Nobody is going to confuse the Florida volleyball team’s last three games of the regular season as marquee matchups, but the Gators are using them as confidence boosters.
“Step one was a good start, both offensively and defensively,” coach Mary Wise said.
Florida (22-5, 14-13 Southeastern Conference) easily handled an overmatched Georgia (11-17, 7-11 SEC) Friday night in one of the season’s more dominant performances.
Starting strong early and remaining consistent throughout, the Gators recorded a season-high .519 hitting percentage in the straight-set (25-14, 25-15, 25-14) victory. In comparison, the Bulldogs were only able to muster a .054 hitting performance, including a minus-.059 mark in the second set and just 20 kills in the entire match.
“The second game we kind of let them get a run of points, so that’s something that we wanted to make sure in the third game we wouldn’t let them do,” junior right-side Tangerine Wiggs said. “That’s something we took care of. It’s exciting to see that.”
A thriving UF offense was once again led by a monstrous performance by senior outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel. In just three sets, Jaeckel managed 14 kills and also had three blocks. She finished with 19 points. The only other player to reach double digits was sophomore middle blocker Chloe Mann, who continued her hot hand, with 10.
“We really did a good job just coming out and executing on our side and kind of slowing down what they wanted to do,” Jaeckel said. “That’s really where we got our momentum from, and I’m really proud we came out in all three games that way. I’m glad we could sustain such a high level.”
Florida was full of high-efficiency performances against Georgia, including showings by Wiggs, Mann and junior middle blocker Betsy Smith, who hit .583, .818 and .750, respectively.
“To hit .519, the best hitting efficiency all season, from an offensive standpoint we were very sharp,” Wise said. “From a defensive standpoint, perhaps Taylor Unroe’s best match of the year as far as quality digs.”
Wise described Unroe’s performance as one she was not capable of six weeks ago, citing an ability to make digs that transitioned well into second contact and effective passes. Unroe finished the game with 12 digs after entering the third set with just four.
Overall Georgia was one part of a three-step plan to accelerate into the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 1 with as much confidence as possible.
“We’re just trying to show everybody that we’re not messing around,” Jaeckel said. “We’re here to play and we’re ready to go.”
