Wednesday, October 15
Knoxville, Tenn.
7 PM
Florida Gators
10-6,5-2SEC
3
at
2
Tennessee
13-3,4-2SEC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Florida
19
25
25
22
15
3
Tennessee
25
23
15
25
13
2
Outside hitter Jordyn Byrd finished with 23 kills and a career-high five blocks.
Florida Volleyball Tops No. 16 Tennessee in Five Sets
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, TN – The Florida volleyball team upset the No. 16 Tennessee Lady Vols in five sets (19-25, 25-23, 25-15, 22-25, 15-13) to secure its fourth ranked win of the season, third-straight conference win and hand the Lady Vols' their third loss of the season on Wednesday night inside the Food City Center.
Setter Alexis Stucky registered her ninth double-double of the season after finishing with 52 assists and 11 digs to direct Florida's offense to a .276 hitting clip, as outside hitter Jordyn Byrd led the Gator attack with 23 kills. The Sarasota native finished with a personal-best five blocks, four digs and one assist for a career-high 26.5 points.
Finishing in double-digits offensively was freshman opposite hitter Milica Vidacic with 12, while middle blockers Jaela Auguste and Alec Rothe tallied nine and eight, respectfully. Outside hitter Kira Hutson and Stucky both added four to the stat line and Aniya Madkin pitched in one to Florida's 61 total kills.
The Gators out blocked Tennessee 9.0-5.0 and held the Lady Vols to a .246 hitting clip, which is their lowest hitting percentage in conference play. Byrd's five led the way for Florida, while Rothe totaled four and Auguste finished with three. Additionally, Hutson and Stucky both added one to the Gators stat line.
Freshman libero Lily Hayes led the Gator defense with 15 digs, while three additional Gators totaled 11: birthday girl Ella Vogel, Hutson and Stucky. Senior Emily Canaan finished with eight, while Byrd (4), Rothe (3), Auguste (1) and Vidacic (1) combined for 17 of Florida's 65 digs.
Behind the service line, the Gators dropped three aces to the Lady Vols' two, with Auguste, Hutson and Stucky all having one apiece.
Tennessee's Hayden Kubik led the Lady Vols offense with 24 kills for a .250 hitting percentage.
Records:
Florida (10-6, 5-2 SEC)
No. 16 Tennessee (13-3, 4-2 SEC)
All-Time Series Record 57-14 (1-0 under Theis)
3-set: 41-2; 4-set: 13-4; 5-set: 3-8
Home: 29-8; Away: 27-5; Neutral: 1-1
How It Happened
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Hear from Head Coach Ryan Theis:
"No way to get a big road win without a total team effort. I thought we handled a lot of Tennessee pressure well, which was good to see from our young team."
On Jordyn Byrd having 23 kills…
"When I go out there and play, I play for my teammates. They always show that they have confidence in me, so I go out there and keep swinging for them…I try to keep a clear mind and also tell myself that my team needs me. If I make an error, so what, I need to go out there and keep swinging and keep swinging."
On what this win shows about this young team's potential…
"With new coaching staff and a lot of new players, I think with wins like this it shows everyone that we can compete with the top and we can compete with the best. We were the underdogs coming into this year just because we had so many changes, but I think winning against teams like Tennessee it shows everyone we have what it takes."
Notables
Florida heads to Lexington, Kentucky for another ranked matchup against the No. 3 Wildcats on Sunday, Oct. 19. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. and will air live on ESPN.
at No. 3 Kentucky
3-set: 37-12; 4-set: 9-4; 5-set: 7-7
Home: 26-12; Away: 23-10; Neutral: 4-1
FOLLOW FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL
FloridaGators.com
Instagram | Facebook | X
Setter Alexis Stucky registered her ninth double-double of the season after finishing with 52 assists and 11 digs to direct Florida's offense to a .276 hitting clip, as outside hitter Jordyn Byrd led the Gator attack with 23 kills. The Sarasota native finished with a personal-best five blocks, four digs and one assist for a career-high 26.5 points.
Finishing in double-digits offensively was freshman opposite hitter Milica Vidacic with 12, while middle blockers Jaela Auguste and Alec Rothe tallied nine and eight, respectfully. Outside hitter Kira Hutson and Stucky both added four to the stat line and Aniya Madkin pitched in one to Florida's 61 total kills.
The Gators out blocked Tennessee 9.0-5.0 and held the Lady Vols to a .246 hitting clip, which is their lowest hitting percentage in conference play. Byrd's five led the way for Florida, while Rothe totaled four and Auguste finished with three. Additionally, Hutson and Stucky both added one to the Gators stat line.
Freshman libero Lily Hayes led the Gator defense with 15 digs, while three additional Gators totaled 11: birthday girl Ella Vogel, Hutson and Stucky. Senior Emily Canaan finished with eight, while Byrd (4), Rothe (3), Auguste (1) and Vidacic (1) combined for 17 of Florida's 65 digs.
