With only seven games left until the postseason, the Gators are playing their best volleyball of the year.
This weekend, No. 11 Florida (17-4, 9-3 Southeastern Conference) will look to build upon its eight-match winning streak when it faces Mississippi State today at 4 p.m. and Auburn on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on the road.
Although the Bulldogs and Tigers are near the bottom of the SEC standings, the Gators are approaching both matches cautiously.
“Mississippi State has a brand new group of coaches, they have new girls on the team, so right now they’re capable of doing anything,” senior setter Mackenzie Dagostino said.
Last weekend, Florida swept South Carolina and Georgia, two teams also in the conference’s cellar, by a combined score of 150-100.
While the Gators have won eight conference matches in a row, Mississippi State comes into this game riding a four-game conference losing streak.
Although their overall record is a respectable 14-10, Mississippi State has struggled against SEC competition and is just 3-7 in conference play.
The Bulldogs have lacked offensive firepower this season. As a team, Mississippi State has averaged a lowly .188 hitting clip. Against SEC opponents, they are hitting just .150.
That will likely continue into their matchup with the Gators, who have been playing suffocating defense as of late. UF held Georgia to a -.031 team hitting percentage, while no player for Georgia hit above .000.
In its second match of the weekend, UF will look to earn its second straight sweep of Auburn. In its last meeting with the Tigers, UF held Auburn to a .140 team hitting clip while posting an efficient .327.
Both games can be seen on the SEC Network +.
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UF coach Mary Wise calls out to setter Mackenzie Dagostino during Florida's 3-1 loss to Kentucky on Sept. 27, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.
