Three Florida players register 10 or more kills in the match
Box Score<https://floridagators.com/documents/2023/9/27/161161.PDF>
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The fourth-ranked Florida volleyball team fell to Texas A&M in a tightly-contested five set match on Wednesday night.
The Gators move to 10-2 on the year and 2-1 in SEC play, while Texas A&M moves to 10-3 during the 2023 campaign and 2-1 in the league.
The first set took extras, but Florida was the victor, winning 26-24. The Aggies answered with a 25-23 win in the second, but the Gators answered right back with a 25-21 victory in the third. A&M won another extra points set in the fourth, taking it 26-24, before winning the match with a 15-13 victory in the final frame.
Kennedy Martin led Florida’s offensive attack with a 16-kill performance, followed by 15 kills from AC Fitzpatrick. Sofia Victoria added 14 kills on the night to round out the Gators in double-digits.
Fifth year setter Kennedy Muff dished out 42 assists in the match, while libero Elli McKissock added seven assists of her own.
Florida tallied 12.0 blocks at the net on Wednesday night, led by six from Anna Dixon. Nnedi Okammor and Fitzpatrick added five and four blocks, respectively.
McKissock paced the backcourt defense with 19 digs, moving into fourth place in Florida’s program history. Muff grabbed her second double-double of the year with 13 digs, while Trinity Adams and Martin each added nine in the match.
Adams posted a team-high three service aces on the night, while McKissock and Muff each added two.
The Gators head to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks on Sunday. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. on the SEC Network with Eric Frede and Nicole Branagh on the call.
Records
No. 4 Florida (10-2, 2-1 SEC)
Texas A&M (9-4, 2-1 SEC)
How It Happened
* Florida started the first set off with 5-0 run behind the serves of McKissock, forcing a timeout from the Aggies. Out of the break, Florida pulled ahead six at the 9-3 mark, but Texas A&M clawed its way back into the frame to tie it at 14-all. The Aggies took their first lead of the set at 17-16 and pulled ahead two at 18-16, but Florida fought back with a 4-2 run to once again take the two-point advantage at 22-20. Texas A&M responded with a 3-0 run of its own to grab the 23-22 lead, but Florida closed with a 3-1 spurt to take the first set 26-24.
* AC Fitzpatrick and Kennedy Martin each registered a team-high six kills in the set.
* At the start of the second set, it was Texas A&M that took the early lead at 5-1. Florida pulled back to within one at the 7-6 mark, but the Aggies used a 5-2 run to force a Florida timeout at 12-8. The Gators chipped away to just a one-point deficit at 16-15. After falling down by three late in the frame, Florida pushed with a 3-0 run to knot the set at 18-all. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle, but Texas A&M claimed the set with a 25-23 win to even the match.
* Fitzpatrick, Martin and Dixon each posted three kills in the frame to lead the way.
* With the third frame tied at 6-all, Florida used a 3-0 to grab the lead and force a timeout by the Aggies. TAMU knotted the frame back up at 9-9, but Florida once again used a 3-0 run to take the 12-9 advantage. The Aggies got within one at 14-13, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the way, with Florida taking the 2-1 match lead with the 25-21 victory.
* Martin led the way with three in the third set, while Fitzpatrick, Victoria and Okammor each added two
* The Aggies took the 6-3 lead early in the fourth, but Florida went on an 8-2 run to grab the 11-8 advantage. Florida kept TAMU at an arm’s length until the Aggies used a 4-0 run to take the 19-17 lead. It was Texas A&M that held the advantage late in the frame, but Florida tied it all up at 24-all. A 2-0 run from the Aggies pushed the match to a deciding fifth set.
* Victoria posted a team-high seven kills in the frame, followed by three from Fitzpatrick.
* After finding themselves down 5-4 in the fifth, the Gators used a 4-0 run behind the serves of Adams to take the 8-5 lead into the media timeout. Texas A&M tied the set at 9-9 after the side switch, then the teams traded points until the Aggies pulled ahead 14-12. The Gators got one back, but Texas A&M clinched the match with a final kill.
* Victoria and Martin each posted two kills in the final set.
Notables
* Elli McKissock posted 19 digs in the match, moving into fourth place in program history with 1,389
* She surpassed Marcie Hampton (1,372 | 2004-07 | 5th) and Allie Gregory (1,385 | 2016-19 | 4th) during the match
* Kennedy Muff recorded her second double-double of the season, finishing the match with 42 assists and 13 digs
* Kennedy Martin has registered at least 10 kills in all 12 matches during the 2023 campaign
* AC Fitzpatrick has notched double-digit kills in seven matches this season, including the last six-straight
* Sofia Victoria has now recorded double-digit kills in five matches, including the last three
* McKissock posted her 10th match in double-digit digs, finishing with 19 on the night
* The Gators move to 21-2 in the all-time series against Texas A&M
* Florida is now 5-2 in five-set matches against Texas A&M
* UF moves to 5-2 in five-set matches during the 2023 campaign
Up Next
* The Gators head to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks on Sunday
* First serve is slated for 2 p.m. on the SEC Network
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