Florida Gators
21-6, 13-5SEC
Texas A&M
21-6, 14-2SEC
No. 14 Gators Fall in Five at No. 25 Texas A&M in SEC Finale
Sunday, November 22, 2015 | Volleyball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- After a battle of a match at No. 25 Texas A&M, the No. 14 Gators couldn't shut the door after leading 2-0 to start the clash at Reed Arena Sunday afternoon. Despite double-doubles from seniors Mackenzie Dagostino and éiva Recek, and four double-digit kill and dig outings from different Gators, the Aggies took the final three sets out of the break for the 3-2 decision (25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 22-25, 11-15) in Florida's 2015 SEC finale.
Dagostino posted a season high 55 assists and 16 digs to help set up four double-digit kill performances from sophomore middle Rhamat Alhassan (16), junior right side Alex Holston (15), Recek (12) and senior middle Simone Antwi (12). Alhassan led UF with six blocks and a .577 hitting efficiency as Florida (21-6, 13-5 SEC) had 65 kills to Texas A&M's 63. The Gators also out-hit the Aggies .255 to .230 and scored more points (84-83). Texas A&M registered three more digs and one more block than UF as both teams posted double-digit roofs -- 15 for the Aggies, 14 for the Gators in the tightly-contested battle.
Dagostino's 55 assists Sunday at A&M (21-6, 14-2 SEC) pushed her over the 2,500 mark for her Gator career, No. 9 all-time on UF's career assists list (2,519).
In a 25-20 first-set decision in favor of the Orange and Blue, an early three-point service run by senior libero Nikki O'Rourke enabled the Gators to settle into an offensive rhythm and extend a UF lead to 5-2 that Florida wouldn't relinquish. Dagostino had stellar ball distribution and took five swings of her own -- one for a kill -- as UF out-hit TAMU .290 to .156 in the initial frame. In the second, a Dagostino service ace, one of five for Florida on the afternoon, started the set right for the Gators, whose block came alive in the set en route to a 25-19 victory. Five Holston kills paced the Gators offensively in the frame, while Florida dug up 15 Aggie swings, had three blocks and served up two aces as UF went up 2-0 in the match at the break.
Facing a three-point deficit with the Aggies up 13-10 in the third, Florida used a 6-0 run, including two Antwi kills and two Recek block solos during a five-point Carli Snyder service run to take the Gators ahead 16-13. The Gators and Aggies battled out what would ultimately be a 25-22 Texas A&M set win.
While the Aggies ran away with the fourth and never trailed the Gators in another 25-22 win, the fifth was a tilt featuring five ties and two lead changes in the 15-point finale that went to A&M, 15-11.
Florida moved to 4-3 in top-25 matches this season and 0-5 in five-setters on the year. With its win Sunday, Texas A&M clinched at least a share of the 2015 SEC title with its first win against Florida.
UF has just one remaining regular-season match at home -- Senior Day Nov. 27 vs. LIU-Brooklyn -- before finding out its 2015 NCAA Tournament fate.
BY THE NUMBERS
· 2,500 | Career assists for senior setter Mackenzie Dagostino, who eclipsed the mark with her season high 55 Sunday. Dagostino ranks No. 9 in UF's career record book and is chasing No. 8 Kelly Murphy (2,671) through the remainder of the season
· 17 | With 14 roofs Sunday, the Gators have now posted double-digit blocks in 17 of 27 matches this year
· 14 | Blocks for Florida for the second straight match, tying for second-most in conference play only to UF's season-high 17 at Kentucky
· 5 | Stuffs from junior right side Alex Holston, who tied her season high Sunday against the Aggies
· 4 | Gators with double-digit digs at A&M, paced by 16 from Dagostino, followed by 13 from senior libero Nikki O'Rourke, then 12 from sophomore outside hitter Carli Snyder and 11 from senior outside éiva Recek
· 2 | Double-doubles Sunday, first the eighth of the season from Dagostino, who registered season-best numbers in assists (55) and digs (16), while Recek posted her seventh double-dip of the campaign (12K, 11D)
Other Gator Notables
· Simone Antwi voted into University of Florida Student Senate
· éiva Recek earns AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship
UP NEXT
The Gators will wrap up the 2015 regular season against LIU-Brooklyn next Friday. Florida will celebrate five seniors at 3 p.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving when UF hosts the Blackbirds in its regular-season finale Nov. 27 before finding out its NCAA Tournament path Nov. 29 during the NCAA Selection Show at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.
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