Behind the service line, the Gators dropped three aces to the Lady Vols' two, with Auguste, Hutson and Stucky all having one apiece.
Tennessee's Hayden Kubik led the Lady Vols offense with 24 kills for a .250 hitting percentage.
FIVE SET THRILLER!!!
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 16, 2025
Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/9bSOuxQcso
Records:
Florida (10-6, 5-2 SEC)
No. 16 Tennessee (13-3, 4-2 SEC)
All-Time Series Record 57-14 (1-0 under Theis)
3-set: 41-2; 4-set: 13-4; 5-set: 3-8
Home: 29-8; Away: 27-5; Neutral: 1-1
How It Happened
Set 1
- After battling point-for-point, a kill from Madkin gave the Gators a 5-4 lead before Tennessee scored three-straight to go ahead by two (5-7). A block from Auguste and Byrd notched it back up at nine, but the Lady Vols responded with a 5-0 scoring run and went into the media timeout with a 15-10 advantage. Out of the break, a kill from Byrd ended Florida's scoring drought, but Tennessee remained ahead by six (13-19). The Gators kept the fight with back-to-back points to inch within four, but were unable to close the gap and fell 19-25 in the opening set.
- Set 1 Team Stats | .182 Hitting %| 11 Kills | 11 Assists | 12 Digs | 1.0 Block | 0 Aces
- Lady Vols Team Stats | .382 Hitting %|17 Kills | 15 Assists | 14 Digs | 2.0 Blocks | 0 Aces
no, no, no ☝️ x @AlecRothe
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 15, 2025
📺 https://t.co/ZlxwfuCnLU (SECN) pic.twitter.com/5xQ50jjcC7
Set 2
- Byrd put Florida first on the scoreboard, as the teams exchanged points at the start of set two. Gator errors allowed the Lady Vols to take a 8-5 lead and force Florida to call an early timeout. Kills from Vidacic and Auguste gave some life back into the Gators, as a block from Byrd and Auguste allowed Florida to stay within two (8-10). Back-to-back kills from Auguste followed by one from Hutson inched the Gators within one (14-15) before a set dump from Stucky gave the Gators a 17-16 lead and force a Tennessee timeout. With the race to 25 inching near, the Lady Vols went ahead by one (20-19) before recording an attacking error to hand Florida a 23-22 lead and use their second timeout. Out of the huddle, a kill from Byrd helped seal the 25-23 second-set win.
- Set 2 Team Stats | .261 Hitting %| 15 Kills | 13 Assists |14 Digs | 1.0 Block | 0 Aces
- Lady Vols Team Stats | .214 Hitting %| 18 Kills | 16 Assists | 25 Digs | 0.0 Blocks | 0 Aces
no, no, no ☝️ x @AlecRothe
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 15, 2025
📺 https://t.co/ZlxwfuCnLU (SECN) pic.twitter.com/5xQ50jjcC7
Set 3
- Aces from Hutson and Auguste followed by a Byrd kill and block gave the Gators a 7-4 lead at the start of the third, but the Lady Vols responded with four-straight to notch it back up at sevens. Back-to-back kills from Vidacic put Florida back but up three (11-8). A solo block from Auguste kept the momentum as the Gators went into the media timeout with a 15-11 lead. Following the break, Florida went on a 4-2 scoring run behind kills from Byrd and Vidacic to extend its lead to 19-13 and force a Tennessee timeout. A kill from Byrd and a service ace from Stucky inched the Gators closer to set point, but the Lady Vols stayed alive with back-to-back points before a block from Rothe and Hutson sealed the 25-15 third-set win and hand the Gators a 2-1 match lead.
- Set 3 Team Stats | .355 Hitting %| 12 Kills | 12 Assists | 14 Digs | 3.0 Block | 3 Aces
- Lady Vols Team Stats | .077 Hitting %| 12 Kills | 9 Assists | 15 Digs | 0.0 Blocks | 1 Ace
BE.A.WALL. 😤
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 16, 2025
📺 https://t.co/ZlxwfuCnLU (SECN) pic.twitter.com/JyOsWCdMOI
Set 4
- After trailing 3-5 at the start of the fourth set, a block from Rothe and Byrd followed by a kill from Rothe notched it up at five. The two teams exchanged points until Tennessee gained an 8-6 advantage and pushed to a 13-9 lead and force Florida to call a timeout. Out of the break, Byrd put one down followed by an attack from Vidacic to inch back within two (12-14), but the Lady Vols scored two-straight to pull back ahead, 17-13. Back-to-back kills from Auguste helped Florida inch back within two, as a kill from Byrd evened the score back up at 18 before the Lady Vols' 7-4 scoring run allowed the home team to win set four, 25-22, and send the match into five.
