Volleyball is a game of runs, and Florida’s head coach was reminded of that against his former team. Marquette erased a seven-point deficit with a 7-0 surge to take the opening set, 25-23, setting the tone in the Gators’ road match.
No. 15 Florida (5-3) took its second loss to an unranked opponent in three sets this season against Marquette (6-3) in Milwaukee Friday night.
Florida came out of the gate strong, achieving a commanding 19-12 lead in set one. However, consistency was not a virtue of the Gators’ squad Friday night.
Although the Gators and the Golden Eagles traded impressive runs throughout the match, it was Marquette that was able to deliver when it mattered.
For the majority of the match, Florida had control, being the first to reach 15 points in the first two sets. The Gators had strong serves that forced Marquette out of system, doubling the Golden Eagles in their first line of defense with 14 blocks to their seven in the match.
However, eight service errors overshadowed Florida’s three aces, and when that was met with service pressure from Marquette late in the game, it was too much for the Gators to handle.
Florida also struggled on the defensive end, allowing 14 kills by Marquette senior outside Natalie Ring. Nonetheless, UF freshman libero Lily Hayes still proved a relentless competitor in the back row and logged 12 digs in the match.
Offensively, Florida was led by redshirt sophomore Jordyn Byrd, who tallied 13 kills and a .321 hitting clip. Close behind was redshirt sophomore Aniya Madkin, who logged 10, marking her fourth time cracking double digits in the past five games. She stepped up to make some big-time plays for Florida, recording back-to-back kills to tie set two at 23 and give the Gators a shot at the lead.
Sophomore middles Jaela Auguste and Alec Rothe logged nine and eight kills, respectively. They also led the way for Florida in blocks, with Rothe tallying six while Auguste added five to accompany her two service aces.
Setters Alexis Stucky and Taylor Parks both saw the court. Stucky started the match, recording 18 assists. Parks came later in set two, following Marquette’s 5-0 run for the lead, and made 16 assists as well as one service ace and seven digs.
Theis continues to utilize both setters on a match-to-match basis and uses a change at the position as an opportunity for a momentum shift.
Florida will wrap up non-conference play against No. 7 Wisconsin (6-1) at Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin, Sunday at 1 p.m.
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).
