Florida topped the Aggies in four sets on Thursday night to finish the regular season 19-3
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – The seventh-ranked Florida volleyball closed out the 2021 regular season on a high note, defeating the Texas A&M Aggies in four-sets on Thursday night in Reed Arena.
The Gators finish the 2020-21 regular season second in the league with a 19-3 record, while A&M ends the SEC-only format with a 9-9 record.
Florida took the first set 25-19, but then Texas A&M answered with a 27-25 victory in the second to even the match 1-1. The Gators dominated the final two frames, winning 25-17 and 25-13 to end the regular season with a victory.
Four Gators tallied double-figure kills on the night, led by 14 from T’ara Ceasar. Holly Carlton added 13 kills with a .429 clip, while Thayer Hall and Lauren Forte added 12 and 10 kills, respectively.
The last time four Gators recorded double-digit kills in a match was Nov. 8, 2019 against Ole Miss.
Marlie Monserez dished out 37 assists in the four-setter, leading the Gators to a .305 clip on the night.
Florida tallied 11.0 blocks in the match, limiting Texas A&M to a .152 clip. Lauren Dooley, Carlton and Forte each notched five blocks in the match to lead the way for Florida
Elli McKissock controlled the backcourt defense for Florida, recording 18 digs on the night. Ceasar added 13 for her ninth double-double of the year, while Monserez pitched in 10 for her eighth double-double this season.
As a team, Florida registered nine service aces, led by a career-best four from Monserez. McKissock also tied her career-high, finishing with two aces on the evening.
The Gators now await the NCAA Selection Show, which airs on Sunday, April 4 at 4 p.m.
Records
No. 7 Florida (19-3, 19-3 SEC)
Texas A&M (9-9, 9-9 SEC)
How It Happened
* Florida jumped out to the 9-6 lead early in the first set, but Texas A&M went on an 8-4 run to pull ahead 14-12 midway through. Out of the media timeout, the Gators were able to string together a run, grabbing the 21-17 advantage. Texas A&M would get two back, but Florida closed out the frame 25-19 behind the serves of McKissock.
* The Gators hit .407 in the first frame, led by five kills from Hall. Ceasar and Carlton each posted three kills of their own, while the squad notched 3.0 blocks in the set.
* The Aggies held the 5-3 advantage early in the second set, but McKissock led the Gators on a 7-0 service run to put Florida ahead 10-5. UF continued to hold the lead, but the Aggies kept chipping away, pulling to within one at 14-13 to force Florida to use its first timeout. Out of that break, the Gators exploded for a 6-2 run to take the 20-15 lead late. The Aggies continued to battle, cutting their deficit to just one at 23-22, forcing Florida’s final timeout of the frame. A&M was able to tie up the set at 23-23, then the two squads traded points until the Aggies strung together a 2-0 run to secure the 27-25 victory.
* Ceasar, Carlton and Forte led the way offensively with three kills in the frame.
* The Gators and Aggies kept to within two points of one another early in the third, but when Florida found itself down 13-11, UF went on a 9-3 run to hold the 20-16 advantage late. The Gators closed out the frame on a 5-1 run behind the serves of Monserez, who posted her fourth service ace to cap of the victory – a career-high for the junior.
* Florida hit .278 in the third set, led by four kills apiece from Ceasar and Forte. Carlton added three of her own as well to secure the win.
* The fourth set was all Florida from the start, with UF pulling ahead seven points at the 14-7 mark. The Aggies pulled to within five at 15-10, but the Gators closed out the set and the match on a 10-3 run to end the regular season with a win.
* Florida notched a .500 clip in the final frame, led by four kills apiece from Carlton, Ceasar and Hall. Monserez and Dooley also tallied two blocks apiece in the closing set.
Notables
* T’ara Ceasar recorded her ninth double-double of the year, finishing with 14 kills and 13 digs
* Marlie Monserez notched her eighth double-double this season, recording 37 assists and 10 digs
* Four Gators recorded double-digit kills on the night: Ceasar (14), Carlton (13), Hall (12) and Forte (10)
* The last time the Gators had four players in double-figure kills was Nov. 8, 2019 against Ole Miss
* Marlie Monserez recorded a career-high four service aces in the match, surpassing her previous mark of three
* Elli McKissock tied her career-high with two service aces
* The Gators improve to 19-1 against the Aggies in the all-time series, including a 17-1 record under Mary Wise
* Florida remains unbeaten in four-set matches against the Aggies, improving to 7-0
* UF is now 9-1 against Texas A&M in College Station, Texas
* The Gators improve to 3-1 in four-set matches this season
* Florida is now 7-1 in the month of March
* UF improves to 4-1 on Thursdays in the 2020-21 campaign
Thoughts from Coach Wise
* “A&M played really well tonight, but the difference for us was the play of Holly Carlton. She was terrific in all aspects of her game.”
Up Next
* Now that the Gators have concluded their regular season, the team awaits the NCAA Selection Show on April 4
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