Gators Volleyball Team Falls to Aggies

The No. 4 Gators volleyball team lost a five-set nail-biter to Texas A&M on Wednesday night in the Stephen O’Connell Center.

The Gators drop to 10-2 overall and 2-1 the SEC, with both losses coming at home. The Aggies improve to 10-3 and 2-1 in the conference.

 

Battled.

Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/6mEzsoocW0

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) September 28, 2023

Hard-Fought Contest

The match was a battle in every single set. Four of the five sets were determined by two points, with the remaining set only being determined by four points.

There were a total of 29 different tied scores and 13 lead changes in the five sets (24-26, 25-23, 21-25, 26-24, 15-13), the last two won by Texas A&M.

The play was often sloppy for both teams. Each team committed 41 errors, more than eight per set. From the beginning it was clear that the team which could grind out the tough points would come out as the victor.

Defense is Key

The defensive structure of the Aggies proved difficult for the Gators to penetrate all game. Although the Gators finished with 12 blocks compared to the Aggies’ 11.5, the Gators lost in the hitting percentage and digs categories.

Texas A&M outside hitter Caroline Meuth put up 19 digs on the night while libero Ava Underwood showed up with 16 of her own. With the combination of blocks and digs, the Aggies held the Gators to a hitting percentage of  .217.

https://twitter.com/AggieVolleyball/status/1707195804333867174

Gator Bright Spots

Although it was a crushing loss for the Gators, it wasn’t all bad when you look at the overall performance. The errors were the main area of improvement for the Gators, but some individual performances should be applauded.

Setter Kennedy Muff seems to be settling into her starting role. Muff recorded a double-double with a game-high 42 assists coupled with 12 digs.

S3 | ACE for 14!

Gators 11 | Aggies 9#GoGators pic.twitter.com/5DRd9dRR9f

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) September 28, 2023

Middle blockers Anna Dixon and Nnedi Okammor had big nights in front of the net. Dixon came away with six kills and six blocks, while Okammor recorded five blocks of her own.

Florida Heads on the Road

The Gators will travel to South Carolina to continue SEC play, with match time at 2 p.m. Sunday (SEC Network, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF).