With the Florida Volleyball team leading 14-9 in the second set, coach Mary Wise decided to utilize her bench, something that has become more important as the long Southeastern Conference season progresses.
This time, freshman setter Chanelle Hargreaves got the call.
Hargreaves proceeded to set the ball seven straight times, with each sequence ending in a point for Florida.
“Tonight’s match was about really good production out of our right side, particularly Alex Holston and Chanelle Hargreaves,” Wise said in a release. “ Chanelle behind the service line, Alex with back-to-back matches against Georgia without a hitting error is pretty amazing."
Offense proved to be a theme for the night, as the No. 6 Gators (21-2, 11-1 SEC) swept the Georgia Bulldogs (13-11,1-11 SEC) 3-0 in their second meeting of the season, pushing their win streak to nine games with a strong offensive attack. With the win, Wise reached her 400th career win in the SEC.
The Gators came into the first set swinging hard offensively, with five players accounting for at least three kills. Surprisingly, the leader in kills through the first frame was setter Allie Monserez. The redshirt sophomore had four in only five attacks, notching a season high in the category in just one set.
Into the second and third sets, Wise started to dip into her reserves, but that didn’t change the flow of the game. After Florida more than doubled the Bulldogs’ total in a 25-12 second set, they followed that up with a 25-20 third set to close things out.
Georgia had a hard time getting much going offensively. Apart from junior middle blocker Maddie Lobenstein, who had a 10-kill game on a lackluster .107 hitting percentage, the Gators held their own defensively. The Bulldogs hit .165 as a team.
UF libero Caroline Knope played a stingy defensive match, tallying 22 digs, her third highest total of the season.
Now, although possibly only for a few days, the Gators have taken sole possession of first place in the SEC standings. First place contenders Kentucky and Missouri won’t see action until Friday.
The Gators also remain one of only five conference teams to stay undefeated when facing a true road game.
The Gators have a Sunday 1 p.m. matchup with the Mississippi State in Starkville before heading back home for a Friday night matchup with South Carolina.
Contact Skyler Lebron at slebron@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @slebron.
UF coach Mary Wise talks with her players during Florida's 3-1 win over Marshall on Sept. 17, 2016, in the Lemerand Athletic Center.
