In the third and final set of Florida volleyball’s match against Alabama State, the Gators were in complete control.
UF outside hitter Carli Snyder took a lob from freshman setter Cheyenne Huskey and drilled the ball down on the Hornets’ side of the court to the delight of a raucous home crowd.
Alabama State had no answer for Snyder or the rest of the Gators in the Friday-night contest, as 11th-seeded Florida (27-3) swept the Hornets (24-9) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Senior right-side hitter Alex Holston had 13 kills and junior middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan totaled eight kills and led the Gators with five total blocks, but the player of the game was Snyder.
The junior All-American registered a match-high 14 kills on a .545 hitting percentage and tallied 11 digs for her 10th double-double of the season.
“This is our team’s favorite time of the year,” Snyder said. “We’re really excited, really fired up to be playing such great teams and such great volleyball postseason.”
Florida struggled early in the first set, but after a vicious kill by the 6-foot-4 Alhassan gave UF a 10-5 lead, the Gators took off.
Florida won the opening frame 25-15.
The second set was the beginning of the end for Alabama State.
The Hornets had a difficult time contending with the length of the Gators’ front row.
After hitting just .050 in the opening set, Alabama State was held to a .000 hitting percentage in sets 2 and 3.
The hard hitting of Snyder, Holston and Alhassan, coupled with the stingy defense of Florida’s front and back row, led the Gators to a 25-13 victory in the second set and a 25-9 rout in the third set.
“They’re a really well coached team,” UF coach Mary Wise said of the Hornets. “There’s just a difference in size, and we understand that.”
With 11 errors, Florida struggled early from the service line, but the offense heated up regardless. The Gators hit .464 for the match and slammed down 49 kills. The Hornets, on the other hand, were held to just 14 kills the entire contest.
Florida looks to build off of the impressive performance as it takes on Florida State at 7:30 Saturday night in the second round of the tournament.
“It’s a quick turnaround,” Snyder said of the upcoming match. “That’s the best part about the tournament. You don’t have to long to reflect on the match you played.
“You have to flip the page.”
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
UF outside hitter Carli Snyder passes a ball during Florida's 3-0 win against Texas A&M on Oct. 9, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.
