UF VB | Florida Drops Five-Set Battle to Mississippi State

The Gators move to 1-1 in the SEC

Box Score<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_documents_2021_9_24_UF-5FMiss02.pdf&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=hIRi_9s81im6OqGGdbZ0hl8rXavaZyoqnOOOca7UTWg&s=vEyZmDvd0GBFCdJS1lVddlnZfnVd4PZiF246J77KtzM&e= >

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 17 Florida volleyball team (7-5, 1-1 SEC) closed out the series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs (10-4, 1-1) with a five-set loss on Friday night in Exactech Arena.

Florida battled back from an early deficit in the first set to claim the frame 25-17, but the Bulldogs responded with a 25-23 victory in the second set. Mississippi State grabbed the third set in extras 26-24, but the Gators answered with a 25-21 win in the fourth to force a deciding fifth set. The Bulldogs clinched the match with a 15-13 victory in the final set.

Sofia Victoria led Florida’s offense on Friday night, posting 19 kills. T’ara Ceasar added a 17-kill effort, while Merritt Beason, Lauren Dooley and Thayer Hall recorded nine, eight and seven kills, respectively.

Marlie Monserez dished out 56 assists on the night, putting her just eight assists away from the 3,000-assist mark.

At the net, Florida notched 15.0 blocks, led by five from Gabrielle Essix and Beason. Ceasar, Dooley and Nnedi Okammor each posted four blocks of their own in the match.

Five Gators recorded at least 10 digs in the match – the last time that was accomplished was Aug. 25, 2018 against No. 3 Texas. Elli McKissock recorded a team-high 22 digs on the evening, followed by a 14-dig performance from Ceasar. Monserez pitched in 13 digs, while Hall and Victoria added 12 and 10, respectively.

The Gators are back in action on Wednesday, Sept. 29 when the team heads to Athens, Ga. to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. on ESPNU.

Records
No. 17 Florida (7-5, 1-1 SEC)
Mississippi State (10-4, 1-1 SEC)

How it Happened

* The Bulldogs jumped out to the 5-0 lead, forcing a Florida timeout early in the first set. UF battled back with an 8-3 run – thanks in part to the play of Ceasar behind the service line – to tie the frame at 8-all, then kept the momentum rolling, pulling ahead three points at 18-15 to force Mississippi State to utilize its first timeout. Three points was the closest the Bulldogs would get the rest of the way, with Florida closing out the set with a 7-2 run.
* UF hit .500 in the set, led by seven kills from Victoria. Ceasar added four of her own, while Dooley posted three in the frame.
* The second set was a battle from the start, with neither team holding more than a three-point advantage until after the media timeout. Mississippi State grabbed the 17-13 lead out of the break and continued to hold the slight advantage. Florida cut its deficit to just one at 20-19 before the Bulldogs pulled ahead 24-21. The Gators staved off two set points, but Mississippi State was able to even the match at 1-1 with a 25-23 victory.
* Florida hit .316 in the second led, led by six kills apiece from Hall and Victoria.
* The Gators took the 5-1 lead in the third set, but Mississippi State answered with an 8-0 run to force a Florida timeout. The Bulldogs continued to hold at least a three-point advantage until the Gators tied the frame at 16-16. From that point on, the teams traded points until Mississippi State strung together a 2-0 run to win 26-24.
* Beason led the way with six kills in the third set, followed by four from Ceasar.
* With the fourth set tied 10-10, the Gators put together a 4-0 run to force a Mississippi State timeout. Out of the break, Florida continued to hold at least a three-point advantage until the Bulldogs pulled within two at 22-20. The Gators closed out the fourth set on a 3-1 run to force a deciding fifth set in Exactech Arena.
* Ceasar posted a team-high five kills in the fourth frame, followed by four from Victoria.
* Florida jumped out to the early 5-2 lead in the fifth, but Mississippi State dug itself out of the hole, tying it at 9-9. The Gators once again pulled ahead two at 11-9, but the Bulldogs fought back, going on a 4-1 run to take the 13-12 advantage. The Gators got one back to tie it at 13-13, but Mississippi State closed out the match with a 2-0 run.
* Dooley registered a team-high three kills in the final set, followed by two from Victoria.
Notables

* Monserez registered her fourth double-double of the season, recording 56 assists and 13 digs
* Victoria picked up her second double-double, recording 19 kills and 10 digs
* Ceasar recorded her sixth double-double of the year, finishing with 17 kills and 14 digs
* She also notched her 10th-straight match with double-figure kills
* Victoria has now posted double-digit kills in five-straight matches
* The last time five Gators recorded at least 10 digs in a match was August 25, 2018 vs. No. 3 Texas
* Monserez is now just eight assists away from becoming just the seventh Gator to hit the 3,000-assist mark
Up Next

* The Gators hit the road for a midweek matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 29
* Wednesday’s first serve is slated for 7 p.m. on ESPNU
* The match can also be heard on the airways of ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM
* Florida holds the 67-10 record over Georgia
No. 17 Florida at Georgia Broadcast Information
Date & Time: Sept. 29 | 7 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPNU<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D3809679&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=hIRi_9s81im6OqGGdbZ0hl8rXavaZyoqnOOOca7UTWg&s=qmakp5mFiPso9E0swFdHhxWJLurwjFwUtc1FnTk-DPg&e= >
Live Stats: Sidearm<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__georgiadogs.com_sidearmstats_wvball_summary&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=hIRi_9s81im6OqGGdbZ0hl8rXavaZyoqnOOOca7UTWg&s=-RW3sno-ksy61e4xsEu7k7SRiuGOPV0egts-8Q7KSFg&e= >
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM<https://www.wruf.com/listen-live/>
Series Information – No. 17 Florida at Georgia
Bulldogs | 2021 season synopsis: 4-8, 0-1 SEC