Florida’s five seniors were honored prior to the match
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 20th-ranked Florida volleyball team closed out the home portion of its schedule with a sweep over the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon in Exactech Arena.
The Gators extend their win streak to nine-straight matches and improve to 20-6 overall and 14-2 in league play. South Carolina falls to 14-13 in the 2021 campaign and 6-11 in the SEC with one match left to play.
With the victory, Florida has now recorded 20 wins in 31-straight seasons, the longest active streak in the nation by nine seasons.
The Gators picked up right where they left off on Saturday evening, winning the first set 25-12. UF followed with a 25-19 victory in the second set and clinched the match with a 25-20 win in the final frame.
Florida’s was led on the offensive front by 14 kills from T’ara Ceasar. Thayer Hall pitched in 11 kills of her own, while Merritt Beason followed with 10 in the three-setter.
Marlie Monserez led the team to a .333 clip on the afternoon, dishing out 42 assists in the process.
As a team, the Gators tallied 10.0 blocks at the net and held South Carolina to a .111 hitting percentage. Bre Kelley and Beason each posted a team-high four blocks, followed by three from Monserez and Lauren Forte.
Elli McKissock tallied 18 digs in the match to lead the way for Florida, followed by 17 from Ceasar. Hall added 14 digs in the match, while Beason added nine of her own in the victory.
Hall posted a team-high three service aces in the match, while Trinity Adams, McKissock and Monserez each added one apiece.
The Gators close out the regular season with a two-match series at No. 8 Kentucky beginning on Nov. 26. Friday’s match is slated for 1 p.m. on the SEC Network, while Saturday’s match is set for 1 p.m. on SEC Network +.
Records
No. 20 Florida (20-6, 14-2 SEC)
South Carolina (14-13, 6-11 SEC)
How it Happened
* After opening the first set by trading points, the Gators exploded on a 7-2 run to take the 12-6 advantage and force a South Carolina timeout. Florida continued to roll out of the break, taking a 10-point lead at the 18-8 mark to cause the Gamecocks to use their final timeout of the frame. The Gators cruised to a 25-12 win, capped off with a Hall service ace.
* Florida hit .452 in the first set, while holding South Carolina to a .057 hitting percentage. Ceasar posted a team-high four kills, while Beason and Forte added three apiece.
* With the second set tied 6-6, Florida went on a 9-3 run to pull ahead 15-9 at the media timeout. The Gamecocks pulled back to within four at the 17-13 mark and again at the 23-19 mark, but UF answered with back-to-back kills from Hall and Ceasar to take the 2-0 advantage.
* The Gators hit .308 in the second set and limited the Gamecocks to just a .105 clip in the frame. Beason and Hall each recorded five kills in the set, while Ceasar added four.
* The third set was a back-and-forth battle from the start, with neither team holding more than a three-point advantage. South Carolina took the 15-14 lead into the media timeout and built its lead to three out of the break at the 17-14 mark. The Gators battled all the way back to tie the frame at 19-all and continued to push, taking the 21-19 lead by a McKissock service run to force a timeout from the Gamecocks. Florida closed out the match with a 4-1 run to secure the victory and move to 20-6 on the year.
* Ceasar posted a team-high six kills in the frame, while Hall added four kills and seven digs.
Notables
* T’ara Ceasar recorded her 12th double-double of the season, finishing with 14 kills and 17 digs
* Thayer Hall registered her seventh double-double of the year, tallying 11 kills and 14 digs
* The Gators have now won at least 20 matches in 31 seasons, the longest active streak in Division I volleyball by nine seasons
* Florida has now won nine-straight matches, dating back to Oct. 16 vs. Texas A&M
* UF improves to 61-9 against the Gamecocks in the all-time series, including a 55-3 record under Mary Wise
* The Gators move to 47-2 in three-set matches against the Gamecocks
* Florida remains undefeated against South Carolina in Gainesville, Fla., improving to 27-0
* The Gators are 6-0 in the month of October
* Florida improves to 16-1 in three-set matches during the 2021 campaign
* Mary Wise now sits at 999 career victories
Thoughts from Coach Wise
* “The adjustments we made from night one to night two were evident, especially one the defensive end where we put a lot of focus. Credit to all aspects of the defense to do so.”
Up Next
* The Gators hit the road for the final series of the regular season, traveling to No. 8 Kentucky on Nov. 26/27
* Friday’s first serve is slated for 1 p.m. on the SEC Network
* Saturday’s first serve is set for 1 p.m. on SEC Network +
* This is a pivotal matchup with an SEC Championship on the line for both teams
No. 20 Florida at No. 8 Kentucky Broadcast Information – Nov. 26
Date & Time: Nov. 26 | 1 p.m.
TV: SEC Network<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3De54b68ef-2D173d-2D4a15-2D8fff-2D3ff106c68e33&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=vQ7g520JQRvmwhwDtv6qWqnvWTtGDS8qnscz0UAaH__eb5HyPEKgAC77eFS2uYWC&s=1v8y9cHfkGWcG4O-3qhCW53Cf8wLrHJaWcXvSZVlwrM&e= >
Live Stream: SEC Network<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3De54b68ef-2D173d-2D4a15-2D8fff-2D3ff106c68e33&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=vQ7g520JQRvmwhwDtv6qWqnvWTtGDS8qnscz0UAaH__eb5HyPEKgAC77eFS2uYWC&s=1v8y9cHfkGWcG4O-3qhCW53Cf8wLrHJaWcXvSZVlwrM&e= >
Live Stats: Sidearm<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__ukathletics.com_sidearmstats_wvball_summary&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=vQ7g520JQRvmwhwDtv6qWqnvWTtGDS8qnscz0UAaH__eb5HyPEKgAC77eFS2uYWC&s=4l80XkYf69hxHK1tDRBr33CDeffx9u79-iESjCKYxgg&e= >
No. 20 Florida at No. 8 Kentucky Broadcast Information – Nov. 27
Date & Time: Nov. 27 | 1 p.m.
Live Stream: SEC Network +
Live Stats: Sidearm<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__ukathletics.com_sidearmstats_wvball_summary&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=vQ7g520JQRvmwhwDtv6qWqnvWTtGDS8qnscz0UAaH__eb5HyPEKgAC77eFS2uYWC&s=4l80XkYf69hxHK1tDRBr33CDeffx9u79-iESjCKYxgg&e= >
Series Information – No. 20 Florida at No. 8 Kentucky
Wildcats | 2021 season synopsis: 21-4, 14-1 SEC
* This is the 70th meeting between the Gators and the Wildcats
* Florida leads the series 52-17 (50-10 under Mary Wise)
* 3-set: 36-8 | 4-set: 9-2 | 5-set: 7-7
* Home: 25-9 | Away: 23-7 | Neutral: 4-1
* Last Time Out: March 20, 2021 | Gainesville, Fla. | L, 0-3 (20-25, 18-25, 21-25)
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