UF VB | Gators-Tigers Face Off in Pivotal Conference Battle

Florida travels to Auburn for a midweek matchup

Match Notes<https://floridagators.com/documents/2022/10/24/20_Auburn.pdf>

AUBURN, Ala. – Two of the top three teams in the SEC Championship race are set to face off on Wednesday when the No. 14 Florida volleyball team (15-4, 7-2 SEC) takes on the Auburn Tigers (18-2, 7-2 SEC) in Auburn, Ala.

The match is slated for an 8 p.m. ET first serve on the SEC Network, with Sam Gore and Shelby Coppedge on the call.

Florida, Auburn and Kentucky all sit at 7-2 in the SEC at the midway mark through league play.

In its last SEC action, the Gators fell to Georgia, while the Tigers topped Tennessee in their last contest.

Florida holds the 52-2 series advantage over Auburn, including a 48-1 record under Mary Wise. The Gators hold the 24-2 series lead in Auburn, Ala.

Last Time Against Auburn

* The last time these two squads faced off, the Gators defeated Auburn in straight sets in Exactech Arena (25-11, 25-15, 25-19)
* Florida’s offensive attack was led by former Gator T’ara Ceasar, who posted 12 kills on the night. Gator alum Thayer Hall followed with an 11-kill, .455 performance of her own, while former Gator Lauren Forte added 10 kills in the victory on a .667 clip
* Gator alumna Marlie Monserez dished out 39 assists in the match, moving her into the No. 5 spot in program history for career assists. She also led the team to a .305 clip on night
* The Gators held Auburn to a .089 hitting percentage on the night, the fourth time this season the squad has held an opponent below .100. Bre Kelley posted a team-high two blocks in the sweep
* Elli McKissock led Florida’s backcourt defense with a 17-dig performance, while Ceasar and Monserez pitched in 12 and 10 digs, respectively, on the night
* Four different players registered a service ace in the match – Trinity Adams, Merritt Beason, McKissock and Monserez

Last Time Out

* In its last contest, the then-No. 11 Florida volleyball team fell to the Georgia Bulldogs (22-25, 23-25, 20-25)
* Marina Markova posted a team-high 14 kills on the night, followed by a seven-kill performance from both Merritt Beason and Sofia Victoria. Alexis Stucky recorded 31 assists in the match, along with five digs
* As a team, Florida registered 9.0 blocks at the net, led by five from Gabrielle Essix. Beason added four on the night, while Markova posted three
* Elli McKissock paced the backcourt defense for the Gators, tallying 10 in the match. Stucky followed with five, while Emerson Hoyle, Bre Kelley and Beason each added three
* Behind the service line, Emily Canaan and McKissock each recorded a team-high two service aces

Gators in the SEC

* As a team, the Gators are ranked in the Top-5 in the conference in four categories:
* Opponent hitting percentage (1st | .154)
* Blocks per set (1st | 2.78)
* Hitting percentage (4th | .259)
* Aces per set (4th | 1.73)
* Individually, the following Gators rank in the Top-10 in different categories:
* Bre Kelley:
* Hitting percentage (4th | .360)
* Blocks per set (6th | 1.19)
* Merritt Beason
* Aces per set (2nd | 0.44)
* Points per set (8th | 4.38)
* Gabrielle Essix
* Blocks per set (6th | 1.19)
* Alexis Stucky
* Assists per set (2nd | 10.42)
* Elli McKissock
* Digs per set (9th | 3.68)