Historically, the No. 6-ranked Florida volleyball team has dominated Alabama.
Heading into Sunday afternoon’s match in Tuscaloosa, the Gators owned a perfect 41-0 record against their Southeastern Conference opponent, dating back to the program’s inception.
And, after a three-set match, that streak will continue.
Despite playing its 10th road game of the season, UF swept the Crimson Tide, winning its 12th-consecutive match of the season.
“To come in and beat this Alabama team, which was on such a great run and played so well on Friday night,” coach Mary Wise said in a release, “speaks volumes about our preparation and execution.”
The Gators immediately clawed ahead in the first set. Just two days removed from a slow start against Ole Miss, the attacking trio of Alex Holston, Rhamat Alhassan and Carli Snyder powered Florida to an early 10-5 advantage, accounting for five of the team’s seven kills in that span.
With Alabama pressing late, freshman Rachael Kramer took over, posting back-to-back kills and sparking a 6-2 run that pulled Florida ahead 22-16. The Phoenix, Arizona, native finished the set with three kills, swatting away an Alabama attack in the process.
After allowing the Crimson Tide to hang around in a 25-22 first-set win, the Gators attack exploded, closing the second frame on a 14-4 run.
Florida’s service game played a large part in the outburst. Led by redshirt sophomore Allie Monserez’s consecutive aces, the Gators managed three aces in the set. Freshman defensive specialist Chanelle Hargreaves also recorded an ace in the 25-14 set win.
A set removed from victory, All-American outside hitter Holston stepped up.
Registering a hitting percentage of .444, the native of Olney, Maryland, posted six of her team-leading 14 total kills in the decisive third frame. Holston finished the match with a team-high 15 points, chipping in a solo block in addition to five digs.
In total, five different Gators posted a kill in the third set.
However, Florida’s big three was the driving force behind the clinching performance. Accounting for 87.5 percent of the team’s third-set kills, Alhassan, Snyder and Holston spiked home 14 of UF’s 16 successful attacks.
After opening their conference slate on the road, the Gators will return to the Lemerand Athletic Center on Wednesday to begin a two-match home stand against the Kentucky Wildcats before squaring off against Tennessee on Oct. 2. With a 12-1 record (2-0 SEC), UF currently sits atop the conference standings.
Contact Alejandro López at alopez@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @ajlb95.
Rachael Kramer (right) attempts a block during Florida's 3-0 win over Jacksonville on Sept. 16, 2016, in the Lemerand Center.
