Rhamat Alhassan approached the net as Allie Monserez set the shot for her. With a jump and a smack, Alhassan sent a roaring attempt into the hardwood floors of the O’Connell Center, leading her team to a win over the Lipscomb Bisons, 25-20, 25-16, 19-25, 25-16 .
In a two-day span that had the Gators (7-0) playing in three games, the team won all of their matches, defeating every opponent, dropping only one set and continuing their perfect season thus far.
“It’s a huge win,” Wise said. “And it’s going to be a great RPI win because (Lipscomb) is a team that is going to get a whole lot of Ws before the season is over.”
Alhassan, one of the five seniors on the squad, bullied the Bisons on Saturday night, accumulating 10 kills and 12 blocks in the match and getting her first double-double of the season.
In addition to Alhassan’s contributions, senior Carli Snyder continued her torrent run into their lone Saturday match. Snyder eclipsed her season-high of 14 kills early in the third set, gathering a total of 19 kills in the match, along with two service aces and 11 digs for a double-double of her own. It was Snyder’s fifth straight game with double-digit kills and her third straight with multiple aces.
“When we can go on a run serving, it gives us a lot of confidence,” Snyder said. “It means our block is doing their job, it means our defense is doing their job.”
Wise went on to praise her senior outside hitter, calling Snyder a “senior All-American.”
Overall, production from the Gators was found across the whole team, including freshman Paige Hammons. The 6’1 outside hitter did her part in the defensive aspect of the game, picking up 14 digs and adding six kills along the way.
While Hammons worked for her digs, sophomore Cheyenne Huskey worked for her assists, accumulating 22 in the contest against the Bisons.
On the opposite side of the court, outside hitter Carlyle Nusbaum led the offensive rush for the Bisons. The junior had 17 kills on 42 attempts, leading Lipscomb in both categories during the match. Helping her gather many of those kills was junior Marcella Emmanuelli, setting the way for Nusbaum and totalling 20 assists in the process.
Lipscomb, an NCAA Tournament team last season, took the third set with poise and composure, taking advantage of a UF squad that seemed out of sync during the frame. Despite their efforts, the Gators were just too much for the Bisons in the fourth as they sent Lipscomb back to Tennessee with their fifth loss of the season.
“They are a NCAA tournament team,” Snyder said. “They come out swinging (and) they hit the ball hard. Those girls hit the ball. So they really tested us. We had to make a lot of adjustments mid-match.”
With just two days until their next game against Florida State, the Gators will have to make another quick turnaround and prepare for their in-state rival to come into town.
“We’ll practice,” Wise said. “We’ll be back in watching video and practicing both (Sunday) and Monday to play Tuesday.”
You can follow Justin Ahlum on Twitter jahlum@alligator.org, and contact him at @justinn_case1.
Carli Snyder gets ready to spike the ball over the net during UF's 3-1 win against Florida A&M on Friday at the O'Connell Center.
