After sweeping rival Florida State on Tuesday, it took the No. 4 Gators (10-1) volleyball team all it had to overcome Marquette (5-4) in three sets 25-21, 25-21, 25-13.
“Overall, we passed very well,” coach Mary Wise said. “It was one of our best passing nights statistically. I was so pleased, they’ve got two great jump servers and neither one got on a run.”
Florida trailed by as much as seven in the first set before going on a few small runs to take over the lead.
It was the Gators’ two stars, sophomore outside hitter Ziva Recek and senior middle blocker Chloe Mann, who made sure that there would be no upset in Wisconsin.
Mann led the team with 13 kills on a team high hitting percentage of .579 and four assisted blocks. Recek was just as instrumental as she recorded 12 kills but on a hitting percentage of only .267.
“She did (have a great night),” Wise said. “Chloe got those numbers while they were commit blocking, meaning they were pulling two blockers to defend her. It’s not like she was doing this with one or with a seam.”
Marquette played tough defense and forced long points thorough the match that held Florida to their sixth lowest hitting percentage on the season at .317.
It wasn’t until the third set that Florida played to its potential. The Gators got off to a 8-2 lead to start the set after falling behind 0-2 in the first two sets.
Junior libero Taylor Unroe continued her strong set of play after registering a team high 15 digs against the Golden Eagles.
Florida has one more match left in the Marquette Invitational on Saturday at 7 p.m. against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Follow RJ Schaffer on Twitter @rjschaffer.
Chloe Mann jumps to spike the ball during Florida’s four-set victory against Western Michigan in the O’Connell Center on Sept. 14
