Sunday, August 31
Gainesville, Fla.
1 PM
Florida Gators
vs
Norfolk State
The Gators welcome Norfolk State to Gainesville for the first all-time series matchup.
No. 16 Florida Volleyball Hosts Norfolk State in in Regular-Season Home Opener
Friday, August 29, 2025 | Volleyball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 16 Florida volleyball (1-1, 0-0 SEC) opens its regular-season home slate on Sunday, Aug. 31 when it hosts Norfolk State at 1 p.m. ET inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Sunday's matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs and will stream on SECN+ with Tom Collett and Missy Whittemore on the call, while Sky Lebron and Nick Cheronis will provide radio coverage on ESPN 98.1/850 AM WRUF.
Sunday, Aug. 31 vs. Norfolk State
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Exactech Arena inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
Promotion: The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Florida volleyball team poster.
Broadcast: SECN+
Play-by-Play: Tom Collett
Analyst: Missy Whittemore
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF
Talent: Sky Lebron and Nick Cheronis
Last Time out at the AVCA First Serve Showcase:
The No. 16 Florida volleyball team opened its 2025 season with a pair of ranked battles at the AVCA First Serve Showcase, falling to No. 6 Stanford on Friday, Aug. 22 before rallying to defeat No. 3 Pitt in five sets on Sunday, Aug. 24 inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
After dropping the first and third sets, Florida responded behind a balanced offensive effort to take down the Panthers, 3-2 (19-25, 25-15, 15-25, 26-24, 15-13). Pitt, the 2024 AVCA National Semifinalist for the fourth straight year, features reigning AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock.
Redshirt sophomore Jordyn Byrd headlined the effort with a career-high 23 kills en route to being named AVCA Player of the Match. Setter Alexis Stucky commanded the offense with her second double-double of the weekend (44 assists, 11 digs), while sophomore Jaela Auguste added a career-best eight blocks and four aces to go along with nine kills. Freshman libero Lily Hayes led the back row with 21 digs, as Florida held Pitt to a .186 hitting percentage and secured head coach Ryan Theis' first victory at the helm of Gator volleyball.
The win came on the heels of a hard-fought opener against Stanford, where Florida fell 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 22-25, 22-25). In her collegiate debut, Byrd led the way with 17 kills on a .368 hitting clip, while Stucky posted her 11th career double-double and first of the season with 39 assists and 12 digs. Freshman Milica Vidacic added 10 kills and five blocks in her first collegiate outing and Hayes became the first freshman libero to start a season for Florida since 2006, finishing with 12 digs.
About Norfolk State:
Norfolk State opens the year with a trip south to Orlando, Fla., at the UCF Tournament form Aug. 29-30. They will face UT Chattanooga, UC Riverside, and UCF before arriving in Gainesville for Sunday's match.
Norfolk State finished 2024 with a 13-15 record and a 7-7 mark in MEAC conference play. The Spartans qualified for the MEAC Tournament and reached the quarterfinals before Maryland Eastern Shore ended their run in a 3-1 decision.
The Spartans return All-MEAC selections Gabby Gilbert and Sydney McCree. Gilbert, who earned First Team honors, returns as one of the league's top outside hitters, while McCree brings steady leadership as a senior setter.
Bullock's roster balances experience with youth with the return of 10 players, while nine newcomers bring fresh talent and depth. Senior transfer Mya Wood has already made an impression, both on and off the court.
Norfolk State also added transfer Paula Sigurani from Morgan State, bolstering the front row, and welcomed seven freshmen — Mikayla Middleton, Isis Castille, twins Jolie and Mina Faw, Gabriella Viana daSilva, Mary Nahinu and Ava Berry. The group has shown promise in preseason camp, giving Bullock confidence in the team's depth.
Sunday's matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs and will stream on SECN+ with Tom Collett and Missy Whittemore on the call, while Sky Lebron and Nick Cheronis will provide radio coverage on ESPN 98.1/850 AM WRUF.
Sunday, Aug. 31 vs. Norfolk State
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Exactech Arena inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
Promotion: The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Florida volleyball team poster.
Broadcast: SECN+
Play-by-Play: Tom Collett
Analyst: Missy Whittemore
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF
Talent: Sky Lebron and Nick Cheronis
Last Time out at the AVCA First Serve Showcase:
The No. 16 Florida volleyball team opened its 2025 season with a pair of ranked battles at the AVCA First Serve Showcase, falling to No. 6 Stanford on Friday, Aug. 22 before rallying to defeat No. 3 Pitt in five sets on Sunday, Aug. 24 inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
After dropping the first and third sets, Florida responded behind a balanced offensive effort to take down the Panthers, 3-2 (19-25, 25-15, 15-25, 26-24, 15-13). Pitt, the 2024 AVCA National Semifinalist for the fourth straight year, features reigning AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock.
Redshirt sophomore Jordyn Byrd headlined the effort with a career-high 23 kills en route to being named AVCA Player of the Match. Setter Alexis Stucky commanded the offense with her second double-double of the weekend (44 assists, 11 digs), while sophomore Jaela Auguste added a career-best eight blocks and four aces to go along with nine kills. Freshman libero Lily Hayes led the back row with 21 digs, as Florida held Pitt to a .186 hitting percentage and secured head coach Ryan Theis' first victory at the helm of Gator volleyball.
The win came on the heels of a hard-fought opener against Stanford, where Florida fell 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 22-25, 22-25). In her collegiate debut, Byrd led the way with 17 kills on a .368 hitting clip, while Stucky posted her 11th career double-double and first of the season with 39 assists and 12 digs. Freshman Milica Vidacic added 10 kills and five blocks in her first collegiate outing and Hayes became the first freshman libero to start a season for Florida since 2006, finishing with 12 digs.
About Norfolk State:
Norfolk State opens the year with a trip south to Orlando, Fla., at the UCF Tournament form Aug. 29-30. They will face UT Chattanooga, UC Riverside, and UCF before arriving in Gainesville for Sunday's match.
Norfolk State finished 2024 with a 13-15 record and a 7-7 mark in MEAC conference play. The Spartans qualified for the MEAC Tournament and reached the quarterfinals before Maryland Eastern Shore ended their run in a 3-1 decision.
The Spartans return All-MEAC selections Gabby Gilbert and Sydney McCree. Gilbert, who earned First Team honors, returns as one of the league's top outside hitters, while McCree brings steady leadership as a senior setter.
Bullock's roster balances experience with youth with the return of 10 players, while nine newcomers bring fresh talent and depth. Senior transfer Mya Wood has already made an impression, both on and off the court.
Norfolk State also added transfer Paula Sigurani from Morgan State, bolstering the front row, and welcomed seven freshmen — Mikayla Middleton, Isis Castille, twins Jolie and Mina Faw, Gabriella Viana daSilva, Mary Nahinu and Ava Berry. The group has shown promise in preseason camp, giving Bullock confidence in the team's depth.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ VolleyballJordyn Byrd Post-Match Interview
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Sunday, August 24
Jordyn Byrd AVCA Player of the Game 8-24-25
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Ryan Theis First Win 8-24-25
Sunday, August 24
