Gators Aim to Extend Win Streak in Tampa Tilt vs. USF
The No. 12 Florida Gators (2-1, 0-0 SEC) are set to face the USF Bulls (0-2, 0-0 AAC) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Yuengling Center in Tampa.
The Gators look to avenge last year’s loss at home to the Bulls, losing 3-2 in the O’Dome. Florida leads the all-time series 30-4, with their last win coming in 2023 at the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational in the Yuengling Center, with a 3-2 win.
After dropping their opener to No. 6 Stanford, the Gators have won back-to-back games over then-No. 3 Pittsburgh and Norfolk State. Florida has earned itself the No. 12 ranking in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Week 1 Division I Top-25 Poll under first-year coach Ryan Theis to extend the Gators’ streak of 552 consecutive weeks being ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top-25 poll.
Florida won its home opener Sunday by sweeping the Spartans (25-18, 25-13, 25-12). Outside hitter Jordyn Byrd had a match-high 12 kills as the Gators had a .414 hitting clip with seven other players notching kills. Alec Rothe recorded a career-best .636 hitting clip, racking up seven kills with no errors. Alexis Stucky had 34 assists, while Lily Hayes added four assists herself and a team-high 13 digs.
“It was so exciting, it was so awesome to see so many people come out,” Rothe said after the win. “Especially coming off a Lincoln weekend, that was a big atmosphere for us, and just being back in our hometown with a sea of blue was really cool.”
South Florida started its season off against No. 17 Purdue and Tennessee, dropping both games (3-2 against Purdue and 3-0 against Tennessee).
USF returns seven players from last year’s team that won the 2024 AAC regular-season championship. One of those players is Maria Clara Andrade, the 2024 American Player of the Year. Andrade was named the 2025 Preseason Player of the Year, earning a spot on the Preseason AAC All-Conference Team with freshman Ally Cananaugh.
The Bulls also brought in eight transfers: Addy Brus, the 2024 A10 Conference Rookie of the Year from Saint Louis University, graduate setter Sarah White, who played at Missouri and Ohio State, Samiyah Abdur-Rahim from TCU, Laila Ivey from Maryland, Samiha Foster from West Virginia, Arianna Beckham from Mississippi State, Iyanna Garvin from Hofstra, and Raegan Richardson from Florida Gulf Coast University.
USF coach Jolene Stephenson looks to build off of last year’s momentum that brought her a Coach of the Year award, but faces a tough challenge against the Gators.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Volleyball, NCAA, SEC, USF, Volleyball
