Dig for dig, set for set, swing for swing and point for point. The Gators and Sooners tied 17 times in set one before Florida pulled away at the end to take the set.
“We got just a little bit more used to the speed,” said head coach Ryan Theis. “They run it so fast. Four of their first seven kills were things that we don't see in our gym every day.”
Florida (11-7, 6-3 SEC) refused to give up momentum, topping Oklahoma (12-7, 4-5 SEC) 3-1 Wednesday night to win its fifth straight match at home.
The match was not without tests, as Florida trailed by as many as five points in set three and were down 21-17 late in the set. The Gators surged back behind Alec Rothe to tie the set at 24 and curb Oklahoma’s match-point aspirations. However, the push fell short and it took UF another set to seal the match.
Florida corrected and dominated set four 25-13, getting back to low errors and high efficiency.
The Sooners boast an offensive efficiency ranked No. 6 in the SEC, but ultimately it was Florida’s offense that shone.
The Gators achieved some of their most impressive hitting clips of the season, swinging at a .296 hitting percentage in set one, .394 in set two and an incredible .522 in set four after faltering in set three. They exceeded the Sooners’ hitting percentage in three sets, marking a huge shift for the Gators — a team that’s struggled to minimize its attacking errors all season.
“Gritty,” Theis said. “ Offensive efficiency was there for a little while, dried up a little bit in the third and came back in the fourth, so it was really good to see.”
Their efforts were led by redshirt sophomore outside hitters Aniya Madkin and Jordyn Byrd who logged 13 and 12 kills respectively.
“I was just focused on hitting high,” Madkin said. “As a team we really talked about that in practice leading up to this game.”
Redshirt junior setter Alexis Stucky was able to get her middles involved, with sophomores Jaela Auguste and Alec Rothe also having explosive games. Coming off a career-high in kills against Kentucky on Sunday, Rothe logged nine kills while Auguste had 11 and six blocks.
Stucky continues to be an all-around threat on the floor, adding 42 assists, two kills, four blocks and 10 digs.
Meanwhile, the Sooners were bogged down from behind the service line, recording 12 errors at inopportune times, including two foot-faults.
The Gators faced junior middle blocker Kelli Jo Burgess, who leads the SEC in hitting percentage. She is also sixth in the conference in blocks, averaging 1.29 per set. While she still hit at .429 percent, they held her to eight kills during the match. Containing her was a pivotal reason why Florida maintained momentum throughout each set.
Sooners senior outside hitter Emoni Bush is 10th in the league in service aces but logged only one against the Gators. The Sooners’ No. 1 offensive threat was senior pin hitter Alexis Shelton, who tallied 18 kills, but she was outdone by Florida’s offensive efforts and met with its wall on the defensive end.
Florida charted 10 blocks in the match, and what its wall didn’t get, its defense did. The back row was led by freshman libero Lily Hayes who logged 13 digs and added five assists.
The Gators begin a three-game road stint that starts with Arkansas (5-14, 1-7 SEC) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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).
