Kennedy Martin and AC Fitzpatrick combine for 35 kills on the night
Box Score<https://floridagators.com/documents/2023/10/13/163815.PDF>
STARKVILLE, Miss. – The No. 14 Florida volleyball team fell to the Mississippi State Bulldogs in four sets on Friday night in the Newell-Grissom Building.
The Gators move to 12-4 on the season and 4-3 in the SEC, while the Bulldogs improve to 9-8 on the year and 2-5 in league play.
The opening frame belonged to Mississippi State, who took it 25-18. Florida responded with a 25-20 victory in the second to even the match at one apiece. The Bulldogs took the third set in extras, winning 27-25, then followed with a 25-21 victory in the fourth to secure the match.
Florida’s offensive attack was led by an 18-kill, .333 performance from Kennedy Martin, while AC Fitzpatrick followed closely behind with 17 kills of her own. Sofia Victoria and Nnedi Okammor each registered nine kills in the four-setter.
Graduate transfer setter Kennedy Muff dished out 48 assists in the match, while also adding five kills and four digs.
Fitzpatrick recorded three blocks at the net, followed by two apiece from Gabrielle Essix and Amaya Thomas.
Elli McKissock posted a team-high 16 digs in the backcourt to lead the way defensively for the Gators. Those 16 digs put her tied for third in program history. Emily Canaan, Martin and Trinity Adams recorded 11, 11 and 10 digs respectively on the night. The last time Florida had four players with at least 10 digs was Nov. 4, 2021 against Tennessee.
Behind the service line, Fitzpatrick led the way with her career-high six aces. Martin added two, while Adams and Muff each recorded one in the match.
The Gators are back in action next Friday against Texas A&M in Bryant-College Station, Texas. First serve is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC +.
Records
No. 14 Florida (12-4, 4-3 SEC)
Mississippi State (9-8, 2-5 SEC)
How It Happened
* The start of the opening frame was tight, but the Bulldogs used a 6-0 run to grab the 10-6 lead and force a timeout by the Gators. Out of the break, Mississippi State pushed ahead nine at the 15-6 mark. Florida began chipping away at the lead, cutting it to just four behind the serves of McKissock. Mississippi State answered, swinging the momentum in its direction to take the seven-point lead at 21-14 and force the second Florida timeout. Following the timeout, the Bulldogs took the set 25-18.
* Kennedy Martin posted a team-high four kills in the set, followed by three apiece from AC Fitzpatrick and Nnedi Okammor.
* With the second set tied 7-all, Mississippi State used a 3-0 spurt to take the 10-7 lead and force a timeout by the Gators. Out of the timeout, Florida cut its deficit to just one at the 10-9 mark and again at the 11-10 mark, but the Bulldogs extended their lead to three at 14-11. The Gators continued to chip away, with the squad using a 4-0 run behind the serves of Martin to take the 15-14 lead. After Mississippi State knotted the set at 15-all, Florida used a 3-0 run behind the serves of Fitzpatrick to grab the advantage and cause the Bulldogs to use their second timeout of the frame. Out of the break, Fitzpatrick tallied her third and fourth consecutive aces to set a new career-high and put Florida up 20-15. The Gators continued to keep the Bulldogs at a distance, taking the second set 25-20.
* UF hit .387 in the second frame, led by five kills apiece from Martin and Fitzpatrick.
* Mississippi State jumped out to the early 4-0 lead in the third set, but Florida battled all the way back to knot the frame at 6-all. The teams then traded points, with neither holding more than a two-point lead through the middle portion of the set. It was the Gators that garnered the first lead over two, grabbing the 19-16 lead behind a service run from Canaan. The Bulldogs cut Florida’s lead to one at the 20-19 mark to force a UF timeout. Following the break, Mississippi State tied the set at 22-all, but Florida was able to pull ahead two at 24-22. The Bulldogs staved off two set points to once again tie the frame at 24-all, then went on to win 27-25 after a 3-1 run.
* Florida hit .325 in the third set, led by six kills apiece from Fitzpatrick and Martin, while Victoria added four of her own.
* The Bulldogs found themselves with the early three-point advantage in the fourth, but the Gators battled back to tie the set at 9-all. Florida used a 4-1 run to grab the 13-11 lead and although Mississippi State tied the frame at 14, it was the Gators that took the 15-14 lead into the media timeout. Following the media, the teams went back-and-forth with neither team holding more than a one-point lead. A Mississippi State service ace put the Bulldogs up 22-21 and forced the Gators to take their final timeout of the set. Out of the break, the Bulldogs closed on a 3-0 run to secure the match victory.
* Okammor led the way with five kills in the fourth, followed by three apiece from Martin and Fitzpatrick.
Notables
* With her 16 digs on the night, Elli McKissock tied Lyra Vance for third place in Florida’s record books with 1,444 career digs
* Kennedy Martin has now recorded at least 10 kills in every match this season, extending her streak to 16-straight matches
* She also tallied 11 digs in the match to give her her fourth double-double this season and first since Sept. 22
* AC Fitzpatrick registered 17 kills in the match, her 10th match this season in double-digit kills
* Elli McKissock posted 16 digs, moving her to 14 double-digit dig matches this season (13-straight)
* Elli McKissock, Emily Canaan, Trinity Adams and Kennedy Martin all recorded over 10 digs in the match
* The last time the Gators had four players register at least 10 digs was Nov. 4, 2021 against Tennessee
* AC Fitzpatrick tallied a career-high six aces behind the service line on Friday night
* The last time a Gator had at least five aces in a match was Sept. 27, 2023 when Alexis Stucky registered five against Sacramento State
* Amaya Thomas recorded the first block of her career in the second set
Up Next
* The Gators are back in action next Friday against Texas A&M in Bryant-College Station, Texas
* First serve is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC +
FOLLOW FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL
FloridaGators.com<http://floridagators.com/index.aspx?path=volleyball>
Twitter<https://twitter.com/GatorsVB>
Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/gatorsvb/?hl=en>
Coach <http://www.twitter.com/GatorMary> Mary Wise<http://www.floridagators.com/coaches.aspx?rc=25> on Twitter | Coach <http://instagram.com/gatormary> Mary Wise<http://www.floridagators.com/coaches.aspx?rc=25> on Instagram
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gator-Volleyball/154312757940308>
