STARKVILLE, Miss. – The 13th-ranked Florida volleyball team defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs in straight sets for the second-consecutive night on Saturday in the Newell-Grissom Building.
The Gators are now winners of five-straight matches and improve to 15-3 overall and 7-1 in conference play. Mississippi State drops to 11-7 on the year and 4-4 in the SEC.
Florida earned the 25-19 victory in the first set to open the match and then followed with another 25-19 win in the second frame. UF then closed out the match with a 25-22 win in the third set.
The Gators were led offensively by Sofia Victoria who posted a 14-kill effort in the match. Merritt Beason added 13 kills of her own, while Marina Markova tallied a 10-kill performance for Florida. Bre Kelley also pitched in seven kills in the victory.
Alexis Stucky led the team to a .347 hitting efficiency, dishing out 44 assists in the process. The 44 assists were a three-set best for the rookie setter.
Florida held Mississippi State to a .178 clip in the match, tallying 6.0 blocks at the net. Gabrielle Essix and Kelley paced the Gator defense with 3.0 blocks apiece, while Victoria, Beason and Markova each registered one on the night.
Elli McKissock and Emily Canaan led the backcourt effort for the Gators, registering nine digs each on the night. Stucky followed with eight digs of her own, while Beason posted six in the win.
Behind the service line, Beason recorded a team-high two aces, while McKissock and Trinity Adams added one apiece.
The Gators are back in action on Wednesday for a midweek matchup against Georgia in Exactech Arena at the Stephen C….
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