After falling off the AVCA/TARAFLEX Top 25 rankings for the second time this season, Florida approaches a major upset opportunity that could see it reclaim its place. The Gators will take on No. 4 Texas (18-2, 10-2 SEC) Friday at home and look to use the tough matchup to their advantage.
UF has endured a plethora of ups and downs throughout the season so far, but sitting at 13-8 after being upset by South Carolina Sunday does not provide the Gators with much room for error as they finish out their season. Florida’s match against Texas will be one of their biggest tests so far this year, but it will also give them the chance to get back on the AVCA/TARAFLEX Top 25 as the SEC Tournament nears.
Texas has encountered its own set of struggles in recent matches. After staying undefeated for the first 16 matches of the season, the Longhorns dropped their last two SEC matches against No. 9 Texas A&M and No. 3 Kentucky. They will be looking for redemption while the Gators hope to extend Texas’ losing streak to three.
How can Florida pull off an upset over the Longhorns?
Containing Torrey Stafford
Texas’ All-American junior Torrey Stafford is one of the most skilled outside hitters in college and will be a major test for the Gators on the other side of the net.
In her first year with the Longhorns, Stafford has amassed 316 kills and is averaging 4.96 points per set. She ranks sixth in the conference in kills and fifth in points and is a force behind the serving line as well.
She is an incredibly versatile hitter and has vast experience against some of the premier teams in the country in her first two seasons at Pittsburg. She also played alongside National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock as the tandem surged the Panthers to the Final Four in last season’s tournament.
Maintain momentum in the second set
A pattern of difficult second sets has riddled Florida so far this season. Florida has lost 13 second sets across 21 matches, a number that points to a massive problem maintaining momentum coming off of set one. This is a habit Florida seemed to break for the middle part of their SEC stretch, but after dropping set two against South Carolina it will hope to prove that to be a slight blip in its progress.
“We actually talked about that nemesis at the beginning of the second set,” said head coach Ryan Theis after the 3-1 win over Vanderbilt Oct. 12. “A bit of an anomaly that this has gone on that much, so we will continue to look at why.”
Until the Gators’ second-set loss to the Gamecocks, Vanderbilt was the last time Florida dropped that set.
Prior to the two recent sweeps against Arkansas and Georgia on the road, Florida had only logged two sweeps, the lowest number recorded across the first 18 games in program history. In fact, Florida has been known for its ability to dispose of opponents in three sets, recording 30 straight sweeps just over 20 years ago in its 2003 season.
Siding out
“We’ll always continue to work on side out percentage,” Theis said. “That is a huge stat. If you can be over 65%, you’ve got a pretty good chance to win.”
The Gators have seen success with side out percentage for some of the season, recording a season-high 75.6% against Norfolk State Aug. 31. On the other hand, against Mississippi State, the Gators logged a 52.3% and have seen negative results when they lie under 60%, all eight of their losses coming in below the benchmark 65% that Theis aims for.
Florida’s ability to handle their opponents serves will be crucial again against the Longhorns as Stafford also boasts a 35% ace percentage, fifth in the SEC.
Limit unforced errors
Though Theis saw improvement in the four-set win over Oklahoma, this is something he noted as a focal point going into the rest of the season. The Gators have been plagued by unforced errors this season, charting a season-high 36 attacking errors in the five-set loss to Kentucky Oct. 19.
Florida also logged 13 service errors in its four-set loss against Wisconsin, another category of unforced errors UF has encountered too frequently this season. The Gators had this problem again against the Gamecocks, logging a season-high 15 service errors. UF’s serves have been getting more powerful, with increased service aces accompanying the errors, but it will need to have more control from behind the line to overtake a team like Texas.
However, Florida has managed to limit other types of unforced errors throughout most of the season, rarely seeing carries or doubles. This is a tribute to the efficiency of redshirt junior setter Alexis Stucky for her clean game and the position she puts her hitters in.
Strong Blocking
In the Longhorns, Florida faces a conference-leading hitting percentage led by SEC All-Freshman sophomore middle blocker Ayden Ames, who ranks sixth in the conference with a .381 hitting clip.
With their blocking efforts, led often by sophomore middles Jaela Auguste and Alec Rothe, the Gators will need to force the Longhorns to adjust their efficient and powerful swings. They will need to force them to make mistakes on the attacking front, hitting over or around the block and out. If Florida allows the Longhorns to hit as efficiently as they have been for most of the season, it will make the game significantly harder for Florida’s defense.
Florida’s blocking has been very strong at certain points throughout the season and in spurts in each match, but the Gators will need a consistent blocking effort from start to finish to top Texas.
The Gators face one of their biggest tests of the season on senior night Friday at 7 p.m. at home.
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).
