GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Even with another stellar performance from junior All-American middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan, the No. 9 Gators needed a third-set rally to sweep a feisty Ole Miss group, but the hard-fought victory moved Florida into a three-way tie for first place in the SEC standings Friday (Oct. 28) night.
 
Alhassan tallied a team-high 17.5 points on 14 kills and five blocks. The Glenarden, Md. product also hit .545, marking the third time in the last four matches she hit above .525.
 
Three-time All-American right side Alex Holston and junior outside hitter Carli Snyder also logged double-digit points, scoring 13 and 10, respectively. Holston logged 12 kills and two blocks, while Snyder scored with nine kills and a service ace, all of which went along with 12 digs.
 
Freshman middle blocker Rachael Kramer, who leads the nation with a .489 hitting percentage, totaled seven kills and two blocks, and finished with a whopping .700 clip.
 
Redshirt sophomore setter Allie Monserez was the center of distribution for the Gators, finishing the night with 44 assists—which is the second-highest total by an SEC player in any three-set match this season.
 
Junior libero Caroline Knop led the Gators' back row with a match-high 20 digs, and helped UF post its fourth receiving error-free night of the season.
 
Despite the narrow 25-22 and 25-23 victories in the first two sets, Florida rarely trailed in either one. In the third, however, the Gators found themselves in a seven-point hole, trailing 12-5. The Gators eventually knotted the match at 20-20, and won consecutive points with kills from Monserez and Snyder to break a 25-25 tie. Holston and Snyder combined for 12 points after Ole Miss took its 12-5 lead.
 

Missed the match tonight?

?????? at what got us back into a tie for first in the SEC standings!! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/TDWBpkuOQD

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 29, 2016

WORDS FROM WISE
Florida head coach Mary Wise on tonight's sweep of Ole Miss…
"Rhamat (Alhassan) carried us all night against an Ole Miss team that played very well. It came down to a huge play at the end. Sam Dubiel stepped in and made the play of the night on match point."
 

THE RECORDS
No. 9 Florida: 19-2, 9-1 SEC
Ole Miss: 13-10, 2-8 SEC
 

NOTABLES AND TRENDS

• The Gators move into a three-way tie for first place in the SEC standings with Kentucky and Missouri, both of which hold 9-1 records in league play and were idle on Friday night
• Florida improves to 48-3 all-time against Ole Miss, and extended its winning streak against the Rebels to 43
• Allie Monserez now boasts two of the highest three-set assist totals by an SEC player this season, as her 44 assists tonight ranked second, and her 43 assists at Alabama (Sep. 25) rank tied for third
• Caroline Knop's 20 digs tied the third-highest total by an SEC player in any three-set match this year, and tied the highest total in any SEC match this season
• For the second time this season, Rachael Kramer hit at least .700 on a night in which she had 10-plus total attacks, with the other outing coming at Alabama (Sep. 25), when she hit .727 with nine kills on 11 total attacks
• Kramer also has seven matches this season in which she had 10-plus total attacks and hit better than .500
• Carli Snyder's nine kills and 12 digs left her one kill shy of her eighth double-double of the season

 
UP NEXT
Florida concludes its four-match homestand with a 12 p.m. ET duel with LSU, which will be televised live on SEC Network. Courtney Lyle and Missy Whittemore will have the call for SEC Network.
As always, Gator fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast via ESPN Gainesville 95.3 FM / 850 AM, with Tom Collett and Josh Crow on the call.
 

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Sunday, Oct. 30, vs. LSU | 12 p.m.
TV: Live on SEC Network (Courtney Lyle, Missy Whittemore) | Stream: WatchESPN | Radio Stream (Tom Collett, Josh Crow) + live on ESPN Gainesville (95.3 FM / AM 850) | Live Stats
 

PROMOTIONS: For all October home matches, the University Athletic Association is partnering with Field and Fork Pantry to gather goods at all home volleyball and soccer matches. The Field and Fork Pantry supports students, faculty, and staff who are experiencing food insecurity and need help finding healthy food for themselves and their families. Located between McCarty Hall and Food Science & Human Nutrition, the Pantry is a free resource for all students, faculty, and staff with a valid Gator 1 card. For more details, visit fieldandfork.ufl.edu.
 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
LSU | 7-13 overall, 2-7 SEC

• Florida leads: 40-13 (37-5 under Mary Wise)
• 3-set: 22-7 | 4-set: 14-6 | 5-set: 4-0
• Home: 19-5 | Away: 17-6 | Neutral: 4-2
• Last Time Out: Oct. 14, 2016 at Baton Rouge --> W, 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-11)
• Notable: UF has won 10 consecutive meetings in the series

 
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