Florida Gators outside hitter Kennedy Martin (18), Florida Gators setter Kennedy Muff (14) and Florida Gators defensive specialist Emily Canaan (7) huddle before the game against the FGCU Eagles in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, November 30, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]

Gators Volleyball Swept by Marquette in Ryan Theis’ Homecoming

Friday’s matchup at Marquette doubled as homecoming for first-year Florida coach Ryan Theis. After 11 years at the helm of the Golden Eagles, he returned for the first time since leaving to lead the Gators.

Coming off a thrilling win at home against No. 20 Baylor in five sets, the Gators faced an unranked Marquette and were swept, 25-23, 25-23, and 25-23.

The loss marks the second time the Gators were swept this season after facing the same fate against North Carolina. Florida fell to 2-2 on the road and have an even tougher matchup Sunday against No. 7 Wisconsin in Madison in its last non-conference game of the season.

Friday’s defeat could be blamed on inconsistent offense and a lack of discipline at the service line. The match marked the Gators’ sixth outing with at least eight service errors, and Theis’ team is 3–3 in those games.

They had plenty of opportunities to keep momentum but could not put away the Golden Eagles in a game of runs produced by both teams. The Gators took early leads in the first two sets, but Marquette’s scoring runs killed any momentum.

Jordyn Byrd had her fourth consecutive game in double-digit kills (13), followed by Aniya Madkin with 10.

Category: Gators Volleyball, NCAA, SEC, University of Florida, Volleyball