UF VB | Gators Sweep Past Alabama - South Florida Tribune

Gators Sweep Past Alabama
AC Fitzpatrick posted a 17-kill effort with a .517 clip on the night.

Box Score<https://floridagators.com/documents/2023/11/12/20231112061526-168472.pdf>

TUSCALOOSA, AL. – The No. 21-ranked Florida volleyball team swept the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday night inside Alabama’s Foster Auditorium. The Gators improve to 16-7, 8-6 SEC, while Alabama moves to 10-16, 0-15 SEC.

In three tightly-contested sets, Florida took the first frame in a 25-23 battle. The Gators followed with a 25-20 victory in the second set to take a 2-0 match lead, and closed out the match with a 25-22 win the final frame to secure their perfect 53-0 record (51-0 under Mary Wise) in the all-time series against the Crimson Tide.

Two Gators finished in double-digits, as freshman Kennedy Martin led the way with 18 kills, followed by AC Fitzpatrick’s 17 kills and a .517 clip. Sofia Victoria also had six kills of her own.

Kennedy Muff dished out 38 assists in the three-setter, leading the team to a .212 clip. Elli McKissock and Trinity Adams each added two helpers of their own in the win.

Florida tallied eight team blocks, holding Alabama to a .134 clip (28-15-97). Gabbi Essix led the way with a six-block performance, while four other Gators recorded two.

Elli McKissock finished with 15 digs to officially rank second overall in program history with 1,562 career digs. Emily Canaan pitched in 11 of her own, while Muff (9) and Martin (8) had a combined 17.

Behind the service line, Martin recorded two aces, while Adams, Muff, and Victoria all had one.

The Gators remain on the road, heading to Columbia, Missouri on Friday to face the Missouri Tigers. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Hearnes Center.

Records
No. 21 Florida (16-7, 8-6 SEC)
Alabama (10-16, 0-15 SEC)

How It Happened

* There were 12 ties and four lead changes in the first set. Alabama took an early 10-6 lead and forced Florida to use its first timeout. Out of the break, the Gators exploded with an 8-0 scoring run behind Trinity Adam’s serve to take a 17-15 lead. Alabama responded, scoring three-straight points, but a service error tied it up at 18. Once again Florida pulled to a 22-20 advantage, but the Crimson Tide tied it back up and Florida would use its final timeout. With the race to 25 inching closer, the Gators took the next two points, and a kill from Martin closed out the first frame with a 25-23 win.
* Kennedy martin led the offensive attack with seven kills in the first frame
* Florida went on a 5-0 scoring run to grab an early 6-2 lead at the start of the second set. Alabama would go on a 3-0 scoring run, but a kill from AC Fitzpatrick kept the Gators at a three-point advantage. The Crimson Tide went on two separate 3-0 scoring runs and grab a 12-11 lead, but another kill from Fitzpatrick tied it up at 12. Both teams traded points, but an Alabama block gave the Crimson Tide another one-point lead to head into the media timeout up 15-14. Out of the break and now down by two, Florida responded scoring four straight behind Emily Canaan’s serve to pull ahead to a 20-18 lead. The Gators continued to push points, taking a 22-19 lead and forced Alabama to use their final timeout. Florida didn’t back down, as back to back kills from Martin gave Florida a 25-20 win and a 2-0 match lead.
* Florida held Alabama to a .071 clip in the second set
* Back-to-back blocks from Nnedi Okkamor and Sofia Victoria gave the Gators a 3-0 advantage, where they would go on to take a commanding 6-1 lead at the start of the third. Florida’s five service errors allowed Alabama to creep back into the set, where they would come back tie it up at 16. The score would be tied four more times, but back-to-back kills from Fitzpatrick gave the Gators a 22-20 advantage and force an Alabama timeout. Out of the final break, a block from Gabbi Essix and Kennedy Muff made it match point for Florida, and Fitzpatrick put one down to close out the third set with a 25-22 victory.
* AC Fitzpatrick led the way offensively in the final frame with eight kills.
Notables

* Kennedy Martin’s 18 kills continues her streak of registering 10 or more kills in every match this season
* Martin set/tied two three-set individual season highs
* Martin’s 20.5 points ties the three-set individual match high, which Martin set at Stanford (8/29)
* Martin’s 40 hitting attempts surpasses her 37 against Minnesota (9/3)
* AC Fitzpatrick’s 17 kills is her 13th double-digit match of the season
* Her .517 clip is a new season-high
* Elli McKissock’s 15 digs surpasses Taylor Unroe’s 1,558 to become second overall in Florida history in career digs (1,562)
* The Gators move to 8-2 in three-set matches in the 2023 season
* Florida improves to 53-0 against Alabama in three-set matches
* UF improves to 23-0 against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
* The Gators improve to 53-0 against the Crimson Tide in the all-time series, including a 51-0 record under Wise.
Thoughts from Coach Wise

* “On a night when things didn’t come easy, AC really came through for us.”
Up Next

* The Gators head to Columbia, Missouri on Friday to face the Missouri Tigers
* First serve is slated for 7:30 PM
No. 21 Florida vs. Missouri Broadcast Information
Date & Time: Nov. 17 | 7:30 p.m.
Live Stream: SEC+<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/87387590-6eaa-4dc9-8451-3eb3324b60a0> | Live Stats: Statbroadcast <http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=478407>
Series Information – No. 21 Florida vs. Missouri
Tigers | 2023 season: 17-9, 9-6 SEC

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