Florida’s AC Fitzpatrick (0) hits the ball during the Tuesday volleyball match against the Florida State Seminoles at the O’Connell Center. [Gabriel Velasquez Neira/WRUF]

No. 20 Gators Set To Face Auburn On Road

No. 20 Florida Gators volleyball is gearing up for an SEC clash against Auburn Wednesday night at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. on the SEC Network.

Florida enters at 19-5 overall and 10-3 in SEC play. Auburn comes in at 14-10 and 4-9.

Florida’s Last Match

The Gators extended their winning streak to eight matches with a hard-fought victory against Missouri last Friday, snapping the Tigers’ nine-match win streak. Sophomore Kennedy Martin led the charge with a Florida program record of 32 kills in the five-set thriller. Martin’s offensive performance was remarkable, as she hit .450 while committing only five errors on 60 attempts.

Fifth-year libero Elli McKissock also made history, becoming just the second player in program history to surpass 2,000 career digs. 

Redshirt senior Isabel Martin added 12 kills, while freshman Jaela Auguste contributed nine with an impressive .412 hitting percentage. Florida recorded 66 kills, with AC Fitzpatrick, Amaya Thomas, Alexis Stucky and Alec Rothe all chipping in.

Auburn’s Last Match

In their last outing, the Tigers fell to No. 14 Texas in a challenging matchup. Junior Madison Scheer delivered a standout performance with 14 kills, while Alexis Dacosta and Kalei Edson anchored the back row with four digs apiece. Senior Fallan Lanham contributed 10 digs, her best effort since the season opener, and Bel Zimmerman served her first ace of the season.

Despite strong individual efforts, the Tigers struggled to contain the Longhorns’ high-powered offense, which hit over .300 in the opening set and controlled the pace throughout.

Recent Meeting Recap

The Gators and Tigers last faced off Nov. 8 in Gainesville, where Florida secured a dominant three-set sweep. Freshman setter Taylor Parks orchestrated the offense with 34 assists, guiding the Gators to a .427 hitting percentage.

Kennedy Martin continued her stellar season, notching 20 kills — her fourth consecutive match with 20 or more. Auguste and Fitzpatrick, a fifth-year outside hitter, added seven kills each, while Rothe, Isabel Martin and Parks combined for 10 more. Defensively, McKissock recorded 11 digs, marking her eighth straight match in double digits. Emily Canaan and K. Martin each added eight digs, while Isi Martin tallied six.

Road Success

Florida has been a force on the road this season, boasting a 7-1 record in away matches, including a perfect 5-0 in SEC play. The Gators are averaging 12.94 kills, 12.13 assists and 11 digs per set in their eight road contests.

Florida posted a .367 hitting percentage in a dominant win at LSU on Oct. 20, their highest mark on the road this season. The Gators have tallied two sweeps and two five-set victories in their five SEC road wins.

About Lexi Skolnick

My name is Lexi Skolnick and I am a PR major at the University of Florida. I'm currently in my second year and I'm taking the Intro to ESPN Gainesville course. I enjoy watching and writing about sports and I hope to grow as a sports writer!!

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