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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 13th-ranked Florida Gators topped the LSU Tigers in straight sets on Friday evening in front of a great crowd in Exactech Arena.

Florida moves to 22-5 on the year and 13-2 in the SEC, while LSU drops to 6-8 in the league and 11-15 overall.

UF took the first set in a tight 26-24 battle, then won the second frame, 25-19. Florida was able to secure the match victory with a 25-22 win in the final set.

The Gators' offense was led by the trio of Holly Carlton, Taelor Kellum and Rachael Kramer, who all posted 12 kills on the night.

Kramer posted a .478 hit clip on her way to 12 kills and Kellum went 12-4-24 for a .333 hitting percentage.

Allie Monserez dished out a team-leading 23 assists during the match and Marlie Monserez added 12 on the night.

Allie Gregory led the Gators' defensive effort, registering 18 digs during the match. The defensive play of Riley Fischer (7 digs) and Paula Cerame (5 digs) also ignited the backcourt and helped the Gators clinch the victory.  

As a squad, Florida collected 10 blocks, including a team-best seven from Rachael Kramer. Mia Sokolowski also added six blocks during the match.  

The Gators return to action on Sunday when the team travels to Georgia for a 2 p.m. matchup.

How it Happened

• LSU held the 15-12 advantage at the media timeout, but the Gators battled to tie it up at 16 apiece. The two squads traded points for the remainder of the set and with LSU leading 24-23, Florida went on a 3-0 run to claim set 1 thanks in part to a block and a kill from Rachael Kramer.
  • The Gators hit .195 in the frame, recording16 kills along the way. Taelor Kellum led the set with six kills, while Rachael Kramer and Holly Carlton each added four apiece.  
• With the set knotted at 10-10, the Tigers went on a 3-0 run to take the lead in the middle of the second frame. The Gators battled back to tie it at 13-all behind the serves of Allie Gregory and the team utilized service runs from Paula Cerame, Chanelle Hargreaves and Allie Monserez to close out the set, 25-19.
  • Florida hit .282 in the second frame, holding LSU to a .071 hit clip. Holly Carlton and Paige Hammons both notched four kills in the frame and Rachael Kramer added three of her own.
• The Gators jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the third set and held the momentum from there. Florida was up as many as nine points at 19-11, but LSU continued to battle, coming within a point at 22-21. Back-to-back kills by Taelor Kellum put Florida up 24-21 and the team was able to secure the victory on a block by Kellum and Kramer.
  • UF racked up 14 kills in the final set, including five from Rachael Kramer. Taelor Kellum and Holly Carlton both added four in the frame as well.

Notables

• Riley Fischer recorded a career-best seven digs during the match
• Allie Monserez led the team in assists for the 25th match
• Allie Gregory led the team in digs for the 24th match
• Rachael Kramer led the team in blocks for the 15th match
• The Gators move to 44-13 all-time against the Tigers, including a 41-5 record under Mary Wise
• Florida improves to 26-7 in three-set matches against LSU
• The Gators move to 22-5 against the Tigers in Gainesville, Fla.
• Florida improves to 9-1 in three-set matches this season
• UF has now won at least 22 matches in each of the 28 seasons under Mary Wise

Thoughts from Coach Wise

• "One of the key points in the match was the play of our two freshmen DSs, Riley Fischer and Paula Cerame. They made some very athletic, aggressive plays that really inspired their teammates. "

Players' Corner
Senior MB Taelor Kellum on the match

• "One thing we have been focusing on is being consistent and aggressive. This week in practice, we mostly just played one another to be competitive. When LSU gave us a fight, we stayed aggressive because we had been doing this all week, we knew what to do."

Redshirt Sophomore RS Holly Carlton on the match

• "I loved seeing this energy from the team tonight. At the beginning of this week, we took a step all the way back to preseason and talked about our team culture – how we react to winning points and how we react to losing points. We talked about how to best engage and support our teammates and I could really feel that on the court tonight."

Up Next

• Florida travels to Georgia on Sunday to take on the Bulldogs at 2 p.m.
• The match will air on the SEC Network with Sam Gore and Dain Blanton on the call
• Florida holds the 63-9 series advantage over Georgia, including a 60-1 record under Mary Wise  

No. 13 Florida vs. Georgia
Time & Date: Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018 | 2 p.m.
TV: SEC Network
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Live Stats: Sidearm
Radio: ESPN 98.1FM/850 AM
Series Information – No. 13 Florida vs. Georgia

• This is the 73rd meeting between the two schools
• Florida leads 63-9, including a 60-1 record under Mary Wise
• 3-set: 46-4 | 4-set: 13-2 | 5-set: 4-3
• Home: 29-2 | Away: 26-4 | Neutral: 8-3
• Last time out: Oct. 7, 2018 | Gainesville, Fla. | W, 3-2 (25-13, 22-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-9)

 
 
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