Florida Welcomes Florida A&M in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Friday, December 2

Gainesville, Fla.

4:30 p.m.

Florida Gators

6-Seed Iowa State vs. Florida Gulf Coast

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Florida Welcomes Florida A&M in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Thursday, December 1, 2022 | Volleyball

The Gators and the Rattlers face off at 7 p.m. on Friday

By: Katie Callahan

Match Notes | Exactech Arena | NCAA Tournament Bracket PDF | 2022 Florida Volleyball Media Supplement

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 12th-ranked Florida volleyball team – who earned the No. 3 seed in the Top Right portion of the bracket – begins its 2022 NCAA Tournament with a matchup against Florida A&M on Friday night.

First serve is slated for 7 p.m. in Exactech Arena. The match will air on ESPN+ with Tom Collett and Josh Crow on the call and can also be heard on the airways of ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM.

For the First and Second Round matches across the nation, there will be an ESPN+ Whiparound Show, hosted by Sam Gore, along with Paul Sunderland and Jennifer Hoffman. This channel will be devoted to sendings fans to the best matches, complete with set points and match points, along with analysis of matches that have concluded.

Florida (23-5) holds the 12-0 series advantage over the Rattlers (21-12), including a 5-0 record in the NCAA Tournament. These teams faced off exactly one year ago in the First Round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament and Florida came away with the 3-set victory (25-11, 25-14, 25-8).

Florida Gulf Coast takes on the No. 6 seed Iowa State in the first match of the day at 4:30 p.m. and the winner of that match will take on the winner of Florida/Florida A&M on Saturday at 7 p.m.

How to Follow – No. 12 Florida vs. Florida A&M
Time & Date: Friday, Dec. 2 | 7 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM/850AM
Tickets: Gator Ticket Office

Ticket Information
Tickets for the NCAA First & Second Rounds are available online and at the Gator Ticket Office, located between Gates 1 & 2 of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
All-Session Tickets

Reserved Seating – $15
Adult General Admission – $12
Child General Admission (12 & U) – $8
Loge Seats – $30
Courtside Seats – $40

Single-Match Tickets

Reserved Seating – $10
Adult General Admission – $8
Child General Admission (12 & U) – $5
Students – FREE with valid Gator1 ID

Gainesville First & Second Rounds Schedule (all times Eastern)

First Round Matches | Friday, Dec. 2
- Match 1: No. 6 Iowa State vs. Florida Gulf Coast – 4:30 p.m.
- Match 2: No. 3 Florida vs. Florida A&M – 7 p.m.
Second Round Matches | Saturday, Dec. 3
- Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 – 7 p.m.

Credentialing Note

If you were credentialed for the University of Florida regular season, you are automatically credentialed for all NCAA Tournament matches in Gainesville
Your credential will be available at the Loading Dock of the Stephen C. O'Connell Center 90 minutes prior to first serve of Thursday's opening match, as well as 90 minutes prior to first serve of Friday's match'

Series Information
Florida A&M | 21-12 overall, 15-1 (SWAC)

Florida leads: 12-0 (9-0 under Mary Wise)
3-set: 12-0 | 4-set: 0-0 | 5-set: 0-0
Home: 9-0 | Away: 2-0 | Neutral: 1-0
NCAA Tournament series: Florida leads 5-0
Last Time Out: Dec. 2, 2021 | Gainesville, Fla. | W, 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-8)
Notable: Won the SWAC Championship to earn automatic bid

Scouting the Rest of the Field
Florida Gulf Coast | 26-6 overall, 13-3 (ASUN)

Florida leads: 3-0 (3-0 under Mary Wise)
3-set: 3-0 | 4-set: 0-0 | 5-set: 0-0
Home: 2-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-0
NCAA Tournament series: 1-0
Last Time Out: Sept. 9, 2022 | Gainesville, Fla. | W, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-13)
Notable: Won the ASUN Conference Championship to earn the automatic bid

Iowa State | 19-11 overall, 10-6 (Big 12)

Florida leads: 3-1 (3-1 under Mary Wise)
3-set: 1-0 | 4-set: 2-0 | 5-set: 0-1
Home: 1-1 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 2-0
NCAA Tournament series: N/A
Last Time Out: Sept. 5, 2011 | Gainesville, Fla. | L, 2-3 (19-25, 27-29, 25-17, 25-18, 14-16)
Notable: The Cyclones won 10 matches in Big 12 play this season

Florida's NCAA Tournament Notables

This is Florida's 32nd-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament – making the field every year under Mary Wise
- This is the third-longest active streak in the nation behind Penn State – 42 and Nebraska – 41
Overall, UF has been in the NCAA Tournament 33 times since the program's inception in 1984
The Gators are 10-4 against the 2022 NCAA Tournament Field
Florida has made 28 Regional Semifinals and 16 Regional Championship appearances in program history
UF is seeking its ninth all-time NCAA Semifinals appearance, looking to make it back for the first time since 2017
Florida head coach Mary Wise boasts a 78-31 (.716) record all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with all of her postseason appearances coming with the Gators
- Her 76 NCAA Tournament wins put her sixth in Division I history
The Gators carry a 79-32 (.712) all-time record in the NCAA Tournament
Florida is 59-7 at home during NCAA Tournament play

Florida as a Top-16 Seed

The Gators earned the No. 3 seed in the Top Right portion of the bracket, meaning they were tabbed as a Top-16 seed
This is the 28th time in program history that Florida has earned a Top-16 seed
As a Top-16 seed, UF has made 26 Regional Semifinals, 13 Regional Finals, eight National Semifinals and two National Finals
As a No. 16 seed or better, Florida is 72-28 (.720)

Florida vs. The Field

The Gators are 10-4 against the NCAA Tournament field this season
Florida has wins against Florida Gulf Coast, Florida State, Wisconsin, Tennessee, LSU (2), Auburn, Arkansas (2) and Kentucky
Against the field, Florida is hitting .228 and is averaging 13.08 kills per set
The Gators are also averaging 12.15 assists per set and 2.88 blocks per set against the competition in the field
Against the field, UF is 5-2 in three-set matches, 2-1 in four-set matches and 3-1 in five-set matches

SEC in the NCAA

Seven SEC teams earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament (Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU and Auburn)
The seven teams selected are the most of any conference (Big 10 - 6, Pac-12 - 6, ACC - 5, Big 12 - 5)
Florida holds the 7-2 advantage over the NCAA Tournament teams this season
The seven teams mark the most teams from the SEC to earn a spot in the Tournament