Gators Remain on the Road to Face Ole Miss
Gators Remain on the Road to Face Ole Miss. Florida closes out it’s third-straight road match in Oxford, Mississippi.
OXFORD, Mississippi – The No. 19 Florida Volleyball team (13-4, 5-3 SEC) remains on the road for the third-straight week, traveling to Oxford, Mississippi to take on Ole Miss (8-13, 2-8 SEC) on Wednesday night inside the Gillom Athletic Performance Center. First serve is slated for 7 PM ET on SEC+. Florida is coming off a four-set win against Texas A&M last Friday, while Ole Miss fell in five to Mississippi State on Sunday. The Gators hold a 58-3 series lead over the Rebels, and is 29-3 in Oxford.
LAST TIME OUT
* The No. T17 Florida Volleyball team defeated Texas A&M in four sets on Friday, Oct. 20 inside Reed Arena.
* After a hard-fought first set, UF fell 23-25, but bounced back after winning another tightly-contested second set 25-23. The Gators took a 2-1 match lead after securing a 25-21 win in the third frame, and carried the momentum in the fourth frame as the Gators secured its road match victory with a 25-12 win.
* Senior Sofia Victoria led the offensive attack on the night, posting a team-high 17 kills. Kennedy Martin and AC Fitzpatrick each recorded double-digit kills, tallying 15 and 14, respectively.
* Fifth year setter Kennedy Muff dished out 43 assists, to go along with 10 digs as well as recording one block and one kill, while Elli McKissock added seven assists of her own.
* As a squad, Florida registered a four-set season-high 17.0 blocks and kept the Aggies to a .117 clip. Kennedy Martin and Gabrielle Essix both led the way at the net with 8 blocks. Nnedi Okammor added six in the match, and AC Fitzpatrick added three of her own.
* McKissock (17) and Muff (10) led the backcourt defense for Florida, Trinity Adams recorded nine digs of her own, with Emily Canaan (8) and Martin (6) had a combined 14 digs.
* Florida recorded four aces from behind the service line, led by two from Fitzpatrick. Adams and Muff registered one a piece.
Last time against OLE MISS (2022 SEASON)
* The 12th-ranked Florida volleyball team closed the 2022 regular season with a thrilling five-set victory over the Ole Miss Rebels on November 26.
* Florida was led on the offensive front by Marina Markova, who posted an 18-kill effort on the evening. Merritt Beason and Sofia Victoria each added 13 kills of their own, while Gabrielle Essix pitched in a 12-kill performance.
* Rookie setter Alexis Stucky dished out 53 helpers in the match, leading the team to a .322 clip.
* At the net, Florida registered 12.0 blocks, with Essix posting a team-high six. Bre Kelley and Beason each added four of their own, while Markova registered three on the evening.
* Beason led the backcourt defense for the Gators, finishing the match with 12 digs. Elli McKissock followed with 10, while Stucky tallied nine digs of her own.
* Florida tallied five service aces on Saturday evening, with Stucky recording a team-high two.
GATORS IN THE SEC
* As a team, the Gators are ranked in the Top-5 in the SEC in the following:
* Blocks per set (2nd | 2.57)
* Hitting percentage (3rd | .267)
* Service Aces (4th | 1.71)
* Kills (5th | 12.91)
* Assists per set (5th|12.03)
* Individually, six Gators are ranked in the Top-5 conference:
* Kennedy Martin: Kills per set (6th | 3.90) Pointers per set: (4th | 4.75)
* Gabbi Essix: Blocks per set (5th | 1.26)
* Nnedi Okammor: Blocks per set (8th | 1.14)
* Elli McKissock: Digs per set (8th | 3.46)
* Anna Dixon: Hitting percentage (6th | .363)
* Kennedy Muff: Assists per set (9th | 8.97)
Change in setter role
* Sophomore All-American setter Alexis Stucky succumbed to an injury in the second set against No. 1 Wisconsin on Sept. 17. She was unable to return to the match and is out for the season after an ACL/MCL tear
* Through the season thus far, she had registered 339 assists, 74 digs, 30 kills, 14 blocks and 13 service aces, along with one SEC Setter of the Week honor
* Kennedy Muff came in to replace Stucky. Muff - a fifth year - is a transfer from Flagler, a Division II school in St. Augustine, Fla. At Flagler, she earned three PBC Setter of the Year honors and was named as an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
* Muff is one of just four non-Division I transfers on a Top-25 team this season: Baylor (Manuela Bibinbe - Missouri State - West Plains - JUCO), Arizona State (Maddie McLaughlin - Geneseo - DIII) and Washington State (Peyton Claus - North Idaho - JUCO)
* Claus has seen action in just one set, but Bibinbe is in the starting lineup for Baylor, averaging 2.77 points per set, 2.13 kills per set and 0.89 blocks per set in 19 matches with a .380 hitting percentage
* McLaughlin has seen time in all 22 matches this season for Arizona State, averaging 1.61 points per set, 1.07 kills per set and 0.96 blocks per set
No. 19 Florida at Ole Miss Broadcast Information
Date & Time: Oct. 10 | 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: SEC+ | Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Series Information – No. 19 Florida at Ole Miss
Rebels | 2023 season: 8-13, 2-8 SEC
* Florida leads: 58-3 (52-0 under Mary Wise)
* 3-set: 48-0 | 4-set: 5-1 | 5-set: 5-2
* Home: 26-0 | Away: 29-3 | Neutral: 4-2
* Last Time Out: Nov. 26, 2022 | Oxford, Miss.| W, 3-2 (25-23, 25-16, 19-25, 21-25, 15-11)
(Special to 1st & Ten Florida by Florida Athletics)