Fresh off the bench in the third set, opposite hitter Logan King recorded her third kill against North Texas, and it was at that moment Florida knew it had the victory secured.
The kill gave the Gators a 12-8 lead, one that only grew as the do-or-die set for the Mean Green slipped away behind their weakest defensive frame of the night — recording just four digs in attempt to rival Florida’s firing offense. After King’s slam, the Gators took the next 13 points to build a gap North Texas wouldn't be able to close.
The Gators (4-1) swept North Texas on the road (3-2) Sunday afternoon to finish out their four-match road swing. Florida is now 4-1 in the regular season, starting to build an improved reputation in head coach Ryan Theis’ second year at Florida.
At the start of the first set, Florida and North Texas were going point for point in an equal contest. But with Rothe’s third kill in the set at 13-12, Florida was able to build an eight-point gap that put them in control.
Rothe led the leaderboard in kills throughout the entire match with 10 overall, equalizing her season-high record. The Dublin, Ohio, native was a key component in Florida’s win, providing constant offensive pressure. She showed up as a staple on defense, too, adding a team-high five blocks to her stat line in the win.
Even with Rothe’s contributions, Florida’s weaknesses began to show in the second set.
The Gators struggled with errors but managed to squeak by with a two-point second-set win. They had six attacking errors and four service errors.
The Mean Green also did not commit a service error until the second set at 4-3, while Florida had already recorded four.
Nonetheless, Florida persevered against North Texas. At 8-7, middle blocker Brooklyn Briscoe was denied by Jahniya Jackson and Loredana Fouonji. However, in the next play, Taylor Parks set her up again, and she delivered.
At 26-26, Leban committed an attack error that cost Florida the set point for a second time. However, a relentless energy followed Florida throughout the second set as they attempted to build a gap against North Texas. The Gators couldn’t widen the gap much, but ultimately took the set 28-26.
Florida got back in its groove in the third frame. Recording a 7-0 run starting from 8-8, the Gators were gaining momentum from each point.
King propelled the Gators in the final set, recording four kills and posting a .500 hitting clip.
Taylor Parks also utilized the middle court throughout to put Florida up on the scoreboard. The setter recorded 30 assists, an average amount compared to the rest of the season’s performances.
Battling a tired North Texas team, Florida nearly built a 10-point lead to seal the third-set victory 25-16. A kill by Rothe sealed Florida’s win against the Mean Green.
This match concludes Florida’s toughest stretch of the season. They faced four straight opponents on the road, including three ranked opponents, in less than a week.
Riding a two-game win streak, Florida will return home to face in-state rival Miami at the O’Dome on Wednesday. First serve is set for 8 p.m.
Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @alamosofiaa.
Sofia Alamo is a Sports Journalism freshman at UF and the university’s Women’s Tennis beat reporter. Her favorite sports are soccer and tennis, and she aspires to be a sports broadcaster in the future.
