With freshman Milica Vidacic behind the line, Florida stared down the match point of a decisive set four. When Vidacic aced South Florida, it marked redemption for the Gators.
Last season, the Bulls handed Florida a disappointing five-set loss during its home opener, marking the largest upset in South Florida program history. On Tuesday night, the Gators (3-1) returned the favor, defeating the Bulls (0-3) in their home opener in four sets.
Florida trailed by as many as seven throughout the fourth set, including a 20-13 deficit but managed to fight back with a strong serving effort and a resolve to avoid letting history repeat itself.
The game was marked by extreme highs and severe lows for Theis and his squad as the Gators struggled to remain consistent through all four sets. Florida excelled when it was able to get its middles involved later in set three after a second set categorized by a .094 hitting percentage.
UF’s second set performance was preceded by no attacking errors and a .464 hitting efficiency in set one that allowed for a convincing 25-18 win. The ups and downs of their first road game highlighted what the young team will need to focus on down the stretch, including remaining consistent with closing their blocks.
On the other side of the net, USF senior outside Maria Clara Andrade was the Gators’ biggest problem, getting 23 kills past Florida’s wall. She exploited UF’s weakness on the defensive end at the net, but when Florida was able to time its blocks and correct its mistakes, it marginalized her dominance.
Florida’s swings were also met with South Florida’s scrappy back row that refused to let anything drop easily. This led to a game with multiple long rallies, and one that pushed the Gators to find their spots and tested their court vision.
The impressive set four comeback also shed a positive light on the team’s persistence and grit, and displayed a group that is able to serve themselves out of tough situations and find their rhythm mid-set.
At the forefront of UF’s performance from behind the line was redshirt freshman defensive specialist Ella Vogel. She racked up five service aces and also led the team in digs with 14.
Close behind her on the defensive end was senior defensive specialist Emily Canaan, who totaled 10 digs. She was unafraid to hit the floor and made some crucial saves for Florida, including two consecutive digs that allowed redshirt sophomore outside Jordyn Byrd to bring the Gators up 13-9 in set one with one of her eight kills.
Florida’s powerhouse sophomore middles, Alec Rothe and Jaela Auguste, tied Byrd with eight kills. They added five and four blocks, respectively, to their strong offensive performance. Redshirt freshman outside Kira Hutson also logged seven kills, five digs and four blocks, contributing to Florida’s efforts.
However, the offensive spark for Florida was Madkin, who charted 10 kills on .304 efficiency and three blocks. The addition of the Arkansas transfer into the lineup clearly sparked momentum for the Gators, and she became a crucial piece of their offense from her start in set two.
She was fed by redshirt junior setter Alexis Stucky, who had three kills herself to go along with four digs and 31 assists. She proved incredibly effective at picking her spots and finding open spaces on the court, forcing the Bulls to scramble.
The game gave Florida much to build upon before it looks toward its next game at Ohio State on Sunday at noon as it continues its road stretch.
Contact Ava DiCecca at adicecca@alligator.org. Follow her on X @avadicecca24.
Ava is a sophomore sports journalism student and the volleyball beat reporter for fall 2025. She enjoys playing basketball and volleyball in her free time and going on beach trips with friends. She has been a Boston sports fan all her life (Brad Marchand we miss you).
