Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Freshman Thayer Hall leads the Gators with 2.97 kills per set this season.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Reflecting on Florida Volleyball’s 2018 season

By Mari Faiello | Dec. 17, 2018

The Florida Gators volleyball season began about 100 days ago.

At 20.1 points per game, UF guard Funda Nakkasoglu leads the SEC in scoring. She's also one of five UF players returning from last year's team that strung together two wins in January.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Winning streak snapped as Gators fall at Ohio State

By Sam Campisano | Dec. 16, 2018

The return of leading scorer Funda Nakkasoglu wasn’t enough for the Florida women’s basketball team to earn its fourth-consecutive victory.

Guard Delicia Washington led the Gators in scoring with 16 points against Bethune-Cookman. She also finished with 10 rebounds and an assist.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

No Nakkasoglu, no problem as Gators blowout FAMU

By Sam Campisano | Dec. 9, 2018

Forward Zada Williams scored a career-high 16 points at the O’Connell Center to lead the Gators women’s basketball team to their third straight win, a 62-38 thrashing of Florida A&M.

Freshman guard Andrew Nembhard led the Gators with 11 points and seven assists in their 61-54 loss to Butler.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Poor shooting costs Florida an upset bid against Michigan State

By Tyler Nettuno | Dec. 8, 2018

The Gators played from behind all afternoon. They trailed for over 38 minutes of game time after jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead, but they still had a chance at the end.

Sophomore setter Holly Carlton recorded a team-high nine kills on 17 attacks in Sunday afternoon’s win against Alabama. The 6-foot-7 Carlton also set a career-high with four service aces.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

BYU ends Florida’s season in four sets

By Dylan Rudolph | Dec. 8, 2018

The BYU players set up a play with match point as the rowdy crowd’s rhythmic chant urged them on at the Smith Fieldhouse.

UF guard Delicia Washington collected 10 rebounds and three assists during Florida's 72-67 win over Texas Tech on Sunday at the O'Connell Center.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Defense lifts Florida to second consecutive win

By Dylan Rudolph | Dec. 5, 2018

Bethune-Cookman guard Angel Golden drove to the basket in the second quarter looking to end Florida’s 5-0 run. She, instead, met a sea of orange as all five UF defenders converged on her in the paint, disrupting her shot and sending her to the floor in a heap.

Oliver Crawford helped team USA to a victory at the Master’U Collegiate Tournament to culminate a successful fall season that saw him claim singles titles at the USA F28 Futures and the UVA Masters.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Crawford, USA victorious on trip to Europe

By Kyle Wood | Dec. 5, 2018

Oliver Crawford had redemption on his mind this past weekend.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

When it’s right for you, you’ll know

By Chris O'Brien | Dec. 4, 2018

Wow. It almost feels weird writing this column. I’ve dedicated at least one day (and usually more) to this newspaper every single week this past calendar year. Even summer. The brutal, tough, grueling, hot summer it is in Gainesville saw me at my highest production at the Alligator.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Ignore your plan

By Morgan McMullen | Dec. 4, 2018

Keep your head down. Go to classes and go home. Play trivia every once in a while.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

UF looks to carry momentum into home game with Bethune-Cookman

By Sam Campisano | Dec. 4, 2018

Just five current players were on the roster the last time the Florida women’s basketball team won two games in a row.

Guard KeVaughn Allen dropped a team-high 19 points in Madison Square Garden Tuesday night and led the Gators to a 66-56 win over West Virginia.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida pulls away from WVU in low-scoring affair

By Tyler Nettuno | Dec. 4, 2018

It isn’t always pretty.

Elisabeth Bergh (middle) came back from a hip labral tear in Spring of 2018 to become a Second-Team All-SEC runner for UF's track and field team.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY

Elisabeth Bergh learned to run through changes, adversity

By Evan Lepak | Dec. 4, 2018

Running seems simple, doesn’t it? The activity comes as naturally as breathing for some. You put one foot in front of the other, push your arms back and forth, and before you know it, you’re off.

Coach Mary Wise said that the NCAA tournament needs to be updated so teams aren't playing on consecutive days. "We’re still playing the rules of the 80s and the tournament designed in the 80s. And these guys are very different than the 1980s.”

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Gators take on fourth-seeded BYU in Regionals of NCAA Tournament

By Mari Faiello | Dec. 3, 2018

You could say coach Mary Wise is fed up.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

My Goodbye to The Alligator: Thanks for taking a chance on me

By Justin Alhum | Dec. 3, 2018

Most of the time, it’s not goodbye, it’s see ya later. But this time, it’s actually the moment to say goodbye.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Manny Girona embraces one constant through changes

By Brendan Farrell | Dec. 3, 2018

The black widow is native to the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Africa.

Florida guard Deaundrae Ballard leads the Gators with 10.9 points per game.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida gears up for West Virginia in Jimmy V Classic

By Chris O'Brien | Dec. 3, 2018

Former guard Chris Chiozza sank a buzzer-beating, three-point floater the last time the Gators played in Madison Square Garden.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators beat Texas Tech for first win of season

By Dylan Rudolph | Dec. 3, 2018

Guard Delicia Washington waited for her opportunity like a tiger on the hunt. A pass early in the third quarter that hung in the air just a little too long allowed the 5-foot-10 guard to step right in front and take it to the other end for an easy basket.

In his first season as UF head coach, Dan Mullen led the Gators (9-3) to the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl, where they will face Michigan.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators to face Michigan in the Peach Bowl

By Jake Dreilinger | Dec. 2, 2018

Florida’s postseason fate has been revealed, and it will include a familiar foe at a different location.

The UF volleyball team celebrates its sweep of FGCU (25-17, 25-13, 25-17) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with some fans and the Florida band.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Gators advance to Round 3 of NCAA’s after sweeping FGCU

By Mari Faiello | Nov. 30, 2018

ORLANDO, Fla. — Sophomore outside hitter Paige Hammons stood at the ready on match point Friday night. She waited on a serve from Florida Gulf Coast’s side of the court.

Linebacker Reuben Foster was released by the 49ers after he was arrested for domestic violence charges on Nov. 24. Two days later, the Washington Redskins claimed him off waivers.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Why did the Redskins sign Reuben Foster?

By Alanis Thames | Nov. 29, 2018

We’ve seen this before.