With the No. 11 Florida volleyball team up 18-12 in the third set and holding a commanding 2-0 lead against Southeastern Conference rival South Carolina, all it needed was sound play to close out the rest of the match.
After a Florida serve, a slew of Gamecocks swarmed the ball, sending it high in the air before it fell nearly on top of the net, where anyone could play it.
That’s when Florida junior middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan locked eyes on the ball, slapping it perfectly into the left front zone, where no defender could get to it.
That proved to be an ongoing theme for the Gators (14-2, 4-1 SEC), who used their size and experience to throttle a slumping South Carolina (13-4, 1-4 SEC) in three-straight sets.
“We set the tone for the match with aggressive serving and quality blocking,” coach Mary Wise said in a release.
The rotation of freshman Rachael Kramer and Alhassan in the middle worked to full effect, as both had a prominent role on both offense and defense. The first set saw Kramer hold down the middle, where she contributed to five blocks and three kills. She ended the game with eight kills and a .636 hitting percentage.
Then, after a first set in which the Gators dominated, Alhassan took over the middle of the court. She was involved in six blocks over the match, more than half of the team’s 11 total. The veteran trio of Alhassan, junior Carli Snyder and senior Alex Holston began to dismantle the Gamecocks's defense.
Leading the nation in hitting percentage (.336), the Gators continued to showcase their offensive prowess. The three combined for 28 of the team's 38 kills.
The Gamecocks were also unable to find consistency on defense.
South Carolina committed 25 total errors and could only muster a .030 hitting percentage, the third-lowest opponent hitting percentage allowed by the Gators this year.
The Gamecocks’ leading attacker, freshman Mikayla Shields, had trouble getting anything going, managing only five kills after averaging nearly three per set.
“A lot of credit to our players, Wise said. “Both front row and back row.”
The Gators get a short rest at home before heading back on the road to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers on Friday.
Contact Skyler Lebron at slebron@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @skylerlebron.
UF's Carli Snyder (left) and Rhamat Alhassan celebrate during Florida's 3-0 win against New Hampshire Dec. 3, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.
