Volleyball Continues Three-Match Road Swing at Colorado
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 | Volleyball
Thursday's match in the Coors Events and Conference Center will be carried live on Sun Sports with Larry Vettel and Missy Whittemore and WRUF-AM 850 in Gainesville with Tom Collett.
Florida (5-0) is coming off of a three-set victory against Florida State on Monday evening in Tallahassee, which started its three-match road swing. The Gators won the first set 25-22 before battling for 26-24 victories in each of the final two frames. Jaeckel, a two-time reigning Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week selection, led three UF players in double-figure kills with 11. Freshman right-side/setter Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) nearly tallied a triple-double with 10 kills, a career-high 25 assists and nine digs.
“This is as tough of a three-match road trip that we've had and it will be quite the week for our young Gators,” UF head coach Mary Wise said. “We wanted to be able to play two matches in Colorado with a day in between because that's how the SEC schedule is set up with playing Friday- Sunday. This is how we get ready for the SEC.”
Jaeckel leads the way for the Gators, averaging 3.83 kills per set, which ranks second in the SEC. She also leads the team in hitting percentage with a .319 clip and adds 1.33 digs per set, which ranks tied for fourth on the squad. She is the only player in the SEC to rank in the league's top 10 in kills, hitting percentage and service aces.
Murphy is second on the team with 2.67 kills per set, while sophomore outside hitter Callie Rivers (Winter Park, Fla.) is third on the team with 2.56 kills per set. Junior libero Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) heads the defensive effort with 4.17 digs per set, which ranks second in the SEC, and averages 0.61 aces per set – which ranks 12th in the nation. Junior middle blocker Kristina Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) leads the team in blocks with 1.22 rejections per set, which ranks fifth in the league.
The Gators and Buffaloes will be meeting for the third time in school history, with Florida leading the all-time series 2-0. Both of UF's victories in the series have come as 3-0 sweeps and both have come on neutral courts. The two teams last met Sept. 3, 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii, a match that Florida won 30-19, 30-21, 31-29.
Colorado (6-0) will be playing three matches in four days this week, beginning when it faces Colorado State on Wednesday night before squaring off with the Gators on Thursday and North Carolina on Saturday. The Buffaloes are off to their best start in school history with a 6-0 mark, although they have not faced a ranked opponent so far this season. Five of CU's six wins this season have come as 3-0 sweeps.
The Buffs are led by senior middle blocker Lauren Schaefer, who ranks second in the nation with a .512 hitting percentage and is second on the team with 2.65 kills per set. The squad's kill leader is senior right- side Alex Buth, who ranks ninth in the Big XII with 3.53 kills per set and is fourth in the league in hitting percentage with a .394 clip. Just like the Gators, Colorado is a strong serving team, ranking second in the conference and 26th in the nation in aces per set with 1.95.
For all of the latest information on Florida Volleyball, please log on to www.GatorZone.com.
END OF REPORT
