. #GoGators pic.twitter.com/kcMLqvNC2B

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) September 1, 2021

Notables on Florida

Three Gators registered double-digit kills on Tuesday. T’ara Ceasar led Florida offensively with 13 kills, and Merritt Beason added a career-high 12. Thayer Hall posted 11 kills in the match.

Marlie Monserez recorded her first double-double of the year with 41 assists and 21 digs. With her 41 assists, Monserez inches closer to breaking into UF’s Top-10. She currently sits at 2,635 career assists, just 36 short of claiming the number 10 spot.

The Gators recorded 11.5 blocks as a team, led by a season-best seven from Lauren Dooley. Beason and Monserez added four blocks each at the net, while Lauren Forte posted two blocks.

Looking Ahead

On Sunday, the Gators open the home portion of the 2021 season, facing off against the 10th ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers. Coverage of the game can be heard here on ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF starting at 1:40pm