Gators Down Rebels in Straight Sets
With the victory, Florida and Kentucky remain tied atop the SEC standings with one match left to play
Box Score<https://floridagators.com/documents/2022/11/25/130097.PDF>
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 12 Florida volleyball team topped the Ole Miss Rebels in straight sets on Friday night in the Gillom Center.
The Gators improve to 22-5 on the year and 14-3 in SEC play – remaining tied atop the standings with Kentucky. Ole Miss drops to 11-16 on the year and 7-10 in the league.
Florida took the first set 25-20 and followed that with a 25-23 win in the second frame. The Gators finished the night with a 25-16 victory in the third to complete the sweep.
Offensively, UF was led by a 13-kill performance from Sofia Victoria, while Marina Markova pitched in 10 kills of her own on Friday night. Merritt Beason and Bre Kelley each recorded eight kills in the match, followed by six from Gabrielle Essix.
Alexis Stucky led the team to a .409 clip on the night, dishing out 37 assists in the process. That was the second time this season that Florida has recorded a hitting efficiency of over .400.
As a team, the Gators recorded seven blocks, led by five from Essix. Beason followed closely behind with three, while Markova added two in the victory.
Florida’s backcourt defense was paced by Elli McKissock, who posted seven digs on the night. Beason added five, while Emily Canaan (4) and Stucky (3) combined for seven.
Behind the service line, UF totaled five aces, led by two from Canaan. Stucky, McKissock and Trinity Adams each pitched in one on the night.
The Gators close out the regular season on Saturday against the Rebels. First serve is slated for 5 p.m. ET on SEC +. The Gators are looking to clinch their 25th SEC Championship on Saturday as Florida and Kentucky are tied atop the conference standings with one match to play.
Records
No. 12 Florida (22-5, 14-3 SEC)
Ole Miss (11-16, 7-10 SEC)
How It Happened
* The Gators took the early 7-2 advantage behind the serves of Canaan, but the Rebels slowly chipped away at Florida’s lead, cutting it to just one at 15-14. Following a timeout by the Gators, UF went on a 5-2 run to take the 20-16 advantage and force an Ole Miss timeout. Out of the break, Florida was able to secure the 25-20 victory to go ahead 1-0 in the match,
* Florida hit a stellar .480 in the first set, led by three kills apiece from Essix, Markova and Beason.
* With the second set knotted 7-all, Ole Miss used a 4-0 run to take the 11-7 lead and force a timeout by the Gators. Florida battled back to tie the frame at 16-16 after the timeout and the teams began trading points until the Gators pulled ahead three at the 22-19 mark behind the serves of McKissock. The Rebels cut the deficit to one at 24-23, but a Markova kill sealed the second set for Florida.
* UF hit .343 in the second frame, led by eight kills from Victoria.
* Florida led the third set 8-6 before Ole Miss utilized a 3-0 run to take the one-point lead at 9-8. The Gators tied the frame at 10-all, then went on a 5-3 run to take the lead into the media timeout. Out of the break, it was all Gators, with Florida pulling ahead 18-13. Florida closed the match on a 7-3 run to remain atop the SEC standings with one match left to play.
* Florida hit .429 in the final frame, with four Gators each recording three kills apiece: Victoria, Kelley, Markova, Beason.
Notables
* Alexis Stucky eclipsed 1,000 career assists in the match
* Sofia Victoria recorded 13 kills in the match, her 14th match in double-figure kills this season
* Marina Markova registered 10 kills in the match, her 19th match in double-figure kills this season
* The Gators improve to 57-3 in the all-time series against Ole Miss, including a 51-0 record under Mary Wise
* Florida is now 48-0 in three-set matches against Ole Miss
* UF improves to 28-3 against the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.
* The Gators improve to 13-2 in three-set matches during the 2022 campaign
* With her seven digs on the night, Elli McKissock moved closer to breaking into the top-10 in program history with 1,161
Up Next
* The Gators close out the regular season on Saturday against the Rebels
* First serve is slated for 5 p.m. ET on SEC +
* The Gators are looking to clinch their 25th SEC Championship on Saturday as Florida and Kentucky are tied atop the conference standings with one match to play.
No. 12 Florida at Ole Miss Broadcast Information
Date & Time: Nov. 26 | 5 p.m. ET
Live Stream: SEC +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=bef63970-46ae-4fb2-ad92-ab1f11836bde>
Live Stats: Statbroadcast<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=418657>
Series Information – No. 12 Florida at Ole Miss
Rebels | 2022 season synopsis: 11-16, 7-10 SEC
* This is the 61st meeting between the Gators and the Rebels
* Florida leads 57-3 (51-0 under Mary Wise)
* 3-set: 48-0 | 4-set: 5-1 | 5-set: 4-2
* Home: 26-0 | Away: 28-3 | Neutral: 4-2
* Last Time Out: Nov. 25, 2022 | Oxford, Miss. | W, 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-16)
TICKET INFO | Gator Ticket Office Online<http://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_tickets_volleyball_.aspx> | Call: 352-375-4683 x6800 (Open M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
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