The second set hung in the balance. The Gators and Crimson Tide stood exhausted but refused to back down despite the series of set points that had taken place in the last few rallies.
Florida trailed to Alabama as they stood at set point. UF senior outside hitter AC Fitzpatrick and junior defensive specialist Trinity Adams kept the Gators alive with a well-timed kill to tie the match 27-apiece.
A ball-handling error by Crimson Tide senior middle blocker Chaise Campbell brought the Gators to their third match point in the set. Determined to end the tight battle, Fitzpatrick slammed a service ace across the net to seal the Gators’ second set victory.
The No. 9 Florida Gators (12-3, 4-2 SEC) defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide (10-6, 0-5 SEC) Sunday afternoon in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Florida’s dominant defense held Alabama’s offense at a .179 hitting percentage in the first set.
UF claimed an early lead with two consecutive blocks from Florida seniors middle blocker Nnedi Okammor and outside hitter Sofia Victoria. Gator sophomore libero Emily Canaan continued their momentum with Florida’s second service ace of the set to keep them ahead 17-11.
UF’s lead was threatened in the latter half of the set after Alabama’s five-point scoring streak. The Crimson Tide trailed by one, but Victoria quickly deflected their comeback efforts with a powerful kill to keep Florida up 19-17.
Gators freshman outside hitter Kennedy Martin dished two kills and forced Alabama to call a timeout. After the break, the Crimson Tide counted two more points from a UF service error and stayed close behind 23-22.
But Fitzpatrick's kill brought the Gators to set point, and Victoria’s front-row block sealed the UF victory 25-22.
The Crimson Tide took their first lead of the game 3-2 in the second frame after Alabama senior outside hitter Kendyl Reaugh sent a kill. However, UF didn’t trail for long after graduate student outside hitter Anna Dixon triggered its offense with a kill to take the lead 5-4.
UF extended its lead 16-10 with a five-point scoring streak, but Alabama fought and climbed back from its scoring deficit after a series of Florida attack errors. The set was tied 22-apiece when Gators junior middle blockers Gabrielle Essix and Martin blocked two Alabama serves to reclaim the lead 24-23.
After a grueling fight, the Gators ultimately took the set two win 29-27. The final rallies were marked by an error on Alabama’s end and Fitzpatrick’s service ace.
Martin slammed an ace to steal the lead 4-3 from Alabama in set three. The Gators triggered another five-point scoring streak after Victoria sent a kill with an assist from graduate student setter Kennedy Muff.
The Crimson Tide failed to catch up in the final set after Florida forced numerous attack errors with a strong defense. The score stood 23-18, Gators led when Alabama’s second ball-handling error brought the Gators to match point.
Alabama tallied one more point while Florida stood at match point with a strong kill to Martin’s final serve. The last point was initially called a Florida attack error, but head coach Mary Wise ended the match when she challenged the play.
The call was reversed, and the set was a 25-20 Florida win. The Gators brought home the match 3-0.
UF will continue SEC play on the road in Starkville, Mississippi, against Mississippi State at 7 p.m. Friday. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Contact Krisha Sanghavi at ksanghavi@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @krishasang.
Krisha Sanghavi is a third-year public relations and economics major. In her free time, she loves cheering on Miami sports teams and spending time with her friends.
