With its win over Ole Miss on Friday night, Florida volleyball clinched the Southeastern Conference title outright.
The No. 6 Gators (22-3, 16-0 Southeastern Conference) defeated the Rebels (20-9, 6-9 SEC) 3-1 (25-22, 25-23, 24-26, 24-11) to win the SEC for the second time in three years.
“When we’re on the road and the home team is playing as well as Ole Miss was, these are the matches that it takes such a combined effort to come out with a win," Florida coach Mary Wise said in a release. "Ole Miss earned that win in the third set. I’m proud of the team for what we’ve accomplished, but we understand the key is: can we be a better Gator team Sunday than we were today.”
After beginning the month of November with three straight sweeps, Florida was forced into a fourth set for the second consecutive match.
Despite struggling early, Florida finished strong. The Gators hit .331 from the floor while Ole Miss finished with a .149 hitting clip.
Sophomore Alex Holston ended the night with a team-high 18 kills, two blocks and a .316 hitting percentage.
Middle blockers Simone Antwi and Rhamat Alhassan dominated the net against Ole Miss, combining for 10 total blocks.
Junior setter Mackenzie Dagostino recorded a double-double with 49 assists and 11 digs, while also adding two blocks.
The Gators have two more matches left in conference play, starting with Arkansas on Sunday.
Florida will face No. 3 Texas on Nov. 29 in its last match before the NCAA tournament.
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Alex Holston swings for a kill attempt during Florida's 3-0 win against Missouri in the O'Connell Center.
