The Gators are off to their best start since 2017, and they are doing it against some of the nation’s top teams.
No. 7 Florida improved to 11-1 (2-0 SEC) Friday after sweeping No. 11 Tennessee in its SEC home opener at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The victory extended the Gators win streak to nine and represented their second victory against a top-11 opponent this season. Florida also defeated then-No. 11 Minnesota on Sept. 1.
To lift Florida to its best record in almost a decade, outside hitter Logan King led the way against the Volunteers with a season-high 15 kills.
She also added seven digs, five blocks, three assists and three service aces, giving Florida a strong presence on both offense and defense. Her standout performances have fueled the Gators to find early success in conference play.
This wasn’t the first time King solidified herself as a leader, though. In Florida’s 3-1 win over in-state rival Florida State on Sept. 18, King was the powerhouse that fueled the Gators to victory in Tallahassee with nine kills. The opposite hitter also recorded a career-high seven blocks and earned SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
King’s performance against Tennessee only added to her role as one of Florida’s most reliable players.
Alongside King, junior middle blocker Alec Rothe drove Florida to one of its biggest wins of the season Friday. She entered the match with 121 points on the season and tallied five kills, two digs and a block against the Vols. Defensively, Rothe leads the team with 53 blocks, 17 more than second-place Brooklyn Briscoe.
Briscoe also played a key role against Tennessee, matching her season-high of five blocks.
A strong defense was key for Florida to limit the offensive production of a heavy-hitting Tennessee squad, and the Gators were able to keep the Volunteers at bay at the net. They held Tennessee’s biggest threat, Rogers Kennedi, to 15 kills. The outside hitter entered the match carrying a team-high 151.5 points, the same number held by the Gators’ outside hitter Kamryn Chaney, but Florida was able to equalize Kennedi in the shutout.
Though Tennessee attempted to rally late in the first set, the Gators closed the door with a 25-22 win, and they built a gap in the second. Florida’s 25-18 second-set win was fueled by eight kills from King, and they shut the door in the third.
The third set was the closest of the night, with the Gators and the Volunteers’ trading blows throughout, but Florida was able to capitalize on multiple Tennessee miscues. The loss marked the second straight week the Volunteers lost to a No. 7-ranked team.
Florida will remain at home Sunday as it looks to grab consecutive wins over ranked conference opponents. The Gators will play host to No. 3 Kentucky at 8:30 p.m. at the O’Dome.
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.
