Florida’s run in the SEC Volleyball Tournament came to an end Sunday.
The Gators (15-11) were unable to come up with their second win in Savannah, Georgia, and fell to Tennessee (20-6) in four sets. Florida blew leads in back-to-back sets to give up the match.
A strong performance from the Gators allowed them to upset the Lady Volunteers earlier in the season, but they were less consistent than in mid October when they topped their ranked opponent in five sets.
This time, each set was back-and-forth as the pair traded leads constantly throughout the match. However, it was Florida who ceded its leads at crucial times.
The Gators blew an 18-12 lead in set two, allowing Tennessee to go on an 11-4 run to end the set. They met a similar fate in set three, seeing a 17-12 lead evaporate with a 7-1 run by the Lady Volunteers.
In each set, attacking errors trickled in and chipped at the lead. Florida adjusted by taking less aggressive swings, which only led them to trail Tennessee in kills and stifled its offensive production.
Adding to Florida’s unforced errors, both teams struggled in their performance from behind the service line. The pair combined for 19 service errors and only six aces.
Despite the loss, Florida had strong individual performances. Outside hitter Jordyn Byrd led Florida and the match in kills, recording 21 and four blocks. Behind her, Aniya Madkin tied her season-high with 18. Sophomore middle Jaela Auguste also recorded double-digit kills with 10.
Each team had three attackers in double digits with opposite hitter Starr Williams, middle blocker Chelsea Sutton and outside Hayden Kubik being the major contributors for Tennessee. Kubik led with 15.
However, on both sides, it was the defensive showings that kept the match close. Florida’s freshman libero Lily Hayes recorded 17 digs in the match and Tennessee’s senior libero Gülce Güçtekin had 19. The Lady Volunteers narrowly led UF in digs with 64 to its 62.
Both teams were also led by redshirt junior All-American caliber setters. Alexis Stucky tied her career-high 56 assists while the Volunteer’s Caroline Kerr added 43.
Sophomore middle blocker Alec Rothe also tied her career-high in blocks with seven in the match. She added eight kills to her stat line and was a key piece of Florida’s offense in the early sets, but struggled to get her swings going later on.
Florida awaits its NCAA Tournament slate which will be announced Sunday.
Contact Ava DiCecca at adicecca@alligator.org. Follow her on X @avadicecca24.
Ava is a sophomore sports journalism student and the volleyball beat reporter for fall 2025. She enjoys playing basketball and volleyball in her free time and going on beach trips with friends. She has been a Boston sports fan all her life (Brad Marchand we miss you).
