No. 7 Florida Takes 15-Match Win Streak on Road to No. 15 Kentucky Sunday
Saturday, November 15, 2014 | Volleyball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The No. 7 Florida volleyball team will have shot at clinching at least a share of the 2014 SEC title when the Gators visit No. 15 Kentucky Sunday in Lexington. After a five-set thriller at UK to end the 2013 regular season, the Gators and Wildcats will again clash in an exciting Sunday afternoon showdown at Memorial Coliseum.
First serve Sunday is slated for noon on the SEC Network with Sam Gore and Dain Blanton on the call. Just two matches separate the Gators and Wildcats in the SEC race, as UF and UK sit first and second, respectively, at the top of the SEC standings as the regular-season winds down. UF has a two-match lead on Kentucky with an undefeated 14-0 record, while the Wildcats enter at 12-2 in the league after a 3-1 victory at Ole Miss Friday evening in Oxford.
A win Sunday would give the Gators at least a share of the 2014 SEC title. Florida has 20 SEC titles all-time, all under 24th year head coach Mary Wise. Florida last captured the SEC Championship in 2012.
The match at Kentucky will be Florida's sixth contest against a top-25 ranked opponent this season. The Gators are 3-2 against ranked foes in 2014, having won their last three matches against ranked opponents. Florida is riding a 15-match win streak into Lexington, the sixth-longest strand of victories in the NCAA right now.
FLORIDA AT KENTUCKY BROADCAST INFORMATION (Florida Match Notes | Kentucky Match Notes)
Time: 12 noon
TV: SEC Network (Sam Gore, Dain Blanton -- simulcast on WatchESPN)
Radio: WRUF (Tom Collett)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
UF | UK SERIES HISTORY
· Kentucky 2014 Record: 22-4, 12-2 SEC
· Series Record: Florida leads, 48-10 (46-3 under Mary Wise)
· 3-set: 35-5; 4-set: 7-0; 5-set: 6-5
· Home: 24-4 | Away: 20-5 | Neutral: 4-1
· Last Time Out: Nov. 27, 2013 at Lexington | W, 3-2 (25-11, 28-26, 22-25, 18-25, 15-10
FLORIDA STORYLINES
· The only SEC team undefeated in league play with a two-match cushion over Kentucky, the No. 7 Gators will look to add their 16th consecutive victory against the No. 15 Wildcats in a match-up between the league's top two teams. Sunday will be Florida's sixth match against a ranked opponent this season. Florida is 3-2 against top-25 opponents so far in 2014
· With a win at Kentucky Sunday, Florida would clinch at least a share of the SEC title. The Gators have won the SEC 20 of the last 23 years
· Florida owns 12 undefeated SEC seasons all-time in program history, with the last coming in 2010 (20-0) ('92, '93, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '10)
· The Gators are riding a 15-match win streak into Sunday's clash, the sixth-longest strand of victories in the NCAA right now
· The Gators last had a 15-game win streak in 2010 when Florida went an undefeated 20-0 in SEC and strung together 24-straight wins from Sept. 11, 2010-Dec. 4, 2010 before falling short to Purdue in NCAA Tourney play
· Florida has dropped just two sets in SEC play (3-1 wins at LSU Oct. 3 & at South Carolina Oct. 15), and has 12 SEC sweeps otherwise
· The Gators have additionally won 24 straight sets since dropping the first set to the Gamecocks in Columbia on Oct. 15. Florida has seven consecutive SEC sweeps entering the Kentucky match
· Of those 24 straight sets, Florida has allowed its opponent to reach 20 points in just six sets
· The Gators have won nine straight sets on the road entering the match at Kentucky (last three at USC, sweeps at Georgia and at Tennessee)
· Florida has forced its opponents to operate below a .197 hitting efficiency in 17 matches this season so far, including 13 of 14 SEC matches. Florida held Auburn to a .133 clip Wednesday
· The Gators rank first through SEC play in hitting efficiency (.357), opponent hitting efficiency (.125), blocks (2.41/s) and service aces (1.89/s). UF ranks second entering the UK match in assists (13.32/s) and kills (14.73/s)
WHO'S HOT?
· Florida sophomore right side and Co-SEC Offensive Player of the Week Alex Holston. Holston posted a season-best .600 hitting efficiency with 16 kills -- her second-most in conference play -- to lead the No. 7 Gator volleyball squad to a sweep of Alabama (25-13, 25-23, 25-20) in UF's lone match last week and again led the Gators in the sweep over Auburn Wednesday with a team-high 11 kills
· Freshman middle Rhamat Alhassan, who ranks second in the country with her .467 clip and was just featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd, has led the Gators in blocks in 21 of Florida's 23 matches this season
· Florida's depth -- especially at outside hitter, where Florida has four quality arms, including junior éiva Recek, who turned in a career-best .643 hitting efficiency Wednesday against Auburn with nine kills on 14 errorless swings
· Florida's back row -- all seniors, the heartbeat of Florida's defense, which stabilizes the offense: Maddy Monserez was SEC Co-Defensive POW three weeks ago, Pole led UF in digs vs. Tennessee (17) to pick up SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors last week and senior Taylor Unroe, No. 2 on UF's career digs list, is just 11 digs shy of eclipsing 1,500 scoops. Pole again led UF in digs (13) against Auburn last time out for the Orange and Blue
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