The Gators held the Aggies to a .117 clip.
Box Score<https://floridagators.com/documents/2023/10/20/GameBook_-_Florida.pdf>
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. T17 Florida Volleyball team defeated Texas A&M in four sets on Friday night inside Reed Arena.
The Gators improve to 13-4 on the season and 5-3 in SEC play, while Texas A&M moves to 14-5 on the year and 6-3 in conference play.
After a hard-fought first set, UF fell 23-25, but bounced back after winning another tightly-contested second set 25-23. The Gators took a 2-1 match lead after securing a 25-21 win in the third frame, and carried the momentum in the fourth frame as the Gators secured its road match victory with a 25-12 win.
Senior Sofia Victoria led the offensive attack on the night, posting a team-high 17 kills. Kennedy Martin and AC Fitzpatrick each recorded double-digit kills, tallying 15 and 14, respectively.
Fifth year setter Kennedy Muff dished out 43 assists, to go along with 10 digs as well as recording one block and one kill, while Elli McKissock added seven assists of her own.
As a squad, Florida registered a four-set season-high 17.0 blocks and kept the Bulldogs to a .117 clip. Kennedy Martin and Gabbi Essiz both led the way at the net with 8 blocks. Nnedi Okammor added six in the match, and AC Fitzpatrick added three of her own.
McKissock (17) and Muff (10) led the backcourt defense for Florida, Trinity Adams recorded nine digs of her own, with Emily Canaan (8) and Martin (6) had a combined 14 digs.
Florida recorded four aces from behind the service line, led by two from Fitzpatrick. Adams and Muff registered one a piece.
The Gators are back in action next Thursday against Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. ET and will be aired on SEC+.
Records
No. T17 Florida (13-4, 5-3 SEC)
Texas A&M (14-5, 6-3 SEC)
How It Happened
* The Gators traded points with the Aggies at the start of the first set, but Texas A&M went on a five-point run to take a 12-8 lead. Two aces from AC Fitzpatrick and two kills from Kennedy Martin knotted it back at 12 all to force an Aggies timeout. Texas A&M regained a steady two-point lead heading into the final points of set one, forcing Florida to take its second timeout. Down 24-,21 a block by Sofia Victoria and Gabbi Essix followed by a Texas A&M hitting error brought the Gators within one, but fell short, 25-23.
* Kennedy Martin and Sophia Victoria let the way offensively, recording five and four kills, respectfully.
* Elli McKissock made a diving save in the first play to set the tone for the second set. The Gators kept a one-point lead throughout the first 10 points, but the Aggies battled back to take a 13-11 lead and force Florida to take a timeout. The Gators responded as Martin and Victoria recorded back-to-back kills to inch within one. The Aggies regained a 20-18 lead, but a side-out and an Aggie service error tied it all at 20. AC Fitzpatrick kept the momentum going, putting one down the line to end a hard-fought rally and force Texas A&M to take a timeout. The two teams went back and forth in the final stretch, but a kill from Martin followed by a block from Martin and Essix gave set two to the Gators, 25-23.
* In a frame that saw 11 tie scores and four lead changes, Sofia Victoria recorded five kills and only saw one error in the second set.
* Back-to-back blocks from Gabbi Essix and Kennedy Martin put Florida up 5-1 in the third to force an Aggies timeout. The Gatos kept the momentum going, extending their lead by seven. Texas A&M inched their way back to make it 14-13 and forced Florida to take it’s first timeout of the set. A solo block from Martin put the Gators back up by three, but the Aggies battled back to tie it 18. Points were traded back and forth in the final stretch, but an ace from Kennedy Muff made it 24-20. Martin recorded her 11th kill of the night as Florida took the third set, 25-21.
* UF recorded 12 blocks in the third set, with Essix recording five of her own.
* Florida found their rhythm in the fourth set, gaining an early, 7-4 lead. A block from Kennedy Martin and Nnedi Okammor put the Gators up by five and make Texas A&M use its first timeout of the match. Florida would go on two separate four-point scoring runs, and secure a 25-12 win.
* The Gators hit .514 in the fourth frame, as Fitzpatrick and Victoria led the set with five kills apiece.
Notables
* With her 15 Kills, Kennedy Martin continues her streak of recording 10 or more kills in every match this season.
* Elli McKissock’s 17 digs surpasses Lyra Vance’s 1,444 career digs to rank third in Florida’s record book with 1,461 career digs.
* She sets a new four-set individual dig season-high, surpassing her own 16 digs against Mississippi State (10/13).
* Sofia Victoria set a new season-high 17 kills.
* Kennedy Muff recorded her third double-double of the season, finishing with 43 assist and 10 digs.
* Florida’s 17 blocks marks a new team season-high in four sets, which was 13 at South Carolina on October 1st.
* 59 digs ties the team season-high recorded in four sets.
* Three Gators recorded double-digit kills; Sofia Victoria (17), Kennedy Martin (15), and AC Fitzpatrick (14).
* Florida improves to an overall 22-2 against Texas A&M in the all-time series, including 22-2 record under Mary Wise.
* UF is now 9-0 in four-set matches against the Aggies.
* The Gators improve to 11-1 against Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.
* Florida improves to a 3-1 in four-set matches during the 2023 campaign.
Thoughts from Coach Wise
* “For a team that has dealt with so much adversity, it was such a great night for everyone’s contributions and a great road win.”
Up Next
* The Gators are back in action next Thursday against Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.
* First serve is slated for 7 p.m. ET on SEC+
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