It was only fitting Rhamat Alhassan put Eastern Washington away with a kill.
The sophomore middle blocker racked up 12 kills and zero attack errors as the No. 2 Gators defeated the Eagles 3-1 (25-9, 25-17, 22-25, 25-16) early Friday morning in Honolulu at the 2015 Outrigger Resorts Volleyball Challenge.
Florida is now a polished 5-0 to start the season.
Alhassan’s nine total blocks were a match high. The Glenarden, Maryland, native played a big factor in UF’s ability to hold EWU (4-4) to a miniscule .101 hitting percentage.
Head coach Mary Wise praised the way Alhassan and senior defensive specialist Nicki O’Rourke played. O’Rourke pitched in 13 digs and six assists.
“Those two did so many good things that really kept us from going five,” Wise said.
Florida took the first two sets swiftly by a combined score of 50-26 before Eastern Washington turned on the jets in the third set.
The Gators didn’t block a single ball as the Eagles took the third set 25-22 after trading points for much of the set.
But UF recuperated and won the fourth and final set 25-16.
Although the win looked good on the scoreboard, Wise said she thought the seniors could’ve played a little bit better.
Florida tallied 18 service errors in the match, three more than it’s previous highest total this season against Texas. Senior setter Mackenzie Dagostino led the way with five service blunders.
“That’s just lack of focus,” Wise said. “It was set up. This was the danger match. You’re coming off of the Texas weekend.”
UF won’t have much time to correct its mistakes, though.
The Gators square off against No. 16 Hawai’i on Saturday at 1 a.m. in Honolulu then finish their trip with a match against San Diego State on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
Follow Patrick Pinak on Twitter @Pinakk12
Rhamat Alhassan swings for a kill attempt during Florida's 3-0 win against Alabama State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 5 in the O'Connell Center.
