Gators-Bulldogs Set for SEC Series

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The 13th-ranked Florida volleyball team (13-3, 5-1) heads to Starkville, Miss. to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-5, 4-2 SEC) in a two-match conference series beginning Friday.

Friday’s matchup is slated for 9 p.m. ET on SEC Network with Sam Gore and Jenn Hoffman on the call, while’s Saturday’s match is set to begin at 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.

In its last SEC action, the Gators swept the series against LSU – topping the Tigers in four sets and five sets, respectively on Saturday and Sunday. Mississippi State is also coming off two conference wins, having defeated Texas A&M in its last series.

The Gators hold the 53-1 all-time advantage over the Bulldogs, including a 26-0 record in Starkville, Miss.

Last Time Against Mississippi State

• The last time these two squads faced off was on Sept. 24, 2021 in Gainesville, Fla. and the Bulldogs came out victorious in a tightly-contested five set battle (25-17, 23-25, 24-26, 25-21, 13-15)
• Sofia Victoria led Florida’s offense on Friday night, posting 19 kills. Former Gator T’ara Ceasar added a 17-kill effort, while Merritt Beason, Gator alumna Lauren Dooley and former Gator Thayer Hall recorded nine, eight and seven kills, respectively
• Gator alumna Marlie Monserez dished out 56 assists on the night
• At the net, Florida notched 15.0 blocks, led by five from Gabrielle Essix and Beason. Ceasar, Dooley and Nnedi Okammor each posted four blocks of their own in the match
• Five Gators recorded at least 10 digs in the match – the last time that was accomplished was Aug. 25, 2018 against No. 3 Texas. Elli McKissock recorded a team-high 22 digs on the evening, followed by a 14-dig performance from Ceasar. Monserez pitched in 13 digs, while Hall and Victoria added 12 and 10, respectively

Last Time Out

• The then-No. 15 Florida volleyball team won a five-set thriller against the LSU Tigers the last time the Gators took the court on Sunday (25-18, 26-24, 25-27, 21-25, 15-9)
• The Gators were led on the offensive attack by Merritt Beason, who posted a 21-kill performance on the afternoon – tying her career-best. Sofia Victoria added 16 of her own in the five-set match, followed by 14 kills from Marina Markova. Gabrielle Essix posted a career-high 12 kills in the victory to round out the Gators in double-digit kills
• Alexis Stucky anchored the Florida offense,…