After winning the match’s first two sets, the No. 11-ranked UF volleyball team dropped three straight sets to lose to No. 16 Florida State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
It was the Gators’ earliest tournament exit since 2013 — Florida advanced to the Elite Eight each of the last two seasons.
“Easily one of the most disappointing losses,” Florida coach Mary Wise said after the match.
Despite the outcome, the Gators played impressively in the first two sets. They vastly outperformed the Seminoles on offense, hitting .630 and .548 in the first two frames.
But over the last three sets, Florida was out-hit .194 to FSU’s .332.
“It was like two different teams,” Florida State coach Chris Poole said. “Once we started gaining some steam, and once we started believing what we were doing out there … that made the difference in the match.”
Saturday marked the end of a college career for senior hitter Alex Holston. While other players struggled late in the match, Holston carried the team, earning a match-high 13 kills after the second set.
“I’m so sorry that her career had to end on that note and lose that way,” Wise said. “I thought Alex gave us everything she had.”
For a team that saw eight freshmen and nine newcomers enter the roster this season, making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with such a young squad may be considered a success.
However, UF players didn't see it that way.
“Absolutely not,” UF libero Caroline Knop said. “Winning an SEC Championship, to be completely honest, means nothing to me or our team. We were in it to win a national championship and we had the talent to do so.
“This will not happen again.”
Contact Skyler Lebron at slebron@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @skylerlebron.
Sophomore right-side hitter Alex Holston swings for a kill attempt during No. 8 seed Florida's 3-1 win against Miami in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament on Dec. 6 in the O'Connell Center.
