Florida Gators

No. 10 Gator Volleyball Beats No. 18 Wildcats in Three Sets

In the first game of two this weekend, the Florida volleyball team swept the Kentucky Wildcats in three straight sets . The Gators have now won six straight matches and take the lone spot on top of the SEC standings.

The Gators improve to 21-4 on the year and 13-2 in the SEC after winning five straight matches, while Kentucky falls to 17-7 on the year and 12-3 in league play.

Outside hitter Sofia Victoria led the offensive attack for the Gators with 13 kills, followed closely behind by Marina Markova with 11. Merritt Beason and Bre Kelley each added six kills of their own.

Freshman Alexis Stucky had herself a night, dishing out 35 assists and nine digs. Libero Elli McKissock recorded a team-high 15 digs and Emily Canaan added 10. Trinity Adams and Beason each recorded six to help secure the three-set win for the Gators.

Gators Start Off Strong

The Gators and Wildcats battled back and forth with scoring, each team putting up one point after the other. By the first media timeout, Kentucky took a two point lead 13-15. Victoria brought the heat, bringing the score to a tie at 15. The Gators took Victoria’s momentum and turned it into a four-point run, forcing the Wildcats to take their first timeout at 17-15.

The momentum was not lost, as Stucky delivered a huge kill to force Kentucky to take their second timeout at the 21-16 mark. The offense kept a good pace for the rest of the set and won with a score of 25-18.

Kentucky Fights Back, But Can’t Deliver

Florida started the second set very slow, allowing Kentucky to take an early 3-1 lead. The Gators didn’t take long to put their foot on the gas, tying the set up at 6. Markova continued her reign from the first set, forcing the Wildcats to take their first timeout at 10-7. Kentucky came out strong from the timeout, and came close to taking back the lead. Markova made sure that wouldn’t happen, delivering three straight kills to make the score 14-10. Kentucky’s downfall in the second set was their service errors, allowing seven.

The Gators took their first timeout when Kentucky came within one point at 19-18. The set tied at 20, but Florida didn’t slow down. Kentucky took their final timeout with Florida leading the set 22-20 to talk strategy, but it was no use. Florida dominated in the final points, winning the set 25-21.

https://twitter.com/GatorsVB/status/1594088926306000897

Gators Close the Night

Once again, the scoring went back-and-forth at the beginning of the set, tying at six. Kentucky managed to take their first multi-point lead since the beginning of the second set at 7-10. Florida came back up and continued swapping points with the Wildcats until the tied the game back up at 13 points.

Stucky had a phenomenal night, tying her career high in kills, five, during the third set. Kentucky took the lead at 17-19, but the Gators fought back and tied the set at 20. The Gators took back the lead 21-20, keeping the fans on the edge of their seats as they crawled closer to the end of the set.

Finally, McKissock delivered a service ace for the win, only allowing Kentucky to score once in the final points. The final score of the set was 25-21.

Up Next

The Wildcats will return to Exactech Arena Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. for the Gator’s Senior Night, their final home game of the season.

About Cassi Narcus

Check Also

Orange & Blue Sports Network

Catch the student-led broadcasts from the College of Journalism and Communications right here.

LIVE THREAD: National Signing Day

Here’s an updated thread of all the recruits who picked the Gator hat today! RB …

AFC Divisional Round Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

During last weekend’s NFL Wild Card round, the Steelers made a statement by handing the Dolphins a …

Houston Looking For an Upset in Foxborough

The saying has always been “it’s hard to beat a good team twice,” and in …

Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Tonight

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning will be facing each other once …

Possible Additions to McElwain’s Recruiting Class Visiting this Weekend

With National Signing Day less than three weeks away, the Gators are hosting several talented …

Florida Gymnastics Prepares for Season Opener

GAINESVILLE, FL – The Florida Gator gymnastics team will kick off their season this Sunday …

Surprised Gators Promote Randy Shannon To Defensive Coordinator? You Shouldn’t Be

Florida’s head coach, Jim McElwain, announced Friday morning that Randy Shannon would be making the …

Quarterbacks in Spotlight for NFL Wild Card Weekend

The NFL Wild Card kicks off Saturday and the quarterback situations could not be any more different. On …

College Football Playoff Shakes Up Schedule

The College Football Playoff was a success in its first year. Yet, that doesn’t stop …

Michael Jordan Speaks out about Shootings, Police Officers

NBA great Michael Jordan opened up about his thoughts about shootings of African-Americans and the …

Treon Harris to Transfer

With the college football season approaching, the Florida Gators have announced that former starting QB …

USA Basketball Wins Second Exhibition Game

Just a few short days after their big win over Argentina, team USA won its …

Charlotte Is No Longer The Home Of The 2017 NBA All-Star Game

The House Bill 2 came between Charlotte, North Carolina and the 2017 All-Star Game. The …

Tampa Bay Rays Continue Series Against Oakland

The Tampa Bay Rays are continuing their three-game winning streak. The Rays defeated the Oakland …

MLB Preview Tonight

It’s summer time—the best time to go to a baseball game and experience the atmosphere. …

Braves Begin Series With Rockies

The Atlanta Braves (33-62) open up a four-game road series with the Rockies (43-51) tonight …

Marlins To Close Out Series With The Phillies

The Miami Marlins are in the middle of a crucial ten game span against NL East …

Rays Crush Rockies 11-3, Face A’s Next

In the midst of a terrible season that has seen the Tampa Bay Rays (37-57) …

American League Second Half Outlook

The second half of the baseball season is in full swing which translates to? Pennant races. Teams …

National League Evening Preview

Tonight is a busy night for the National League in the MLB. Starting with the …

Big 12 Looks To Expand

Following a Tuesday meeting between Big 12 presidents, Oklahoma president David Boren announced that the …

LSU Looks To Capitalize On Its Opportunity

The Louisiana State University Tigers will enter the 2016 college football season with high expectations, …

Muschamp Helps Close Out SEC Media Days 2016

It wasn’t Will Muschamps first SEC Media Days experience, but 2016 marked the first time …

Phil Mickelson Leads British Open After First Day

The 145th annual 2016 British Open is underway at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. The …

Missouri’s Football Crisis: Rebuilding A Program

On the final day of SEC Media Days, Barry Odom took the stand as Missouri’s head …

Second Half Of MLB Season Begins

The All-Star Break is a good time for teams to rest up and reform themselves …

British Open Underway

The 145th Open Championship is already underway at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Welcome …

Softball

Florida Softball Faces Off Against Mississippi State

The No. 10 Florida Gators softball team is hitting the road to face off against …