GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 10 Florida volleyball team lost to in-state rival South Florida in five sets (25-15, 22-25, 25-12, 23-25, 10-15) on Friday night. The 3-2 final was the Gators’ first loss of the season and they are now 3-1 on the year, while USF is now 1-3.

Taylor Parks recorded her first double-double as a Gator in the fifth set. The SEC Freshman of the Week dished 46 assists and recorded 13 digs, two new career highs.

Three Gators achieved double-digit kill numbers, with Isabelle Martin and led for the third time in a row with 19 kills. Freshman Alec Rothe scored 14 kills, a career high, achieved a batting average of .345 and AC Fitzpatrick had 11 kills on Friday evening.

Florida’s 12 team blocks held South Florida to a .196 hitting percentage, with four players each recording a solo block: Jaela AugusteFitzpatrick, Martin and Parks.

Ellie McKissock led the backcourt with 23 digs, which was the most on the team, and recorded seven assists while even recording a kill in the stats. In addition, Thomas Adams, Emily Canaan and Martin made eight digs in the game.

records

No. 10 Florida (3-1, 0-0 SEC)
USF (1-3, 0-0 American Athletic)

How it happened
Sentence 1

• Florida opened the first set with a 4-0 lead, forcing an early USF timeout. Thanks to Adams and Canaan, who both posted 4-0 service runs, the Gators extended their lead to 17-6. With just five points left in the first set, Fitzpatrick, Rothe and Thomas were a force at the net. The trio had three blocks in three blocks in the final moments to secure a 25-15 first set victory. Martin led with six kills and finished the match with a hitting clip of .357.
• Set 1 Team Stats | .229 Hit Rate | 12 kills | 12 assists | 15 Digs | 5.0 team blocks | 1 Ace

Sentence 2

• The score was tied 4-4 at the start of the second set, with Florida being the first team to five points after a service error by the Bulls. The two teams battled point for point until USF took a 12-10 lead, forcing the Gators to take a timeout. South Florida continued to push the pace, taking a four-point lead and becoming the first team to 15 points. A block by freshman duo Parks and Auguste ended the scoring streak, but the Bulls were able to hold on to their three-point lead until the final 22-19. Two consecutive kills by Auguste kept Florida alive, but USF came away with a 25-22 victory. In total, there were eight point losses in the second set.
• Set 2 Team Stats | .262 Hit Rate | 16 kills | 12 assists | 14 Digs | 1.0 team block

Sentence 3

• Similar to the first set, the Gators came out strong and took an early 8-3 lead. After a South Florida timeout, UF remained a threat from every position in the front row as Rothe, Thomas and Fitzpatrick scored kills to extend Florida’s lead to 15-7. The Gators were unstoppable and continued to dominate the third set, scoring 18 kills en route to a 25-12 victory. Seven players contributed to Florida’s .750 hits, including a defensive specialist. Emily Canaan. Martin and Fitzpatrick both had four to lead the third set, while Rothe and Thomas followed with three.
• Set 3 Team Stats | .750 hit rate | 18 kills | 17 assists | 9 digs

Sentence 4

• After a tough battle in the early rallies, the Gators pulled ahead by seven points after a solo block by Auguste forced a USF timeout. The Bulls rallied and came out of the break with a 5-0 lead and a 4-0 service run. UF’s lead shrank to 12-9 and South Florida came back to tie it at 14-14. When the 25-point mark was reached, points were exchanged and Florida took a timeout when it was down 20-22. The Gators could not overcome the deficit and lost 23-25, which was a déjà vu in the fifth set against the Bulls – similar to the five-set match last year.
• Set 4 Team Stats | .075 hit rate | 12 kills | 17 Digs | 10 assists | 5 team blocks | 1 ace

Sentence 5

• The fifth and final set went back and forth as South Florida went up 4-0 to take a 6-9 lead. Fitzpatrick and Martin scored two kills in a row to get within one point, but USF pulled away to win the fifth set 15-10 and take the match.
• Set 5 Team Stats | .095 hit rate | 6 kills | 8 digs | 6 assists | 1 team block | 1 ace

Notable people

• Five players have achieved or set career highs:
• First semester Taylor Parks recorded her first double-double as a Gator, finishing the game with 46 assists and 13 digs.
• Three Gators achieved double-digit kill numbers: Isabelle Martin (19), Alec Rothe (14) and AC Fitzpatrick (11)
• The Gators are now 2-2 in five-set matches against South Florida.
• Florida now has a record of 16-1 against the Bulls in Gainesville, Florida.
• UF is now 0-1 in five-set matches in the 2024 season

Next

• The tournament continues Saturday afternoon when the Gators face Southern Indiana for the first time in program history. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Admission is free for fans who purchased a ticket to Florida’s football game against Samford.

No. 10 Florida vs. Southern Indiana

Saturday, September 7 | 4 p.m. ET
#10 Florida 3-1 | Southern Indiana 2-2

Exactech Arena – Gainesville, Florida.
Listen | | Live Stats

Series information
Southern Indiana | 2024 season: 2-2, 0-0 Ohio Valley

• On Saturday, the two programs will face each other for the first time.

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