On the road for the ninth time this season, No. 7 Florida (14-2, 5-1 SEC) entered the night seeking an SEC win against the defending national champions.
And on Friday, they did just that. The Gators remained calm and composed in their affair with Texas A&M (10-8, 3-3 SEC), defeating the Aggies 3-1.
The Aggies looked to rattle the Gators on home turf in Friday’s contest, but ultimately fell short 3-1.
Facing its last opponent, then-unranked Vanderbilt, Florida tallied 27 errors – its season-high. Against Texas A&M, they managed to cut down on those errors, closing the night with 20 opposed to the Aggies’ 30.
The Aggies were bolstered by the return of junior middle blocker Eliza Sharp, who was out of action for nearly a month. The California native leads the conference in blocks per set, averaging 1.51 and tallying 59 blocks this year. She had a steady return, with eight kills and a .235 hitting percentage on the night.
At the net for Florida were middle blockers Alec Rothe and Brooklyn Briscoe. Briscoe finished Friday with the match-high blocks (seven) and posted three kills.
Rothe logged six blocks and nine kills, maintaining a .438 hitting percentage in the match. She holds a .445 hitting percentage on the season and ranks sixth in the SEC for blocks with 1.27 per set. The Ohio native, alongside junior setter Taylor Parks, represents the Gators on the 2026 AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watch List.
Parks, meanwhile, is fifth in the SEC for average assists per set (10.15). In Friday’s showdown, she recorded 36 assists, a match-high four service aces and the second-highest number of blocks for the Gators (six). Her counterpart on the Aggies, sophomore setter Kirra Musgrove, had 37 assists and 10 digs.
In the first set, junior outside hitter Selena Leban showcased strong ball placement as she sealed a point early on for the Gators, making it 3-2. However, she remained subpar the rest of the match, totaling three kills and maintaining a .000 hitting percentage.
With UF’s momentum spreading quickly, the Aggies could not derail them, falling 25-19 in the first set.
Beginning in the second set, Texas A&M appeared to be exhausted and discouraged. However, a kill by senior outside hitter Kyndal Stowers gave the Aggies the upper hand, 13-12, and the boost they needed, paving the way for a four-point run. Stifling Florida’s momentum, they chased that surge and clinched the second set 25-23.
Not letting the second-set loss dismantle them, the Gators began the third set with the first point after an attack error by Stowers for the Aggies. For the remainder of the set, they never let up their advantage, keeping up the pressure.
That rhythm carried into the fourth set of the night, where Florida had two four-point runs and three three-point runs. The Aggies quickly lost any control they had been holding onto, falling 25-16 in the final set.
One of Florida’s biggest weaknesses this season has been behind the service line. Thus far, the Gators have almost double the number of service errors (164) as they do service aces (83). But against Texas A&M, the Gators altered their habits by logging 10 service aces and only four service errors.
If Florida can keep their serves under control, one of their greatest weaknesses can be turned into a weapon in future affairs.
The Gators stay on the road to take on No. 12 Texas (9-6, 5-2) on Sunday. First serve is at 8:30 p.m. in Austin, Texas.
Contact Nicole Scura at nscura@alligator.org. Follow her on X @NicoleScuraa.
Nicole Scura is a junior journalism student in her third semester at The Alligator. She is currently a volleyball beat reporter and previously served as hockey beat and enterprise reporters. In her free time she enjoys figure skating, traveling and watching football (Go Bucs!).
