No. 4 Florida Volleyball to Honor Seniors
No. 4 Florida volleyball will recognize seven standout athletes who have helped define the program in its final regular-season home match at the O’Connell Center today.
Seniors Kamryn Chaney, Aniya Madkin, Kira Hutson, Jordyn Byrd and Bri Denney will be honored prior to Sunday’s 1 p.m. matchup (SEC NEtwork+) against the Georgia Bulldogs (15-7, 7-5 SEC), alongside fifth-year players Emerson Hoyle and Amaya Thomas.
While each senior class is special, this group has achieved something few athletes can claim. They have helped propel the Gators (20-2, 11-1) to No. 4 in the nation, the program’s highest ranking since 2023.
Among the seniors, Chaney has made one of the largest statistical impacts. The outside hitter leads Florida with 270 kills through 22 matches, averaging 3.65 kills per set while hitting .248. Her 270 kills account for more than a fourth of the team’s total kills this season (1,067).
Chaney earned Ivy League Player of the Year honors at Princeton in 2024 before transferring to Vanderbilt and eventually Florida. She reached the 1,000-kill mark Nov. 1 when the Gators beat Arkansas, capping an impressive run across all three programs.
Byrd has also carved out an important role in Florida’s offense. She earned All-SEC Second Team honors in 2025 after recording 425 kills, averaging 3.97 per set. She entered 2026 as a Preseason All-SEC selection and has recorded 78 kills through 21 appearances.
Madkin brings experience from the 2025 campaign, when she ranked among the team’s leaders in kills (246), kills per set (2.80) and points (266). She shined at Arkansas before transferring to Florida and earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2024 after recording 331 kills.
Hutson has contributed as an outside hitter in her 17 appearances, recording nine kills, six service aces and 12 assists. Denney, a setter, joined the team after playing at Baylor, bringing experience from another Power Four program to the Gators’ roster.
Hoyle has appeared in 91 matches since joining Florida in 2022, making her the Gators’ longest-tenured player. Hoyle returned to volleyball this season after recovering from a neurological illness that sidelined her for all of 2025. After missing last year’s Senior Day, she will now have the opportunity to be recognized as she closes out her collegiate career.
Rounding out the group is another fifth-year, Thomas, who made her first appearance for the Gators in 2023 and has since recorded 112 kills and 73 total blocks. Thomas has continued to provide depth at middle blocker throughout her time in Gainesville.
Together, these seven players have made a lasting impact on the program, helping Florida become one of the country’s best. But while Sunday’s matchup against Georgia will mark their final regular-season home celebration, their work together is not yet finished.
As the regular season comes to an end with road matches at Miss State and Alabama, the Gators will then turn their attention to the SEC Tournament at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Ga., starting Nov. 20 and a chance to make one final run, one aimed at bringing a national championship trophy back to Gainesville for the first time.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Volleyball
