Florida volleyball took another sweep against Georgia on Wednesday, extending the Gators set win streak to 15.
In No. 8 Florida’s (17-3, 11-0 Southeastern Conference) 3-0 win against unranked Georgia (10-12, 2-8 SEC), it was the Gators’ offense that thrived.
In total, the Gators finished the night with 11 service aces — the highest of the season and the most in a match since Florida faced Texas A&M on Nov. 3, 2013 — and a match attack percentage of .400.
However, it was the second set that showcased Florida’s dominance on offense. Florida recorded a team hitting clip of .714 – the highest attack percentage since posting a .588 hitting efficiency in the first set against Alabama on Oct. 6, 2013 – and held Georgia to 8 points in the set.
The Gators held the Bulldogs to a .045 attacking clip which also aided the 25-8 win in Set 2.
"It was one of the strangest set two-three’s I’ve been around," coach Mary Wise said.
"(We went) 25-8 and I believe five of the eight (points) came when we started making some subs. They weren’t passing well. Whatever they did between sets two and three, they came back a much better passing team."
Aiding Florida’s offensive effort was right-side hitter Alex Holston, who finished the night with her first double-double of her career with a team high 12 kills on 19 attempts and a .526 attack percentage — just shy of her .545 career attack percentage — and career-best 11 digs, as well as three block assists and three service aces.
The 6-foot-1 outside hitter is the third player on Florida’s roster to earn a double-double for the season – behind freshman middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan, who shared her first and only double-double with junior setter Mackenzie Dagostino against Marquette on Sept. 19.
Dagostino picked up her second and most recent double-double of the season against Georgia on Oct. 10.
Holston has been praised for her larger role in her second year with the team by playing in a full six rotations per set.
Her play against Georgia was easily her best of the season — she finished the night with only two serving errors and two attack errors..
In 20 matches played and 70 sets total, Holston leads the Gators in attacks (244), kills (3.49 per set) and points (4.09 per set).
The sophomore is currently ranked 11th in the SEC for hitting percentage (.333) and sixth in kills with 3.46 per set.
In her freshman year she finished the season ranked sixth in the SEC with a .382 attacking percentage, placing her second in the league.
"I think Alex has become a multi-dimensional opposite player," Wise said. "Her kills out of the back row, her blocking, her serving, her digging; those are skills that weren’t in her game a year ago, but they’re definitely a part of the Florida team this year."
A television broadcast contributed to this report.
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Alex Holston swings for a kill attempt during Florida's 3-0 win against Missouri in the O'Connell Center.
