Gators Volleyball Starts Conference Play with Ease

Not even SEC play can slow down Gators volleyball.

The No. 8 Gators swept the Oklahoma Sooners 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-19) in the SEC opener Sunday in Norman, Okla. Florida (10-1, 1-0 SEC) is now 40-3 all-time in conference openers. The Gators also extend their win streak to eight and sweeps this season to six. 

The match started as anyone’s game, with 14 ties and seven lead changes. Despite the back-and-forth, Florida finished the set with an efficient offensive performance, hitting .481. The team’s best set was the final one, hitting .531 to finish the match.

When Florida has a great offensive showing, you can bet Kamryn Chaney had something to do with it – and she did again. She put up 15 kills on 24 attempts, her second-most efficient game since Florida beat then No. 20 Baylor. Chaney also served Florida’s only ace of the match.

Three Gators scored double-digit kills, including Alec Rothe (12) and last week’s SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week Logan King. With 11 kills and six blocks, solo and assisted, she played a balanced game on both sides of the court. 

The Gators once again held their opponents to below-average percentages, limiting the Sooners (7-3, 0-1) to just .111 the first set. Oklahoma averaged .174 for the match.

Sunday’s defensive performance further solidified Florida as the SEC’s top-rated defense, with the team averaging 2.80 blocks per game and holding opponents to a .157 hitting percentage.

King led the team in blocks, followed closely by Rothe, who added five assisted blocks. Lily Hayes, Taylor Parks and Bella Lee also contributed on the defensive end, diving for 12, 9 and 8 digs, respectively. 

The Sooners did not go down without a fight. Each set stayed competitive, with Oklahoma within three points of Florida until the final set, when the Gators held an eight-point lead at one point.

Florida is back in Gainesville to take on its toughest opponent in weeks: No. 13 Tennessee. The Vols bring SEC-honored players to the match, including two-time SEC Setter of the Week Caroline Kerr and two-time SEC Freshman of the Week Jolene Oddo.

In addition to a stacked roster, Tennessee upset No. 9 Penn State in four sets earlier this season. If any team can surprise Florida in the SEC, it is the Vols.

The fate of the Gators’ eight-game win streak is Friday, starting at 7 p.m.

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Volleyball, SEC