Florida Volleyball Bests State Rival UCF On Senior Day

Kennedy Martin is pretty good at physics. When the Gator hits the ball, it’s only moments before it hits the court, often at a steep angle.

The sophomore showed off her scientific knowledge and physical skill against UCF, leading the Gators with 29 kills on a .510 hitting percentage. Florida volleyball bested the state rival on Senior Day 25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 25-16, extending their win streak to 10.

Staring Seniors

The Gators (21-5, 11-3 SEC) honored six seniors during the Saturday matinee at the O’Connell Center. Two of those seniors starred against UCF (9-16, 2-13 Big 12)

Isabel Martin, a UNLV transfer and one of Florida’s starting outside hitters, put up her 14th double-digit-kill performance of the season, recording 11 kills on 37 attempts. She also recorded 10 digs, her second-highest total in that category this season. In the three sets UF won, Isabel Martin was a consistent force from the outside.

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Senior libero Elli McKissock, a staple of Florida’s lineup for the past five years, turned in another strong performance. In what could be the last home match of a 141-match career, McKissock was her usual self—everywhere on defense.  She recorded a team-leading 20 digs, along with two aces.

An Errorless Approach

After struggling with errors early in the season, the Gators have turned a new leaf. During the 10-match win streak, the Gators have been vastly more efficient.

Florida faced challenges on the defensive end to begin the year. That isn’t the case anymore. UF was constantly in the right place on the defensive end, much to the credit of McKissock’s leadership. The Gators only committed three serve-receive errors.

UF has also shored up its block recently. The Gators had six blocks against UCF, bringing them to 24 over the last three games — their largest three-match total this year. Freshman middle blocker Jaela Auguste led Florida. She recorded five block assists and five kills with one error en route to a .400 hitting percentage.

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Auguste wasn’t the only freshman to get into the action. Outside hitter Lauren Harden recorded six kills in her first college start, notching zero errors. Florida’s freshmen combined for six total errors, a far cry from its early-season woes.

What’s Next

Florida will next travel to Columbia to face South Carolina (15-9, 6-7). UF’s last loss came against South Carolina on Oct. 13, as the Gamecocks upset the Gators in Gainesville, winning 3-0. This time, Florida will hit the road for the 2 p.m. ET Thanksgiving eve matchup, which SEC Network+ will broadcast.