Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Friday, March 29, 2024
<p>UF's Carli Snyder (left) and Rhamat Alhassan celebrate during Florida's 3-0 win against New Hampshire Dec. 3, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.</p>

UF's Carli Snyder (left) and Rhamat Alhassan celebrate during Florida's 3-0 win against New Hampshire Dec. 3, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.

Late into the fourth set, unranked Oregon was pushing No. 10-ranked Florida to the limit.

A poorly struck ball by UF sophomore Taelor Kellum gave Oregon a 24-21 lead, and the Ducks needed only one more point to extend the match to the fifth set.

The 2,146-person crowd that filled Matthew Knight Arena was loud.

Then Carli Snyder and Alex Holston happened.

The duo combined for four of the Gators’ final five points to take the fourth set 26-24, giving the Gators (1-1) their first win of the season on Saturday night.

Snyder led the team with 16 kills, including six in the fourth set, and also added 13 digs.

“Carli Snyder was just All-American all weekend,” UF coach Mary Wise said after the game. “She was fantastic.”

The match started off well enough for Florida, taking the first set 25-16.

Set two, however, was a different story.

The offensive rhythm the Gators established in the first set evaporated, and they had no answer for the Ducks’ freshman outside hitter Jolie Rasmussen.

Rasmussen recorded two service aces as a part of her team’s 5-0 run to open up the second set.

Florida fought back, though, after a Snyder kill closed the gap to three at 21-18.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox

But it wasn’t enough, as the Gators ultimately dropped the set 25-19.

The third set was not as kind to the Ducks (0-2).

After Florida fell behind early, transfer Caroline Knop drilled consecutive service aces to spark a run for the Gators.

Florida dominated the set, winning 25-16.

A big surprise for Florida was the play of Kellum, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker who recorded only three kills all last season.

On Saturday night, she had nine.

“That’s Taelor Kellum’s debut, and she did a terrific job,” Wise said.

Team captain Rhamat Alhassan had another solid night, following up her 10-kill performance against Nebraska on Friday with a 12-kill performance against Oregon.

The 6-foot-4 junior also tallied eight total blocks, recording her first solo block of the season in the process.

Holston, the team’s lone senior, struggled early on in the match but rebounded, recording 14 kills and six total blocks.

Her six kills in the fourth set was a key part in the Gators’ comeback victory.

Friday night’s 3-0 loss to Nebraska was a tough start to the season for this team, but for Wise, she’s proud of how her team bounced back.

“Just had that ‘refuse to lose’ mentality,” Wise said. “I felt like we grew up so much playing against a team like Oregon. … It’s a huge win after just 24 hours, dropping to Nebraska.”

A radio broadcast contributed to this report.

Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.

UF's Carli Snyder (left) and Rhamat Alhassan celebrate during Florida's 3-0 win against New Hampshire Dec. 3, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.

Support your local paper
Donate Today
The Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider giving today.

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Independent Florida Alligator and Campus Communications, Inc.