Tuesday night’s Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge between Florida and Minnesota was won and lost behind the service line.
A stellar 11 service aces fueled the Gators’ night against No. 11 Minnesota, leading them to a hard-fought win in Madison, Wisconsin. No. 17 Florida (2-0) triumphed over the Golden Gophers (1-2) 3-1 in its first interconference tournament. The weeklong affair – featuring 18 Big Ten schools and all 16 SEC institutions – gives Florida even more chances to prove themselves as a contender against top teams.
Junior setter Taylor Parks became the 18th Gator to record 1,000 career assists, notching 46 during Tuesday’s matchup. Fifth-year Penn State transfer Alexis Stucky was the last to accomplish the feat in 2022.
Parks was not the only Gator to have a memorable night. Junior outside hitter Selena Leban fired off killer serves, recording four service aces, and she racked up a team-leading 20 kills on a .326 hitting clip. She also helped execute a successful night in serve receive for the Gators, logging eight digs.
The Kentucky transfer’s 20 kills tied her career high. The Slovenian also clinched the first set for the Gators with back-to-back aces to secure the 27-25 win.
Senior outside hitter Kamryn Chaney was the one to drive the victory home in the fourth, leading the Gators on a seven-point run that sealed their fate.
While the attack flowed through the pin hitters in crucial points of the match, the first set kicked off with Parks setting up middle blocker Alec Rothe for the first kill. What followed was an even tempo and effort from both sides.
Despite the Gators opening the contest with a slim lead, the Golden Gophers quickly clawed back, taking the initial frame down to the wire. With Minnesota up 25-24, the set win was slipping from the Gators. Then, Leban stepped up to serve, shifted into gear, and put away the two aces Florida needed to win, taking it 27-25.
Looking to remain steady in the second set, the Gators grasped the first point again with another kill from junior opposite hitter Logan King and an assist from Parks. But Minnesota answered right back, hungry for redemption, with a five-point run.
The Gators – disciplined as a unit – did not let this shake them. Calling a timeout and regrouping, the Gators returned to the court and tied it up 5-5 – not letting themselves fall too far behind.
The hunt was on for a second-set victory, but Florida could not execute. Tied at 24-24, King recorded a service error, allowing the Golden Gophers to take the final point with a kill by Kelly Kinney.
The Gators’ service successes tanked in the second set with just two aces compared to six in the first. Moreover, the Gators suffered six service errors in the second set, giving Minnesota points that drove them home for a set win.
The third set, point for point, truly shined a spotlight on the tight nature of the programs. Senior middle blocker Brooklyn Briscoe had a hand in the final two points of the set, driving Florida to win it 25-23.
Finishing out the third frame, Leban recorded 15 kills, four aces, six digs and maintained a .344 hitting percentage – holding down the fort on the attacking front. For the Golden Gophers, fifth-year outside hitter McKenna Wucherer had 14 kills, two aces, seven digs and a hitting percentage of .382.
In the fourth set, Minnesota struck first, but Florida gained speed, and a 13th hitting error for Minnesota allowed Florida to take a 5-2 advantage.
The Gators grew hungrier for a victory outside of The Swamp. For almost the entirety of the fourth set, Florida held the advantage. But Minnesota remained close, denying the Gators a chance to craft a large deficit.
Tying it 18-18, Minnesota went on a 3-0 run, keeping the momentum on their side of the court and taking the late lead. Determined to respond, six kills and a block by Chaney put Florida back on top and drove the team to victory.
Anchoring the defense and commanding the backcourt, sophomore libero Lily Hayes tallied 21 digs. After starting every match in her freshman campaign, Hayes has been called upon to elevate even further this season, and she has certainly delivered throughout the first few contests. She led all players in digs and crept up on her career-high in the category (24).
And Byrd – leading the team last season in kills – was once again quiet for the Gators, playing in two sets and recording only four kills. Byrd has previously proven to be a critical component, but has not yet been stepping up in the same manner.
Chaney’s late-match heroics guided Florida to its second victory of the season and closed out a seesawing match against a tough opponent.
Florida will remain in Madison, Wisconsin, to continue its run in the Big Ten/SEC Challenge. It will face the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
Contact Nicole Scura at nscura@alligator.org. Follow her on X @NicoleScuraa.
Nicole Scura is a third-year journalism student in her second semester at The Alligator. She is currently a sports enterprise reporter and previously served as a hockey reporter. In her free time, she enjoys figure skating, traveling and watching football (Go Bucs!).
