The Gators may have won the first two sets over the Tigers on Friday, but the start wasn’t their best.
In Florida’s Southeastern Conference home opener this weekend, the Gators won the first set by three points and the second set by two. However, No. 13 UF (9-2, 3-0 SEC) took advantage of intermission and came out strong in the third set to sweep Missouri (10-3, 2-1 SEC) 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-17).
“I wouldn’t say either team was particularly sharp,” coach Mary Wise said. “It was like two basketball teams going fast break, fast break and just not hitting some shots. Missouri blocked everything we hit at them. I credit their defense and how well they played.”
Missouri posed a threat by out-blocking Florida 12.5-7 before the intermission, keeping the Gators hitting to .167.
After the Gators jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set, they allowed the Tigers to fight their way back and eventually tie it up. The close battle continued into the second set, when Missouri pushed UF to extra points before falling 26-24.
Despite the tight start, Florida had a more dominate presence in the third set thanks to a change in its game plan.
“We really wanted to stress setting from pin to pin, meaning don’t force the middle, set over the top and get the balls over to our left side and right side,” Wise said. “Then we could go back to the middles and that’s what happened, with Chloe (Mann)’s last kill. It’s difficult to defend the entire net. We felt like we could take advantage of it and we finally did in the third set.”
Florida’s defense shined after the intermission.
Mann blocked a shot, and Taylor Brauneis and Betsy Smith combined for another.
The change also carried over to the Gators’ offense.
In the final set, outside hitter Ziva Recek and middle blocker Mann led Florida. The duo accounted for 65 percent of the team’s 17 kills. The Gators out hit the Tigers .412 to .200 and only had three attack errors against 17 kills to end the match.
“I felt that if we could control the first contact and make some good hitting decisions there were kills to be had,” Wise said. “That was the difference in the third set.”
Although Florida improved on both sides of the court, Brauneis credits the team’s ability to break through Missouri’s front line as its key improvement on Friday.
“At the end of the match, it was kind of just, ‘Put the ball in play, let them play defense,’” Brauneis said. “That’s what our goal was just coming in the third game. Start hitting over the block if we could. It turned out good for us at the end.”
Contact Katie Agostin at kagostin@alligator.org.
Junior middle-blocker Chloe Mann attacks the Missouri defense. Florida won the match 3-0 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Friday night.
