Florida Gators
South Carolina
No. 8 Florida Volleyball Runs Win Streak to Eight Matches with 3-1 Victory at South Carolina
Thursday, October 16, 2014 | Volleyball
COLUMBIA, S. C. -- The No. 8 Florida volleyball team racked up its eighth straight victory with a 3-1 decision at South Carolina Wednesday in front of a national television audience on ESPNU. A resilient Gators squad used 19 kills from sophomore right side Alex Holston and season-best performances from junior outside hitter éiva Recek and senior defensive specialist Maddy Monserez to help down the Gamecocks at the Carolina Volleyball Center. With the victory, UF moved to 13-3 on the season, 7-0 in Southeastern Conference play.
After falling to the Gamecocks in set one, 25-19, the Gators rebounded with a 25-18 second set, highlighted by Recek's 4.5 points in the frame, then proceeded to hit .393 in set three for a 25-13 set win. The Orange and Blue won a battle in the fourth to close out the match 25-19 in a mid-week clash that featured 22 ties and five lead changes. Florida posted 10 blocks to South Carolina's four.
Recek notched a season-best 12 kills and hit .357 on the night, while Monserez scooped up a season-best 18 digs to lead the Florida back row, as UF had zero reception errors for the third time in SEC play. Holston boasted a .366 clip, 23 points and was just two digs shy of a double-double, with eight scoops.
Florida's win Wednesday in Columbia marked its 50th victory in the history of the series. The Gamecocks became the 11th opponent this season that Florida has limited to a .197 hitting efficiency or lower, including all SEC foes so far.
GETTING WISE
“The story of the season has been on any give night, any one of our players can step up and be difference makers. Tonight it was éiva Recek. She, along with Maddy Monserez and Alex Holston, led our team, but we got great production by a lot of people. That's the only way we beat a team that played this well in this environment.”
BY THE NUMBERS
· 50: Florida notched its 50th win all-time against the Gamecocks with the victory in Columbia Wednesday. The Gators are now 50-7 against South Carolina, 44-2 under head coach Mary Wise, 23-5 all-time in Columbia and 10-4 in four-set matches against the Gamecocks
· 19: kills for sophomore right side Alex Holston, who hit .366 with a match-high 23 points. Holston's eight digs were additionally a career high as the All-American also turned in two solo stuffs
· 12: kills for junior outside hitter éiva Recek. Recek added two blocks and a dig for a season-best 13 points to provide a spark for the Gators in the match
· 11: opponents the Gators have forced to operate under a .200 hitting efficiency this season, including all seven in conference play. South Carolina hit .119 against the Gators. UF has held its league opponents to a combined .114 clip this season
· 18: digs for senior defensive specialist Maddy Monserez, a season high and her third double-digit dig performance this season. Fellow senior libero Holly Pole also scooped up 12 digs for the Gators
· 8: straight wins for the Gators, extending UF's longest win streak of the season
· 7: straight SEC wins to start conference play. UF and Kentucky are the lone undefeated teams in conference play
· 6: service aces for the Gators as a team, tying their second most in SEC play
· 2: service aces for freshman middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan, a season high. Alhassan and junior setter Mackenzie Dagostino also led the Gators with four blocks each
· 0: reception errors for the third time in SEC play (Mississippi State, Texas A&M and South Carolina) and the fifth time this season (Georgia Southern, Idaho)
UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue return home Sunday, Oct. 19, for a match up against Arkansas in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in a SEC Network + broadcast. The Gators are 35-2 all-time against the Razorbacks, all under head coach Mary Wise. UF owns an undefeated 15-0 record at home against Arkansas and has won 12 straight in the history of the series.
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