Florida Gators
Georgia
No. 9 Florida Volleyball Rallies Past Georgia, 3-0
Saturday, October 11, 2014 | Volleyball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Junior outside hitter Gabby Mallette led the UF offense with 10 kills and freshman middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan posted a .636 hitting efficiency and four blocks as the No. 9 Florida volleyball squad downed a scrappy Georgia team 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-16) in front of 2,512 Orange and Blue faithful for its fourth sweep in conference play. The Gators (11-3) remain one of two teams undefeated in SEC play so far at 5-0 (Kentucky).
Playing just their second SEC match in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in the first contest of a weekend home stand, the Gators held the Bulldogs (9-7, 1-3 SEC) to an .022 hitting efficiency as a team, second lowest for UF opponent this season. Florida rattled off 10 straight points, including the last nine under senior libero Holly Pole's serve to end the first set, with a Pole service ace for set point as the exclamation mark.
Likewise in set two, junior outside hitter éiva Recek served up an ace for set point to give the Gators momentum and a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
Florida's defense shined in Friday's sweep, as Pole scooped up 14 digs, while junior setter Mackenzie Dagostino had her second double-digit dig performance of the season, with 10. Senior Maddy Monserez was additionally a staple in the back row with eight digs. The Bulldogs became the ninth opponent this season the Gators have forced to operate below a .200 hitting efficiency, including all five SEC opponents so far.
GETTING WISE
“As good as the offensive numbers were tonight, the story of the match was the plays we made in the back row, especially the effort and plays made by Maddy Monserez.”
BY THE NUMBERS
· 41: Wins for Florida at home against Georgia. UF improved to 57-9 all-time against the Bulldogs, including 54-1 all-time under head coach Mary Wise
· 10: kills for junior outside hitter Gabby Mallette, who continued her hot hitting streak. Mallette was UF's lone player in double-digit kills, her second match this season in double digits. Mallette also tallied one block assist for her third straight 10-point-plus performance
· 10: digs for junior setter Mackenzie Dagostino, her second-most this season. Senior libero Holly Pole paced UF's back row with 14 scoops. Pole has led UF in digs in all but four matches and has double-digit digs in all but three
· 9: slams for junior middle blocker Simone Antwi, who scored double-digit points for the Gators in her fourth straight match. Antwi had two block assists to go with her nine kills
· 8: kills apiece for freshman middle Rhamat Alhassan and sophomore right side Alex Holston. Holston chipped in a season-tying seven digs and Alhassan had four blocks and a .636 clip, her sixth match this season hitting above a .600 efficiency, second in SEC play. Alhassan registered a team-best 11.0 points
· 6: straight wins for the Gators, extending UF's longest win streak of the season
· 5: straight SEC wins to start conference play. UF and Kentucky are the lone undefeated teams in league play
· 4: sweeps in conference play following the victory in Starkville (Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Georgia)
· 1: set played by freshman Sam Dubiel, her debut as a Gator in the second frame against Georgia
UP NEXT
The No. 9 Gators return back to the O'Dome Sunday for their fifth game of the season against a top-25 ranked opponent when UF welcomes No. 19 Texas A&M to the O'Connell Center in UF's Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Match. Florida is an undefeated 9-0 all-time against the Aggies.
NO. 19 FLORIDA | NO. 19 TEXAS A&M
TEXAS A&M | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 | O'CONNELL CENTER | 2:00 p.m. ET
· 2014 Overall Record: 11-4, 3-1 SEC
· Series Record: Florida leads, 9-0 (7-0 under Mary Wise)
• 3-set: 3-0; 4-set: 4-0; 5-set: 2-0
• Home: 4-0 | Away: 4-0 | Neutral: 1-0
· Last Time Out: Nov. 3, 2013 at College Station | W, 3-2 (24-26, 25-23, 25-8, 24-26, 16-14)
· Last Win at Gainesville: Oct. 4, 2013 | W, 3-0 (25-9, 25-23, 25-17)
Marketing and Promotions | Texas A&M
· Sponsor: UF Health
· FREE admission to all breast cancer survivors who register in advance (check in at marketing table Gate 1)
· Pink shirts to the first 600 fans
· Pink Ribbon pins given out at gates
· Rowdy Reptile Check-In and prize pick up (Gate 4)
· Kids Tunnel -- kids 12 and under invited to form a tunnel before the team runs out
· Canned food drive collection (Gate 1)
· Post-match autographs and Sunday Spikeline
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