The No.
13 University of Florida volleyball team (8-2, 2-0 SEC) looked like a team on a
mission Sunday, as the Gators swept the No. 24 Kentucky Wildcats (6-5, 0-1 SEC),
3-0 (25-21, 25-14, 25-18), in front of a crowd of 1,898 at Memorial Coliseum.
Florida’s
veteran hitters led the way offensively on Sunday, as seniors Betsy Smith (Atlanta,
Ga.) and Tangerine Wiggs (Seattle, Wash.) each notched 10 kills on the
afternoon, hitting .444 and .556, respectively. Junior middle blocker Chloe
Mann (Gainesville, Fla.) led all players with a match-high 12 kills against
the ‘Cats, hitting a match-high .579 to go along with three blocks.
Florida’s
freshman hitting duo of Gabby Mallette (Orange Park, Fla.) and Živa
Recek (Kočevje, Slovenia) combined for 10 kills and four blocks
against Kentucky, while junior setter Taylor Brauneis (Crystal Lake,
Ill.) dished out 36 assists on Sunday. Brauneis directed the Gators to a .376
hitting percentage, marking the eighth match of 2012 where the Gators hit above
.300.
Defense
was a major theme for Sunday’s match, as sophomore libero Taylor Unroe (Muncie,
Ind.) had one of the best matches of her career, tallying 17 digs (5.67/set) and
registering a perfect serve receive percentage for the ninth match this season.
The
match marks the 1,000th match played in Florida volleyball history and the
Gators hold an 823-177 record all-time since the reinstatement of the program
in 1984. Sunday’s sweep is the first 3-0 victory on the road over the Wildcats
since November 11, 2007.
The
Gators held the Wildcats to a .150 hitting clip, their lowest hitting
percentage against Florida since Sep. 17, 2010. UK, leading the SEC in blocks
prior to Sunday’s match (2.89/set), tallied just 2.0 blocks on the afternoon
while UF stuffed 8.0 blocks.
Florida
jumped out to a 6-1 lead, using scrappy defense and great serve receive to
score points in transition. Kentucky called timeout after Recek slammed one
through the seam of the Wildcat block with Florida ahead, 9-3. The Wildcats
jumped out to a 4-0 run after the timeout to pull within two, 10-8. A
Recek-Smith stuff block and a smartly-placed tip by Recek put Florida up,
16-12.
A
Mallette kill off the block widened the gap to put the Gators ahead, 19-15, forcing
a Wildcat timeout. A solo stuff for Mallette continued the Florida momentum as
the Orange and Blue pulled away, 21-16. A Recek slam down the line set up set point
at 24-21 and Smith re-directed an errant free ball for a kill to take the set,
25-20.
The
teams traded points to open the second stanza, with an Unroe ace putting
Florida ahead, 4-2. A tip behind the block by Smith forced a Wildcat timeout
with the Gators ahead, 10-5. The Orange and Blue kept the five-point advantage
throughout the middle of the set, with a kill by Wiggs in transition forcing a
Kentucky timeout at 16-10.
A Wiggs
kill off the X play furthered the Florida lead, 17-12, and two solo blocks by
Recek put Florida within three points of the set at 22-12. A Kentucky hitting
error set up set point at 24-13 and a Smith kill off the slide gave the Gators
the two-set lead, 25-14.
The
third stanza was tight from the outset, but smart setting choices by Brauneis
split the Kentucky block early in the third, as Florida began to pull ahead at
9-7. The Wildcats were ready to roll over just yet, and a 3-0 run by UK,
including back-to-back blocks, knotted the set at 10-10 and forced a Florida
timeout. The sides continued to battle and back-to-back defensive displays by
Unroe kept the momentum on the Gators’ side, as Kentucky called timeout, UK down
17-15.
Mallette
cut inside the Wildcat block to get the Gators to the double-decade mark at
20-18. Mann killed the overpass to spark a Florida run and force Kentucky to
burn its final timeout, with the Gators leading, 21-18. Another Mann overpass
slam continued the Gator momentum and the Gainesville native put down a solo
stuff to put Brauneis on the service line at 23-18. The junior setter aced the ‘Cats
and Mann slammed one home to put away the set and the match, 25-18.
This is
the Gators’ first win over a ranked opponent this season and Florida is 106-82
all-time against ranked opponents.
