No. 7 Florida Volleyball Defeats No.19 Texas A&M
No. 7 Florida bounced back from its loss to Vanderbilt last weekend with a top-25 win against No.19 Texas A&M in College Station on Friday.
The Gators (14-2, 5-1 SEC) took down the Aggies 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-17, 25-16) in the third match of a four-match road stretch.
Texas A&M (10-8, 3-3) entered the matchup with an 8-1 record at home, but Florida handed the Aggies their third consecutive loss.
Florida opened the match strong by recording 12 kills on 37 attempts and put up four blocks to help limit Texas A&M’s attack.
The first set was a battle that included five ties and four lead changes before Florida pulled away. Florida thrives on momentum and remained undefeated this season when winning the first set.
Texas A&M responded in the second set by battling back to take the lead. Florida tied the score at 18 before the Aggies pulled away to win the set.
Texas A&M recorded 10 blocks and put pressure on the Gators defense with 19 kills. Outside hitter Kyndal Stowers helped to lead Texas A&M’s offensive effort with 17 kills.
Florida responded in the third by using serving pressure and Logan King’s back-row attacks to regain momentum.
The Gators carried that momentum into the fourth set in jumping to an early 8-4 lead. King continued to pressure the Aggies, as Florida finished with 12 kills on 24 attempts and a .333 hitting percentage.
The Gators added three service aces and three blocks to close out the match.
Florida also benefited from Texas A&M struggles at the service line. The Aggies recorded 11 service errors compared to Florida’s four giving the Gators an advantage.
Alec Rothe entered the match leading the SEC and ranking sixth nationally with a .445 hitting percentage.
She continued to showcase her offensive efficiency against the Aggies, recording the highest hitting percentage of the night at .438 with nine kills. Rothe also contributed defensively at the net with six blocks and a season-high six digs.
Kamryn Chaney also delivered offensively, recording 12 kills to surpass 200 kills on the season. Taylor Parks also made an impact on both sides of the net, recording a career-high six blocks.
The Gators close out the road trip in Austin against against No. 12 Texas (9-6, 5-2) for an 8:30 p.m. contest on ESPN.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Volleyball, SEC
