Nothing could get through the Gators’ defense Friday night at Reed Arena.
Putting up a season-high 16 blocks against the Aggies, Florida relied on a sharp wall to hold its opponent under .200 hitting for the 12th time in 2026. Brooklyn Briscoe led the pack with seven blocks, while Alec Rothe and Taylor Parks each added six.
With an impressive defensive performance against the Aggies, Florida proved why it leads the SEC in opponent hitting percentage.
Florida’s back row also made it tough for the Aggies. Libero Lily Hayes and opposite hitter Logan King headlined the efforts, posting 14 and 11 digs, respectively. Florida finished with 57 digs, just one over the Aggies’ 56.
The Gators (14-2, 5-1 SEC) ultimately defeated Texas A&M in four sets (10-8, 3-3 SEC), earning a 3-1 win on the road against the defending national champions.
The Gators were aced seven times in their last meeting with Texas A&M on Nov. 12, 2025. This time out, Florida flipped the script. Parks fueled the Gators, responsible for four of their 10 service aces. The Aggies only had five aces in the match.
Texas A&M’s outside hitter Kyndal Stowers averaged a team-high 4.36 kills per set and 5.10 points per set heading into the match, but the Gators relied on their defensive wall to slow her down. With four team blocks by Florida, including two by Rothe, Stowers was only able to put up two kills in the first set.
In that set, the Gators were able to hold Texas A&M to .065 hitting behind 21 digs. Hayes and King led the team with five digs apiece.
The strong defense paved the way for King to be effective in the back row, posting four kills to lead the offense in the first. But it was a kill from Brooklyn Briscoe that gave Florida the 25-19 win.
Despite dominating the opening frame, Florida struggled to stop Texas A&M’s offense in the middle of the second set. At 11-10, the Aggies turned a one-point lead into 16-12 after going on a 5-2 run. Their outside hitter Stowers repeatedly found success when she was set by Kirra Musgrove. Capitalizing on that connection, Stowers was able to put up 10 kills, the most any player produced in one set in this match.
The Gators also made unforced errors in crucial moments. At 15-12, an attack error by pin hitter Selena Leban gave the Aggies a four-point lead. Despite keeping the set tight through the end, Florida ultimately lost 25-23.
But the Gators’ defense got back on track in the third set, recording 14 total digs. King was one of Florida’s biggest powerhouses, recording five digs and five kills. The opposite hitter continues to cement herself as a key player on the Gators’ roster.
After taking the third set 25-17, the final stretch came easy for Florida. Kamryn Chaney finally found her groove, logging five kills — her highest of the match. After the outside hitter’s stellar performance in the last set, leading the Gators with 12 kills in the match, she surpassed 200 kills on the year.
The Gators ended with their best offensive set at .333 hitting, clinching a 25-16 victory in the final set.
Coming off a loss against unranked Vanderbilt on Sunday, Florida needed a bounce-back win over the Aggies. The victory marks the Gators’ fifth win over a ranked team, the highest number since the 2017 season.
Florida travels to Austin to face the No. 12 Texas Longhorns on Sunday. First serve is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @alamosofiaa.
Sofia Alamo is a sophomore sports journalism student in her fourth semester at The Alligator. She is the volleyball beat reporter. She enjoys spending time with family and watching sports with friends.
