The No. 16 Gators welcome North Texas and Buffalo this weekend to Gainesville for a Friday and Sunday matchup (UF Release)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The No. 16 Florida volleyball team concludes nonconference play at home this weekend, hosting North Texas on Friday and Buffalo on Sunday inside the Stephen O'Connell Center.
Friday's 7 p.m. matchup between the North Texas Mean Green will air on SEC Network+ with Tom Collett and Nick Cheronis on the call. Fans can also listen to ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF with Sky Lebron and Darielle King, or follow @GatorsVB on socials for match updates.
First serve for Sunday's matchup against the Bulls is set for 3 p.m. Fans who are unable to attend can watch on SEC Network with Sam Gore and Madison Fitzpatrick, or listen to Tom Collett and Nick Cheronis on ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF radio. Additionally, those not in attendance can follow via live stats or follow @GatorsVB on socials for match updates.
The Gators are coming off a 3-2 comeback win against in-state rival No. 18 Florida State on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Senior Gabrielle Essix had a career-high 16 kills in her 2024 season debut and sophomore All-American Kennedy Martin tallied 15 in her welcome-back match.
Volleyball fans are also welcome to attend Saturday's matchup against North Texas and Buffalo at 5 p.m. inside the O'Dome.
Volleyball Parking
* Stephen C. O'Connell Center Address: 250 Gale Lemerand Drive Gainesville, FL 32611. Use this address, or type in O'Connell Center into your GPS system.
* General Parking is available in the main O'Connell Center lot and garage on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parking is also available on Fraternity Row, or at the Fredric G. Levin College of Law. DO NOT PARK on or in city streets or neighborhoods.
* Disabled parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the O'Connell Center lot with a valid Disabled Placard.
T-Shirt Giveaway
* Students: Arrive early to Friday's match for a free Dry-Fit Florida Volleyball T-shirt!
Match Notes Preview:
* Previously from Florida Volleyball...
* After trailing 1-2, the No. 16 Florida volleyball team tallied their first ranked win of the season, fighting their way back from a 1-2 deficit to defend their home court and beat No. 18 Florida State 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 15-6) on Sept. 17. Florida improved to 46-21 (39-7 under Wise) in the all-time series record against the Seminoles.
* POY Watch for Martin Duo
* Isabel Martin and Kennedy Martin were named to AVCA's 2024 Division I Player of the Year Award Watch List presented by Nike Volleyball on Sept. 18. The sophomore was a 2023 2nd Team All-American, while the redshirt senior earned 2023 Honorable Mention. The pair is part of the inaugural list that includes 36 players from 21 schools The 2024 AVCA Player of the Year will be announced on Friday, Dec. 20, in Louisville, Ky., during the AVCA Convention.
* Attack Efficiency
* Through nine matches in 2024, the Gators sit at a .313 clip in kill percentage, good for the highest total in the SEC and fifth-highest total in the NCAA. Florida has hit above .290 six times this season and recorded their highest hitting percentage of .456 against Alabama State on Sept. 12. The percentage marks the highest since 2022, when the Gators hit .521 against Virginia on Aug. 27. Additionally, Florida has totaled five or less attack errors to five or less in 27 of their 34 sets played so far.
* Immediate Impact
* Five of Florida's fresh faces - Jaela Auguste, Erin Engel, Taylor Parks, Isabel Martin and Alec Rothe - have taken no time to adjust to their new environment. Through nine matches, the three freshman and two transfers have contributed 56.79% kills, 87.85% assists, 48.48% aces, 30.38% digs, 66.67% block solos, 60.53% block assists, 62.18% total blocks and 56.58% points to Florida's average stat line.
* GatorAce
* Florida's 16 aces against Alabama State on Sept. 12 ties for second nationally for team aces in a three-set match. The Gators are currently averaging 1.94 aces per set as a team. Taylor Parks leads the team with a 0.53 average to individually rank third in the SEC and 49th in the nation in aces per set.
Scouting Report:
No. 16 Florida vs. North Texas
Date & Time: Sept. 20 | 7 p.m.
Exactech Arena - Gainesville, Fla.
SEC+98.1FM/850AM
Series Information - No. 16 Florida vs. North Texas
Mean Green | 2024 season: 2-7, 0-0 AAC
* This is the first meeting between the Gators and the Mean Green
No. 16 Florida vs. Buffalo
Date & Time: Sept. 22 | 3 p.m.
Exactech Arena - Gainesville, Fla.
SEC Network 98.1FM/850AM
Series Information - No. 16 Florida vs. Buffalo
Bulls | 2024 season: 4-7, 0-0 MAC
* This is the first meeting between the Gators and the Bulls
