There is an adage that says springtime brings new beginnings.
Florida was hoping the saying was true heading into its Friday afternoon match against Ole Miss — and it was.
The Gators throttled the Rebels in straight sets (25-20, 25-21, 25-13) from the Gillom Athletics Performance Center in Oxford, Mississippi, Friday to kickoff their spring season.
Florida wasn’t its usual self in the abbreviated fall season, going 6-2 with both losses coming from unranked teams – South Carolina and Georgia.
The result Friday wasn’t all that surprising as No. 10 Florida entered holding a 52-3 record over Ole Miss, including an undefeated 46-0 mark under coach Mary Wise. The last time the Rebels knocked off Florida was in 1989.
Despite that, Mississippi was impressive early on, holding serve with one of the country’s top teams. It was a true back-and-forth affair, and when the media timeout occurred, neither team had led by more than two.
After the break, UF exploded like Usain Bolt at the start of a race, ending the set on a 11-6 run to grab the first set.
The box score at the end of the first set brought no surprises. Redshirt junior T’ara Ceasar, the Georgia transfer who took Florida by storm during the fall, had four kills. Junior Thayer Hall had two kills.
In the second set, Florida held a consistent lead but failed to break away. The Gators were in control 18-13, but the pesky Rebels tied the set at 19. Florida’s panic and sweat did not last long as the Gators returned to their commanding ways, winning the second set 25-21.
The Gator sideline didn’t mess around in the third set. Florida bolted out of the gate, storming out to a 12-5 lead. As the third continued, UF kept building its lead before emerging victorious 25-13 — a larger margin of victory than any the Gators had in the fall.
Ceasar finished the match with 12 kills, leading the team despite being one of her lowest marks. Hall followed with eight kills, and redshirt senior Holly Carlton ended with eight as well. Junior Marlie Monserez, the assist queen, also shined, dishing out 31 dimes.
Florida pounced on Ole Miss’ mistakes. The Rebels committed 22 attack errors and hit a paltry .101. UF had eight errors on the counter and hit .431, its best mark in the 2020-2021 campaign.
Gator volleyball will resume Saturday afternoon from the Magnolia State. Florida will look to move to 8-2, while Ole Miss (0-7) will search for its first win. The action will begin at 3 p.m. and can be streamed on SEC Network +.
“In only one match we were able to see progress from the fall,” Wise said in a release. “Our goal now is to be able to make the necessary adjustments for tomorrow's match.”
Contact Noah Ram at nram@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Noah_ram1
Noah is a third year journalism-sports and media student from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He has been with The Alligator since Spring 2019 and has covered men’s and women’s tennis, gymnastics and volleyball. When he isn’t on his beat, Noah is usually sadden over his beloved South Florida sports teams, such as the Heat and Dolphins.
