No. 7 Gators Back in the O'Dome Friday Versus Alabama
Friday, November 7, 2014 | Volleyball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The No. 7 Gator volleyball team will welcome a talented Alabama squad to the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Friday evening for its lone match this week. Florida (18-3) is looking to add its 14th straight victory and a 13th win in Southeastern Conference play to continue its hot streak, which is the sixth-longest win streak in the NCAA entering the week.
Florida is coming off two of its 10 SEC sweeps on the road at Georgia and Tennessee, where UF hit above .400 in both matches, including its best in SEC play (.444) against the Lady Vols. The Gators have won 18 straight sets dating back to Oct. 15 at South Carolina and has held its opponents to below a .197 clip in 15 matches this season, including 11 of 12 SEC matches.
The Gators rank first in the league through SEC play in hitting efficiency (.348), opponent hitting efficiency (.122), kills/s (14.82), blocks/s (2.47) and service aces/s (1.87), and will head into the tilt with sophomore right side Alex Holston and senior libero and reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week Holly Pole leading the way. Freshman Rhamat Alhassan, who ranks second in the country with her .466 hitting efficiency, has now led Florida in blocks in 20 of 21 matches in 2014.
Friday is Florida's Saluting Those Who Serve match, and all military personnel and first responders receive free admission.
| NO. 7 FLORIDA | ALABAMA BROADCAST INFORMATION |
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| Match Time | TV | Radio Stream | Live Stats | |
| FLORIDA | ALABAMA | 7 p.m. | ||||
FLORIDA VERSUS ALABAMA | FLORIDA MATCH NOTES
ALABAMA | NOVEMBER 7 | O'CONNELL CENTER | 7 p.m. ET | SEC NETWORK +
· 2014 Record: 19-5, 7-3 SEC
· Series Record: Florida leads, 39-0 (37-0 under Mary Wise)
· 3-set: 35-0, 4-set: 4-0; 5-set: 0-0
· Home: 17-0; Away: 19-0; Neutral: 3-0
· Last Time Out: Nov. 17, 2013 at Gainesville | W, 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-17)
ALABAMA MARKETING & PROMOTIONS | PROMOTION DETAILS
· Sponsors: Independent Florida Alligator, Pepsi
· Sunglasses to the first 150 fans
· Water bottles to the first 500 fans
· FREE admission to all military personnel and first responders
· BOGO admission for Pepsi employees
· $2 admission to teachers with ACPS ID
· Color Guard on hand for National Anthem
· ROTC Drill Team on hand between sets two and three, Air Force/ Army vs. Navy/ Marines scrimmage
· Rowdy Reptiles Check-In (7-8 p.m.)
· Kids Tunnel: kids 12 & under will be invited to the floor at the 16:00 mark to make a tunnel before the team runs out
· Post-match autographs
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 13th SEC victory when the Gators host a tough Alabama squad Friday night in the O'Dome
· Florida owns 12 undefeated SEC seasons all-time in program history, with the last coming in 2010 when the Orange and Blue went 20-0. ('92, '93, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '10)
· The Gators are riding a 13-match win streak, the sixth-longest strand of victories in the NCAA right now, matching their longest streak from the 2013 season
· UF had a 14-game win streak in 2012 from Sept. 7 (vs. Jacksonville) through Oct. 21 vs. Texas A&M before losing on the road at Florida State
· Florida has dropped just two sets in SEC play (3-1 wins at LSU Oct. 3 & at South Carolina), and has 10 SEC sweeps otherwise
· The Gators have additionally won 18 straight sets since dropping the first set to the Gamecocks in Columbia on Oct. 15
· Of those 18 straight sets, Florida has allowed its opponent to reach 20 points in just three (twice against Arkansas in 25-20 & 25-22 second and third sets, and once at Georgia in 26-24 third)
· In each of UF's last three matches, the Gators have forced their opponent to a single-digit set
· Florida has forced its opponents to operate below a .197 hitting efficiency in 15 matches this season so far, including 11 of 12 SEC matches. Florida held Tennessee to a .128 clip Sunday
· The Gators hit .400 (Georgia) and .444 (Tennessee) their last two matches out and rank first through SEC play in hitting efficiency (.348), opponent hitting efficiency (.122), kills/s (14.82), blocks/s (2.47) and service aces/s (1.87)
WHO'S HOT?
· Sophomore right side Alex Holston was unstoppable against Georgia and Tennessee for the Gators last time out, with a .523 hitting efficiency, 26 kills and five service aces. Holston additionally ranked second for UF on the week with 2.33 digs per set after notching her first career double-double against Georgia with 12 kills and a team and career-high 11 digs. Holston chipped in five blocks through the two-match road swing to score 5.58 points per set for the Orange and Blue
· Senior libero Holly Pole led the Gators with 4.33 digs per set to stabilize UF's stellar offense all week, including a 17-dig performance Sunday against Tennessee, her second-best SEC performance this season
· éiva Recek provided quality time off the bench Sunday with a season-best .545 hitting efficiency with six kills on 11 errorless swings
· Freshman middle Rhamat Alhassan, who ranks second in the country with her .466 clip and has led the Gators in blocks in 20 of Florida's 21 matches this season
· Florida's depth -- especially at outside hitter, where Florida has four quality arms
· Junior outside hitter Gabby Mallette. Mallette played just one set in 2014 before SEC play. She has now started UF's last eight matches and ranks second for UF in SEC play in hitting efficiency
· Florida's back row -- all seniors, the heartbeat of Florida's defense, which stabilizes the offense: Maddy Monserez was SEC Co-Defensive POW two weeks ago, Pole led UF in digs vs. Tennessee (17) to pick up SEC Defensive Player o the Week honors and senior Taylor Unroe, No. 2 on UF's career digs list, is just 15 digs shy of eclipsing 1,500 scoops
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