After two straight matches on the sidelines, redshirt sophomore setter Alexis Stucky made her return to Florida’s starting lineup and quickly made her mark.
The former AVCA All-American facilitated the Gators’ offense to a .494 shooting percentage and 54 kills in the match while recording 46 assists.
Stucky also contributed near the net, tallying two kills and a team-high five blocks in the bout.
When speaking about Stucky post-match, UF head coach Mary Wise gave praise to her performance, saying she is “well on the way to full recovery physically” while crediting Florida’s offensive attack for making the most of their opportunities.
The all-around effort helped catapult No. 22 Florida (18-5, 9-3 SEC) to a sweep against Alabama (10-12, 2-9 SEC), giving the Gators their seventh consecutive win.
Three Gators posted double digit kills in the match. Sophomore outside hitter Kennedy Martin led the way with 16 kills, while fifth-year outside hitter AC Fitzpatrick and freshman middle blocker Jaela Auguste scored 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Martin extended her streak of double-digit kills for her 45th straight match.
Moreover, UF’s fifth-year libero Elli McKissock had a team-best 15 digs in the bout. She now has 1,994 kills in her collegiate career, just 6 shy of 2,000 career digs.
“One of the biggest wins we’ve had was the day she [McKissock] decided to come back,” Wise said. “Her leadership, her play, and her commitment this year has been special.”
The Gators and Crimson Tide traded points to begin the first set before the UF offense kicked into full gear.
Florida posted a .652 shooting percentage in the first set while racking up 18 kills, which came from five different players.
Much like she did throughout seemingly the entire match, Stucky controlled the offensive flow and the net play, recording 17 assists and three blocks in the first set. The strong team effort helped the Gators run away with the set, 25-17.
In the second set, the Crimson Tide began to find their groove, putting together a 6-0 scoring run to grab a seven point lead.
However, Florida fought back and put together a 10-0 scoring run to reclaim the second set lead. From there, the Gators claimed a 25-19 win in the second set.
Martin was at the forefront of the Gators’ scoring run, posting two service aces and four kills in the run alone. She finished the second set with a team-high six kills.
Florida continued to control play into the third set, leading by as many as nine points at one point. Redshirt senior outside hitter Isabel Martin recorded the match-clinching kill, winning the set, 25-17.
Florida will be on the road for its next match against Missouri on Nov. 15 at 8 p.m.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
