Gators Secure Sunday Sweep vs. Arkansas

In a season of ups and downs, the Florida Gators looked to keep momentum in conference play with a second straight victory.

After beating Oklahoma last Wednesday, Gators volleyball started their three-game road trip with a win against Arkansas, 25-16, 25-22, 25-20.

The Gators entered Sunday match looking for their seventh conference win of the year and they took care of business.

Led by the duo of Jordyn Byrd, with a team-high 16 kills in the match, and Jaela Auguste, with 12 kills of her own, the Gators (12-7, 7-3 SEC) cruised over the Razorbacks (5-16, 1-9 SEC) in a sweep.

Ryan Theis’ team came in hot and had 17 team kills in the first set alone. The Gators took control of the set, holding Arkansas to a game low .054 hitting percentage. They took care of the Razorbacks in short order, securing the set win 25-16.

Focused on maintaining the offensive flow, Alexis Stucky had a team-leading 44 assists in the match. She helped contribute to the team’s 18 total assists in the second set. The Razorbacks put up a battle in the second set with 13 ties, yet Theis’ team was able to pull away and get the set win, 25-22.

“A lot of kills … they are making us kill it,” Theis told ESPN after the first two sets.

Through two sets the Gators had 37 kills, a .325 hitting percentage and .69 sideout percent.

Heading into the third set, the Gators were seeking their first sweep since Sept. 7 against Ohio State.

The effort started at the service line, as the Gators had zero service errors in the third set. With a great defensive effort with five blocks in the set and a 4-0 run to close out the match, the Gators won the set 25-20.

The Gators continue on the second game of a three-game road trip this Friday. They had to Athens  to face SEC foe Georgia (14-6, 6-4 SEC) at 7 p.m. Catch that game live on SEC Network +.

Category: Gators Volleyball, NCAA, SEC, Volleyball