GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 23 Florida volleyball team takes their talents on the road this weekend for two SEC matchups against Texas A&M and LSU.
The Gators (11-5, 2-3 SEC) will first travel to College Station, TX on Friday for a 9 p.m. ET matchup against Texas A&M (12-3, 3-2 SEC) inside Reed Arena before heading to Baton Rouge, LA on Sunday to face LSU (11-6, 3-3 SEC) at 1 p.m. ET inside the Maravich Center.
Friday’s match versus the Aggies can be watched on SEC Network, while Sunday’s matchup will be streamed on ESPN2.
Florida is looking to pick up two wins and mend their Conference record after dropping three matches to No. 7 Texas, No. 15 Kentucky and most recently to South Carolina on Oct. 13.
On Texas A&M:
The Aggies are currently tied for fourth in SEC play with a 3-2 record after dropping their third match of the season against LSU on Sunday, Oct. 13 in five sets. Texas A&M is currently hitting .264 and ranks No. 2 in the SEC for kills with 13.84 kills per set. Their 13.11 assists per set is good for third in the Conference, with Aggies setter Maddie Waak leading the league in assists with 10.77 per set.
On the defensive end, A&M ranks third in opponent hitting percentage (.174) and blocks per set (2.58), while averaging 12.81 digs per set (11th in SEC). A&M’s middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla individually ranks second in blocks with 1.47 per set.
Florida has won nine of the last ten matches against Texas A&M, and the Gators have won all matches played in College Station since 2016. Florida split their 2023 series with the Aggies, losing 2-3 in Gainesville on Sept. 27, 2023 before grabbing a 3-1 win on the road on Oct. 20, 2023.
On LSU:
The Tigers have a full week of rest heading into Sunday’s match after improving their SEC record to 3-3 with a 3-2 win over Texas A&M on Oct. 13. LSU is currently hitting .225 on the season (14th in SEC) and averages 12.86 kills per set (14th in SEC). Sophomore outside hitter Jurnee Robinson the Conference in kills per set (4.92) and points per set (5.53). Additionally, Bailey Ortega, a fifth-year transfer from Iowa, ranks No. 7 in the League with 10.15 assists per set.
On the defensive side, LSU is averaging 13.61 digs per set (8th in SEC) and 2.09 blocks per set (11th in SEC) to contribute to a .233 opponent hitting percentage.
Since 2010, Florida has won 22 of the 23 matches played against LSU. The Gators most recent loss to the Tigers comes in 2021, when Florida fell 1-3 in Baton Rouge.
Match Notes Preview:
* Hit Squad: The Power of Many
* Florida’s front row has seen versatile attacking from all positions at the net. Four different Gators have led the team in kills at least once this season, while six Gator attackers are currently averaging a .300 hitting percentage or higher: Jaela Auguste .378% (K: 89, E:24, TA:172), Gabrielle Essix .714% (K:16, E:1, TA:21), Kennedy Martin .332% (K:152 E:49, TA:310), Lauren Harden .421% (K:9, E:1, TA:19) Alec Rothe .363% (K:97, E:23, TA:204), Amaya Thomas .413% (K:52, E:14, TA:92)
* GatorAce
* Florida’s 16 aces against Alabama State on Sept. 12 ties for second nationally for team aces in a three-set match. The Gators are currently averaging 2.08 aces per set as a team, which ranks first in the SEC and eighth in the nation. Additionly Florida’s 123 total team aces ranks t-37th in the nation. Two Gators are currently individually ranked in the Conference: Kennedy Martin sixth and Taylor Parks seventh.
* Attack Efficiency
* Through 16 matches in 2024, the Gators sit at a .294 clip in kill percentage, good for the second-highest total in the SEC and eighth-highest total in the NCAA. Florida has hit above .300 seven times this season and recorded their highest hitting percentage of .456 against Alabama State on Sept. 12. Additionally, the Gators have totaled five or less attack errors in 43 of their 59 sets played so far.
* Gators in the Rankings
* Florida has been ranked inside the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association Top-25 poll for 525 consecutive weeks, marking nine-straight seasons of never dropping out of the top-25. The Gators currently rank No. 23 in the AVCA top-25 Division I WVB Poll.
* Of their remaining 12 regular-season matches, Florida is set to face three opponents that are either ranked or receiving votes in the current poll. The Gators have already played against four teams who are mentioned in Monday’s poll: No. 7 Texas, No. 15 Kentucky, No. 17 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Florida State.
Series Information:
No. 23 Florida vs. RV Texas A&M
Friday, Oct. 18 | 7 p.m. ET
Florida 11-5, 2-3 SEC | Texas A&M 12-3, 3-2 SEC
Reed Arena – College Station, Tx
SECN<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/275773e8-1048-4453-bf97-de7475686322> | Live Stats<https://12thman.com/sidearmstats/wvball>
Series Information
* Series Record 22-2 (22-2 under Wise)
* 3-set: 8-0, 4-set: 9-0; 5-set: 5-2
* Home: 10-1; Away: 11-1; Neutral: 1-0
* Last time out | W, 3-1 | A | 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-12
No. 23 Florida vs. LSU
Sunday, Oct. 20 | 1 p.m. ET
Florida 11-5, 2-3 SEC | LSU 11-6, 3-3 SEC
Maravich Center – Baton Rouge, La.
ESPN2<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/1b448d1d-33ad-4b2d-9102-a8b4e8cf7a1d> | Live Stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=538919>
Series Information
* Series Record 52-14 (49-6 under Wise)
* 3-set: 30-7; 4-set: 17-7; 5-set: 5-0
* Home: 26-5; Away: 21-7; Neutral: 3-2
* Last time out | W, 3-0 | H | 25-17, 25-23, 25-16
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