Gators down No. 5 Golden Gophers in straight sets

square score

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The eighth-ranked Florida volleyball team continued its hot streak Sunday afternoon, topping No. 5 Minnesota in straight sets.

The Gators are starting 4-0 for the 17th time in program history, marking the first time three of their four wins have been against top ten opponents (No. 2 Stanford, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 8 Penn State).

This is also the first time in program history that Florida has defeated two top 5 teams in the same week.

Florida won the first frame 25-22 to take a lead in the match, then won the second frame 25-18. The Gators secured victory with a close 25-23 victory in the final frame.

Kennedy Martin He recorded a team-high 15 kills in the game, followed by eight Anna Dixon. AC Fitzpatrick And Sofia Victoria Each of them scored seven dead left.

Alexis Stockey He made 32 assists in the win, followed by seven assists Eli McKissock in triple.

As a team, Florida held Minnesota to a 0.147 average, scoring 5.0 blocks. Gabriel EssexVictoria and Dixon each scored two team-high blocks to the net.

McKissock led the backcourt defense with 15 holes, followed by Trinity Adams her career high is 12. Stuckey added 11 points a game, good for her second double-double of the year, while Martin (7) and Emily Kanaan (6) combined for 13.

The Gators return to action for the Gators Invitational, running Thursday, September 7 through Saturday, September 9. Florida welcomes Sacramento, Clemson and Winthrop to the three-day tournament.

records
No. 8 Florida (4-0)
#5 Minnesota (2-2)

how did that happen

• With the first set tied at 7 points early on, the Gators used a 5-0 lead behind serve Anna Dixon To go ahead 12-7. Florida continued to build its lead, taking a seven-point lead at the 21-14 mark. Minnesota cruised to tie the game at 1 point at 21-20, but UF used the 2-0 half to regain momentum. The Gators finished the frame with a 25-22 win to take a 1-0 lead.
• The second set was again close at first, but Florida pulled away 4-0 to take an 11-7 lead. The Gators kept the Golden Gophers at arm’s length throughout the remainder of the group, going up seven counts. Florida cruised to victory 25-18 to take a 2-0 lead in the game.

  • Florida batted . 273 in the second set, led by three kills from three different Gators: Fitzpatrick, Dixon, Victoria.

• Florida took control of the third set early and took a seven-point lead, 14-7. The momentum belonged to UF throughout the middle of the set, but the Golden Gophers fell back to just a three-point deficit at 18-15 to force a Florida timeout. After that break, the Gators once again found themselves up by five points, this time at the 22-17 mark and finished with a 25-22 win to remain undefeated.

  • The Gators batted . 267 in the final frame, led by Martin with eight kills.

Notables

• Trinity Adams He scored a career high 12 holes in the match
• Alexis Stockey She posted her second double-double of the season with 32 assists and 11 holes
• The Gators went 4-0 to start the season for the 17th time in program history

  • This is the first time in program history that three of the four wins have been against top-10 opponents

• This marked the first time in program history that the Gators swept two top 5 teams in the same week
• Florida improved to 3-6 all-time against Minnesota
• The Gators defeated the Golden Gophers 2-1 in three-set matches
• Florida is now 3-2 against Minnesota in Gainesville, Florida.
• UF is now 2-0 in three games during the 2023 campaign

Thoughts from the wise coach

• “The crowd was so inspiring today and that’s exactly what a home crowd can do for a team. When Minnesota was doing the rounds, we heard the energy and she wanted this team to go to another level.”

the next

• The Gators are back in action for the Gators Invitational, which will take place from Thursday, September 7th to Saturday, September 9th.
• Florida welcomes Sacramento State, Clemson and Winthrop to the three-day tournament

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