First time in program history Florida has swept two Top-5 opponents in the same week
Box Score<https://floridagators.com/documents/2023/9/3/152977.PDF>
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The eighth-ranked Florida volleyball team continued its hot streak on Sunday afternoon, topping No. 5 Minnesota in straight-sets.
The Gators are starting 4-0 for the 17th time in program history and it is the first time that three of the four wins have come against Top-10 opponents (No. 2 Stanford, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 8 Penn State).
This is also the first time in program history that Florida has defeated two Top-5 teams in the same week.
Florida won the first frame 25-22 to take the lead in the match, then cruised to the 25-18 win in the second. The Gators secured the win with a tightly-contested 25-23 victory in the final frame.
Kennedy Martin posted a team-high 15 kills in the match, followed by eight from Anna Dixon. AC Fitzpatrick and Sofia Victoria each registered seven kills apiece from the left.
Alexis Stucky dished out 32 assists in the victory, followed by seven from Elli McKissock in the three-setter.
As a team, Florida held Minnesota to a .147 clip, tallying 5.0 blocks. Gabrielle Essix, Victoria and Dixon each registered a team-high two blocks at the net.
McKissock paced the backcourt defense with 15 digs, followed by Trinity Adams’ career-high 12. Stucky added 11 in the match, good for her second double-double of the year, while Martin (7) and Emily Canaan (6) combined for 13.
The Gators are back in action for the Gators Invitational, running from Thursday, Sept. 7 – Saturday, Sept. 9. Florida welcomes Sacramento State, Clemson and Winthrop for the three-day tournament.
Records
No. 8 Florida (4-0)
No. 5 Minnesota (2-2)
How It Happened
* With the first set tied at 7-all early, the Gators used a 5-0 run behind the serves of Anna Dixon to pull ahead 12-7. Florida continued to build its lead, taking as large as a seven-point lead at the 21-14 mark. Minnesota went on a run to pull within one at 21-20, but UF used a 2-0 run to regain the momentum. The Gators finished out the frame with a 25-22 win to go ahead 1-0.
* Kennedy Martin posted a team-high five kills in the frame, followed by two apiece from AC Fitzpatrick, Sofia Victoria and Alexis Stucky.
* The second set was once again close at the start, but Florida broke away with a 4-0 run to take the 11-7 lead. The Gators kept the Golden Gophers at an arm’s length throughout the remainder of the set, going up seven multiple times. Florida cruised to the 25-18 victory to grab the 2-0 lead in the match.
* Florida hit .273 in the second set, led by three kills from three different Gators: Fitzpatrick, Dixon, Victoria.
* Florida took control of the third set early, pulling ahead seven at the 14-7 mark. The momentum belonged to UF throughout the middle portion of the set, but the Golden Gophers chipped away to just a three-point deficit at 18-15 to force a Florida timeout. Following that break, the Gators once again found themselves up five, this time at the 22-17 mark and closed out the match with a 25-22 win to remain undefeated.
* The Gators hit .267 in the final frame, led by eight kills from Martin.
Notables
* Trinity Adams posted a career-high 12 digs in the match
* Alexis Stucky registered her second double-double of the season with 32 assists and 11 digs
* The Gators are 4-0 to start the season for the 17th time in program history
* This is the first time in program history that three of the four wins have come against Top-10 opponents
* This is the first time in program history the Gators have swept two Top-5 teams in the same week
* Florida improves to 3-6 all-time against Minnesota
* The Gators are 2-1 against the Golden Gophers in three-set matches
* Florida is now 3-2 against Minnesota in Gainesville, Fla.
* UF is now 2-0 in three-set matches during the 2023 campaign
Thoughts from Coach Wise
* “The crowd was so inspiring today and it is exactly what a home crowd can do for a team. When Minnesota was making its runs, we heard the energy and it willed this team to go into another gear.””
Up Next
* The Gators are back in action for the Gators Invitational, running from Thursday, Sept. 7 – Saturday, Sept. 9
* Florida welcomes Sacramento State, Clemson and Winthrop for the three-day tournament
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