- Set 4 Team Stats | .364 Hitting %| 15 Kills | 15 Assists | 121 Digs | 2.0 Block | 0 Aces
- Lady Vols Team Stats | .457 Hitting %| 19 Kills | 18 Assists | 12 Digs | 2.0 Blocks | 0 Aces
KEEP 'EM COMIN' x @JordynByrd_14
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 16, 2025
17 kills for J. Byrd
📺 https://t.co/ZlxwfuCnLU (SECN) pic.twitter.com/w2eHou9ma6
Set 5
- In the set where winner takes all, Florida was on the board first before the Lady Vols scored three-consecutive points for a 6-4 lead to force a Gator timeout. A Byrd kill put the Gators back within one and switched sides trailing 7-8. An attack from Rothe evened the score at eight and a Vidacic kill and a Tennessee attacking error put Florida in the lead (11-9) and force the Lady Vols to call a timeout. Out of the huddle, three quick points gave Tennessee a 12-11 lead and make Florida huddle up. With the race to 15 inching near, the Lady Vols served one into the net to make it 12-12, as Byrd followed with a kill to make it 13-12 Florida and force Tennessee to use its final timeout. Out of the break, the home team evened it back up at 13, but a Lady Vols' service error followed by a block from Stucky and Rothe sealed the 15-13 five-set win and the 3-2 match upset.
- Set 5 Team Stats | .222 Hitting %| 8 Kills | 8 Assists | 114 Digs | 2.0 Block | 0 Aces
- Lady Vols Team Stats | .103 Hitting %| 8 Kills | 7 Assists | 14 Digs | 1.0 Block | 1 Ace
YEAH J. BYRD 😤
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) October 16, 2025
📺 https://t.co/ZlxwfuCnLU (SECN) pic.twitter.com/2tFxwOYvZD
Hear from Head Coach Ryan Theis:
"No way to get a big road win without a total team effort. I thought we handled a lot of Tennessee pressure well, which was good to see from our young team."
On Jordyn Byrd having 23 kills…
"When I go out there and play, I play for my teammates. They always show that they have confidence in me, so I go out there and keep swinging for them…I try to keep a clear mind and also tell myself that my team needs me. If I make an error, so what, I need to go out there and keep swinging and keep swinging."
On what this win shows about this young team's potential…
"With new coaching staff and a lot of new players, I think with wins like this it shows everyone that we can compete with the top and we can compete with the best. We were the underdogs coming into this year just because we had so many changes, but I think winning against teams like Tennessee it shows everyone we have what it takes."
Notables
- The Gators are now 3-2 in five-set matches
- Florida sits 3-4 this season when playing on the road
- The Gators are 4-3 against teams ranked in the AVCA Top-25
- When playing on a Wednesday, UF moves to 1-0
- The Gators move to 4-1 in October play
- Alexis Stucky recorded her 19th career double-double and her ninth of the season after finishing with 52 assists and 11 digs
- Two players either set or tied career highs:
- Jordyn Byrd: 26.5 points | 5 blocks | 4 digs (tied) | 1 assist (tied)
- Ella Vogel: 2 assists (tied)
- Two Gators finished with double-digit kills:
- Jordyn Byrd: 23
- Milica Vidacic:12
- Four Gators finished with double-digit digs:
- Lily Hayes: 15
- Alexis Stucky: 11
- Kira Hutson: 11
- Ella Vogel: 11
Florida heads to Lexington, Kentucky for another ranked matchup against the No. 3 Wildcats on Sunday, Oct. 19. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. and will air live on ESPN.
at No. 3 Kentucky
- Date & Time: Sunday, Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. ET
- Venue: Historical Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky
- Broadcast: ESPN https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/7e8a8eba-9954-4c2a-b183-26ba4dcfe27f
- Talent: Sam Gore (PxP), Missy Whittemore (Analyst) and Leah Edmond (Reporter)
- LiveStats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=601272&vislive=fla
3-set: 37-12; 4-set: 9-4; 5-set: 7-7
Home: 26-12; Away: 23-10; Neutral: 4-1
FOLLOW FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL
FloridaGators.com
Instagram | Facebook | X
Team Stats
UF
UT
Kills
61
74
Errors
14
30
Attempts
170
179
Hitting %
.276
.246
Points
73.0
81.0
Assists
59
65
Aces
3
2
Blocks
9
5
Game Leaders
Kills
23
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballOPP
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ VolleyballCarwash Convos: Alexis Stucky
Friday, October 17
Jordyn Byrd Post-Match Interview
Friday, October 17
Alexis Stucky | Carwash Convos
Friday, October 17
Jordyn Byrd Post-Match Interview
Sunday, September 28
