Florida Press Conference
2014 NCAA Volleyball Interactive Bracket | NCAA Gainesville Sub-Regional Information
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida sophomore right side Alex Holston put down 14 kills, posted three blocks and served up an ace to lead the Gators with 16.5 points as the No. 8 seed University of Florida volleyball team swept Alabama State (25-13, 25-12, 25-12) in NCAA First Round action at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Friday. Tonight's win sets up a Florida-Miami Showdown Saturday at 7 p.m.
The 2014 SEC Champion Gators (26-3), who added their 21st straight victory with Friday's NCAA tourney opening-round win, held Alabama State to a -.013 hitting efficiency, hit .439 as a squad and out-blocked the Lady Hornets, 6-2. The winner of Saturday evening's matchup will advance to the Ames, Iowa, Regional site at the Hilton Coliseum Dec. 12-13. Saturday's Second Round action will appear on SEC Network +.
In addition to Holston, freshmen Rhamat Alhassan and Carli Snyder each posted eight kills in their NCAA Tournament debut. Mackenzie Dagostino set up the Florida offense with 35 assists, while contributing a team-high four service aces, including three as the Gators rattled off 10 straight points under Dagostino's serve to start the match. The junior setter also dug seven Alabama State attacks.
Senior Maddy Monserez led the Gator defense with 11 scoops and four Gators hit .500 or above, including Alhassan (.583), Snyder (.571), Holston (.522) and junior middle Simone Antwi (.833). Junior outside hitter éiva Recek registered a .308 clip for the Gators.
Tickets for tomorrow's match are available for purchase and Florida students receive free admission with a valid Gator1 ID.
PARKING INFORMATION
Due to a number of events on the University of Florida campus Saturday, volleyball fans can take advantage of a free parking shuttle, which will run from the commuter lot on the southwest corner of Gale Lemerand Drive and Museum Road. Shuttle service for the NCAA Volleyball Second Round will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday evening.
NCAA SECOND ROUND OPPONENT AND BROADCAST INFORMATION
Miami (22-8)
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: SEC Network +
Radio: www.wruf.com
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
FLORIDA VS. MIAMI SERIES HISTORY
· The Gators and Hurricanes will be meeting for the first time in program history Saturday evening for a trip to the NCAA
BY THE NUMBERS
.571: A new career-best hitting efficiency for freshman outside hitter Carli Snyder, who had eight kills on 14 errorless swings
.439: Florida's hitting efficiency Friday against Alabama State, tying for sixth-best for the Gators in the program's NCAA Tournament history
60: NCAA Tournament wins for the Gators following Friday's win, including 59 under head coach Mary Wise
21: The Gators entered the 2014 NCAA Tournament riding a 20-match win streak, the program's longest in 2010, and added its 21st victory with the win over Alabama State
21: Florida has held 21 of its 2014 opponents to operate below a .197 hitting efficiency. The Gators limited 16 of 18 SEC opponents under .197 and Alabama State marked UF's third opponent with a negative efficiency this season
18: Florida is now an undefeated 18-0 in NCAA First Round action and enters Saturday's match with a Second-Round record of 21-2
14: Kills for sophomore right side Alex Holston, her ninth double-digit kill performance in UF's last 10 matches
11: Digs for senior defensive specialist Maddy Monserez, who notched her sixth double-digit dig performance this season
10: Straight points under junior Mackenzie Dagostino's serve to start the match Friday, the most since senior Taylor Unroe had 11 against Mississippi State on 9/30/12
4: Service aces for Dagostino, including three in UF's first 10 points of the match
3: Blocks for freshman Rhamat Alhassan, tying for the team lead. Alhassan, the nation's leading hitter, has led or tied UF in blocks in 27 of 29 matches this season
FLORIDA NCAA-TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC NOTABLES
· No. 8 seed Florida was 9-3 this season against the 2014 NCAA Tournament field
· The Gators have made 20 Regional Semifinals in school history, last in 2012 vs. Texas in Austin
· Florida has made seven Final Four appearances, last in 2003, when the Gators played for the National Championship
· The Gators' 2014 NCAA Tournament appearance is its 24th consecutive and the 25th in program history and UF is playing host to opening round contests for the 22nd time in the last 24 years
· Florida head coach Mary Wise is 59-23 (.719) all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with all postseason appearances occurring at the University of Florida
· The Gators are 60-24 (.714) all-time in the NCAA Tournament
· UF is 47-7 (.870) all-time at home in NCAA Tournament play
· The Orange and Blue are additionally 18-0 all-time in the NCAA First Round and 21-2 all-time in the NCAA Second Round
· In 2013, the Gators went 1-1 in the NCAA Tournament, sweeping Jacksonville in First Round action (25-19, 25-15, 25-16) before falling in five to FSU (15-25, 25-20, 25-22, 22-25, 9-15)
· Florida played for the National Championship in 2003 and last reached a NCAA Regional Final in 2011
· The 2014 NCAA Volleyball Final Four is slated for December 18 (National Semifinals) & 20 (National Championship) in Oklahoma City, Okla., and will be hosted by the Big 12 Conference and the Oklahoma City All Sports Association at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The National Semifinals and Finals will be broadcast live on ESPN2
· Florida enters the 2014 NCAA Tournament having notched its 24th consecutive 25-win season. The Gators downed No. 3 Texas in Austin Saturday to cap of the regular season at 25-3 overall after going an undefeated 18-0 in SEC play to claim the program's 21st SEC Championship. Florida's undefeated SEC season was its 13th in school history
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