Florida hosts the Crimson Tide on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Match Notes
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 12th-ranked Florida volleyball team begins the hunt for its 25th SEC Championship on Wednesday when the Alabama Crimson Tide come to town.
First serve is slated for 7 p.m. on SEC Network + and the match can also be heard on the airways of ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM/850 AM.
Florida is coming off a thrilling five-set victory over then-No. 4 Wisconsin, while Alabama defeated Texas State in straight sets during its last outing.
The Gators hold the 50-0 record against the Crimson Tide, including a 48-0 record under Mary Wise and a 25-0 advantage in Gainesville, Fla.
Promotions
* Giveaway: WeChomp F Magnets
* Giveaway: Team schedule posters and team magnets
* Student Block Party with games prior to the match at Gate 3
* Post-match autographs with the team on the court
Last Time Against Alabama
* The last time these two squads faced off was on Oct. 20, 2021 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the Gators swept the Crimson Tide (25-17, 25-19, 25-22)
* The Gators had an incredibly balanced offensive attack against the Crimson Tide, with six players registering at least one kill. Florida was led by Thayer Hall on the offensive front, who posted 11 kills on the evening. Merritt Beason pitched in an eight-kill performance of her own, while T’ara Ceasar added six in the three-setter
* Bre Kelley posted a career-high five kills on the night on a .625 clip, while Lauren Forte (3) and Marlie Monserez (2) combined for five kills
* Monserez captained the offense, dishing out 29 assists and leading the team to a .295 hitting percentage
* As a team, the Gators held Alabama to a .106 clip and notched 10.0 blocks. Kelley was a dominant force at the net in her first start, grabbing a career-high and a team-high six blocks on the evening. Beason added four, while Ceasar and Forte each recorded three blocks apiece
* Florida’s backcourt defense was led by Elli McKissock, who registered 13 digs in the match. Ceasar followed with 10 of her own, while Hall was just one dig away from a double-double, recording nine on the night
Last Time Out
* The 16th-ranked Florida volleyball team defeated No. 4 Wisconsin in a five-set thriller on Friday night, while setting a regular season NCAA attendance record of 16,833 fans (25-21, 25-18, 26-28, 13-25, 15-13)
* The Gators’ defense at the net proved to be the difference maker, with Florida holding the Badgers to a .115 hitting efficiency. As a team, UF tallied 16.0 blocks in the five-setter, led by seven from Bre Kelley. Alexis Stucky and Marina Markova each added five in the victory, while Gabrielle Essix added four
* Florida’s offensive attack was led by a career-high 21-kill performance from Merritt Beason. Essix pitched in 10 kills, while Markova added eight in the victory
* Alexis Stucky controlled the tempo of the match for Florida, dishing out 45 assists – tying her career-best mark
* Elli McKissock led the backcourt defensive effort for Florida, finishing the match with 18 digs. Trinity Adams added 10 digs of her own in the win, while Beason and Victoria tallied eight and six, respectively
* Beason posted a team-best three service aces in the victory, followed by one apiece from McKissock and Emily Canaan.
Gators in the SEC
* As a team, the Gators are ranked in the Top-6 in the conference in four categories:
* Opponent hitting percentage (1st | .133)
* Blocks per set (1st | 2.81)
* Aces per set (5th | 1.86)
* Hitting percentage (6th | .258)
* Individually, the following Gators rank in the Top-10 in different categories:
* Bre Kelley:
* Hitting percentage (5th | .378)
* Blocks per set (5th | 1.24)
* Merritt Beason
* Aces per set (3rd | 0.50)
* Points per set (9th | 4.45)
* Alexis Stucky
* Assists per set (6th | 10.00)
* Gabrielle Essix
* Blocks per set (7th | 1.20)
* Elli McKissock
* Digs per set (9th | 3.86)
No. 12 Florida vs. Alabama Broadcast Information
Date & Time: Sept. 21 | 7 p.m.
Live Stream: SEC Network +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=2d6dc865-b69d-40ce-bcfa-8e09ebf21dbc>
Live Stats: Statbroadcast<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=417373>
Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM/850 AM<https://www.wruf.com/listen-live/>
Series Information – No. 12 Florida vs. Alabama
Crimson Tide | 2022 season synopsis: 6-6, 0-0 SEC
* This is the 51st meeting between the Gators and the Crimson Tide
* Florida leads 50-0 (48-0 under Mary Wise)
* 3-set: 46-0 | 4-set: 4-0 | 5-set: 0-0
* Home: 25-0 | Away: 22-0 | Neutral: 3-0
* Last Time Out: Oct. 20, 2021 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | W, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-22)
TICKET INFO | Gator Ticket Office Online<http://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_tickets_volleyball_.aspx> | Call: 352-375-4683 x6800 (Open M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
Season Ticket Prices:
* Reserved (Sections 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15) – $75 [ages 13 & up]
* Kids Reserved (Sections 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15) – $35 [ages 12 & under]
* General Admission (All other lower bowl areas) – $50 [ages 13 and up]
* Kids General Admission (All other lower bowl areas) – $25 [ages 12 & under]
* Courtside Season Pass (subject to availability) – $150 [all ages]
* Loge Seating (subject to availability) [in front of the Sideline Club] – $100 [all ages]
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