The Gators learned their scouting report.
No. 9 Florida knew Georgia was going to be a scrappy team and play aggressively at the net.
So they game planned.
And they succeeded.
The Gators limited the Bulldogs’ opportunities all match to win in straight sets (25-14, 25-15, 25-16) on Friday night in the O’Connell Center.
Junior outside hitter Gabby Mallette led the way for the Gators (11-3, 5-0 Southeastern Conference), tallying 10 kills on 28 attempts in her first start of the season.
“Our defenders are passing well and then Mackenzie (Dagostino) is really setting a great offense,” Mallette said. “So really it’s them that’s allowing me to play the way that I have.”
Added coach Mary Wise: “She’s really hitting the ball well. … Swinging with a lot of confidence, making good decisions and has increased her hitting cone. When she first came to us, she was very one-dimensional as a hitter, but she keeps expanding.”
As a team, Florida had four players record at least eight kills — Mallette, junior Simone Antwi (nine), sophomore Alex Holston (eight) and freshman Rhamat Alhassan (eight) — en route to a .317 hitting percentage.
“From an offensive standpoint where the set distribution was even and the point production was fairly even, (it) just makes us less one-dimensional and more difficult to defend,” coach Mary Wise said.
Defensively, UF held UGA (9-7, 1-3 SEC) to a .022 clip, marking the third time Florida has held an opponent to a sub-.100 hitting mark this season and the second time in SEC play.
Three of Georgia’s players finished the match with a negative hitting efficiency.
“Basically, when you want to beat a big team, you have to be aggressive at the net,” said Dagostino, who finished the match with 35 assists, five kills on a .714 hitting percentage and 10 digs. “So that was something we were working on all week. … It’s more of a mindset than a physical ability, so we really put our minds to it.”
Defensively, Wise commended the play of Maddy Monserez.
The senior defensive specialist was a cog in the back row and sacrificed her body to set up plays for the offense.
“Even though it only says eight digs, she played with such passion and made so much difference with her presence on the court,” Wise said.
Florida now shifts its attention to its Sunday match against No. 19 Texas A&M — a team that plays with a much different philosophy than Georgia.
“They’re a very, very fast team,” Dagostino said of the Aggies. “So our whole practice tomorrow is going to be competing against a fast offense. … I mean, we’re a very fast offense, too, so it’s going to be a fun rally to watch.”
TAMU (11-4, 3-1 SEC) showcases a speed-oriented offense that is a heavy contrast from the aggressive style that UGA played with on Friday.
Junior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan leads the Aggies on offense, pacing the team in kills (159), hitting percentage (.353) and solo blocks (11).
But after Florida earned its fourth sweep since conference play began, Dagostino said the Gators have a boosted morale heading into their 2 p.m. meeting with the Aggies.
“That was probably the most solid we’ve played all season,” Dagostino said. “That’s a really good feeling to have going into Texas A&M. Great win, but now it’s time to move on to the next.”
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Gabby Mallette swings for a kill attempt during Florida's 3-0 win against Georgia on Friday in the O'Connell Center
