Florida Volleyball’s Momentum Halted After No. 3 Kentucky’s Comeback Win
After closely vying for a second straight SEC upset, the Florida Gators (10-7, 5-3 SEC) faltered late to lose to No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats (14-2, 11-0 SEC) in five sets (16-25, 25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 15-6). Outside hitters Eva Hudson and Brooklyn DeLeye combined for 41 of Kentucky’s 57 kills in the victory.
Prior to the match, the NCAA Selection Committee released its initial seeding projections for the NCAA tournament, with UK slotting in as the No. 4 seed. The Wildcats proved exactly why they deserved the prediction after stunting a Florida lead and controlling the final two sets to stave off the Gators. The win extends Kentucky’s undefeated streak in SEC play to 11, tying with Texas for first in the SEC standings.
After the third best team in the nation took set one in dominating fashion, Gators coach Ryan Theis went back to the drawing board. A reinvigorated Florida team took the court following the first year leader’s adjustments after an early set two timeout. UF jumped out to a 15-9 lead in the second set before securing the equalizing set on an Alec Rothe kill.
It was much of the same for the Gators in third, establishing an early 7-2 lead and never dropping the advantage en route to a set three win. That’s when Kentucky shifted its offense into a new gear to alter the course of the match.
After a tie at 15, the Wildcats’ attacking front dialed it up. Kentucky hit for an impressive .364% accuracy in set four to force a deciding fifth. With a chance to leave Lexington with a shocking win in front of 4,394 fans, the Gators were shut down and sent packing. UK created a 4-1 margin and never looked back, forcing four Florida attacking errors and completing the come from behind win.
The Gators played one of their strongest defensive matches of the season, holding the Wildcats to their worst hitting mark at .201% since the start of SEC play. Florida’s disruption at the net played its part in the inaccuracy, notching a season-best 14 blocks as a team.
Middle blocker Alec Rothe was the main contributor for UF, anchoring the defense while boasting offensive efficiency. The sophomore tied career highs with 14 kills and seven blocks, also hitting for a match-best .357%.
The struggles that eventually sunk Florida were on offense, where errors crippled the Gators. Florida’s 36 attacking errors were the highest of any match this season, leading to a season worst .120% hitting percentage. Kentucky stifled outside hitter Jordyn Byrd’s powerful attacks, forcing 11 errors and a career low .105% hitting clip from the Texas transfer.
The loss continues Florida’s struggles on the road, specifically against Kentucky. The Gators continue their road losing streak against Kentucky, notching their last win in straight sets on November 1st, 2017. UF’s road record for the season drops to 3-5 and leaves the Gators 4-4 against AVCA ranked teams.
Florida looks get back on track with a home meeting on Wednesday with Oklahoma (12-6, 4-4 SEC), a team that the Gators have never lost to. First serve is set for 7 p.m. from the O’Dome. Listen live to all Florida Volleyball home matches on 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Volleyball, NCAA, SEC, Volleyball
