Congrats to Volleyball Team

Gator Sports

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 20 Florida volleyball team defeated the Auburn Tigers in straights sets on Wednesday night in Exactech Arena to extend its win streak to seven matches.

The Gators improve to 18-6 on the year and 12-2 in the SEC, while Auburn falls to 13-12 overall and 5-10 in league play.

UF took the first set handily with a 25-11 win and followed with a 25-15 victory in the second frame. The Gators secured the match with a 25-19 win in the final set.

Florida’s offensive attack was led by T’ara Ceasar, who posted 12 kills on the night. Thayer Hall followed with an 11-kill, .455 performance of her own, while Lauren Forte added 10 kills in the victory on a .667 clip.

Marlie Monserez dished out 39 assists in the match, moving her into the No. 5 spot in program history for career assists. She also led the team to a .305 clip on night.

The Gators held Auburn to a .089 hitting percentage on the night, the fourth time this season the squad has held an opponent below .100. Bre Kelley posted a team-high two blocks in the sweep.

Elli McKissock led Florida’s backcourt defense with a 17-dig performance, while Ceasar and Monserez pitched in 12 and 10 digs, respectively, on the night.

Four different players registered a service ace in the match – Trinity Adams, Merritt Beason, McKissock and Monserez.

The Gators close out the home portion of their schedule with a two-match series against the South Carolina Gamecocks, beginning on Saturday. First serve for Saturday’s match is set for 4 p.m., while Sunday’s match is slated for a 2 p.m. start. Sunday will also serve as Senior Day for Florida’s five seniors – T’ara Ceasar, Lauren Dooley, Lauren Forte, Thayer Hall and Marlie Monserez.

Records
No. 20 Florida (18-6, 12-2 SEC)
Auburn (13-12, 5-10 SEC)

How it Happened

  • The Gators held control for the entirety of the first set, beginning with a 5-0 Hall service run to force an Auburn timeout at the 6-1 mark. The Tigers pulled to within five at 9-4, but Florida continued to strike, taking the 18-7 advantage to make Auburn use its final timeout. Out of the break, UF closed out a 7-4 run to take the first 25-11.
    • Florida hit a stellar .464 in the first set, while holding Auburn to a .000 clip. Ceasar, Forte and Hall each recorded four kills in the frame to lead the way offensively.
  • The second set started as a back-and-forth battle, with neither team holding more than a two-point lead until Florida strung together a 3-1 run to take the 10-6 advantage. The Gators continued to extend their lead, taking the 15-8 edge into the media timeout. UF grabbed all of the momentum coming out of the break, grabbing the 22-12 lead late in the frame. Florida capped off the set with two Sofia Victoria kills and a Ceasar kill to take the 2-0 lead in the match.
    • The Gators tallied 17 kills in the second set on a .364 hitting percentage. Beason posted a team-high four kills in the frame, while Ceasar and Hall each added three apiece.
  • Similar to the start of the second set, the beginning of the third frame was tight between the two squads until Florida was able to create some distance at the 14-9 mark. The Tigers cut the deficit to four at 16-12, then again at 20-16, but Florida was able to win the battle to 25, taking the frame 25-19.
    • Ceasar and Forte each recorded a team-high five kills in the third set, followed by four from Hall.

Notables

  • T’ara Ceasar recorded her team-leading 11th double-double in the match, finishing with 12 kills and 12 digs
  • Marlie Monserez notched her ninth double-double of the year, recording 39 assists and 10 digs
  • Florida improves to 52-2 against Auburn in the all-time series, including a 48-1 record under Mary Wise
  • The Gators are now 39-0 against the Tigers in three-set matches
  • UF improves to 26-0 against Auburn in Gainesville, Fla.
  • Florida is now 14-1 in three-set matches during the 2021 campaign
  • The Gators improve to 4-0 in the month of November
  • With her 39 assists, Marlie Monserez moved into fifth place all-time in career assists, surpassing Nikki Shade (3,429 – 1993-97)

Thoughts from Coach Wise

  • “We did a lot of things right following the game plan tonight. A lot of credit to the players for staying focused and executing to win in three in a week where we have so many matches in so few days.”

Up Next

  • The Gators close out the home portion of their schedule with a two-match series against the South Carolina Gamecocks, beginning on Saturday
  • First serve for Saturday’s match is set for 4 p.m., while Sunday’s match is slated for a 2 p.m. start
  • Sunday will also serve as Senior Day for Florida’s five seniors – T’ara Ceasar, Lauren Dooley, Lauren Forte, Thayer Hall and Marlie Monserez.

No. 20 Florida vs. South Carolina Broadcast Information – Nov. 20
Date & Time: Nov. 20 | 4 p.m.
Live Stream: SEC Network +
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Radio: FloridaGators.com/watch

No. 20 Florida vs. South Carolina Broadcast Information – Nov. 21
Date & Time: Nov. 21 | 2 p.m.
Live Stream: SEC Network +
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM

Series Information – No. 20 Florida vs. South Carolina
Gamecocks | 2021 season synopsis: 13-11, 5-9 SEC

  • This is the 69th meeting between the Gators and the Gamecocks    
  • Florida leads the series 59-9 (53-3 under Mary Wise)
  • 3-set: 45-2 | 4-set: 10-4 | 5-set: 4-2
  • Home: 30-1 | Away: 27-6 | Neutral: 2-1
  • Last Time Out: Nov. 12, 2020 | Columbia, S.C. | L, 2-3 (21-25, 25-17, 25-21, 13-25, 12-15)

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