(VB) Ongoing Volleyball Thread

Glad Stuckey got eased back into action in a non-pressure situation. Taylor Parks has been excellent, especially for a freshman, but Alexis just adds something special to the team. She has instincts that are awesome and her passing is just pinpoint almost all of the time. Alec Rothe continues to shine for me and Kennedy Martin improved her hitting consistency, getting closer to her form from last year. This team COULD develop into something special.

 

Just got through watching the replay on SECN+. Credit to NTS in the 1st set, but once the Gators got on a roll the match was over.

Taylor Parks is a terrific freshman, but Alexis Stucky is a one-of-a-kind special player. Having Alexis back takes the Gators to a whole higher level.

I liked the way CMW is beginning to work Lauren Harden into some PT. She had two outstanding kills from the left side. She gives UF high athleticism, talent, and the added height on the outside at 6'3". While starting slow, didn't get the bump of coming early to UF, I think she is going to develop into an outstanding Gator. Harden can help to make up for the loss of Kira Hutson whom I am hoping has not been career ended with her shoulder injury.

With Gabby Essix not dressed out, hope nothing serious, Alec Rothe started at MB. Coming early to UF has paid dividends for her as she is playing well inside and outside.

First to come in at MB was Jaela Auguste. Jaela is another one that is highly athletic, talented, a specialist at MB but can play outside too, and will develop into an outstanding Gator.

Amaya Thomas did a good job as the third in at MB in the 2nd and 3rd sets. She has definitely turned the corner compared to her first 2 years with UF. I've read that she has a challenging medical major so that may have something to do with her slower progression.

Obviously, the best news of the night was Alexis Stucky coming in to play in the 3rd set after over a year off.

 

Will be interesting to see how Mary handles the S situation moving forward. Stuckey, before the injury, was a program changer and now we have a very good Parks who won’t make it easier for Stuckey…unless Mary decides to run a 6-2 offense. Jmho

 

IMHO, CMW has a very good and special problem. How she and her staff successfully navigate will be interesting to watch. In Parks she has a very good setter and player who is still developing. In Stucky she has a generational special setter and player who elevates the play of this team.

 

Watched a lot of the UK at Stanford match last night.

Stanford won 3-1 and looked just like the team they had last season. In other words, the Cardinal are good. They have a couple of top matches this week to open ACC play, at Notre Dame on Friday and then at highly ranked Louisville next Sunday. The only loss the Cardinal has was at Nebraska losing 3-0. They have beaten good teams including a 3-0 sweep of Texas.

UK is a well-coached team and have some outstanding players. Brooklyn DeLeye is far and away the mildcats best player. She's 6'2" and extremely athletic. The only set UK won at Stanford she willed the win in the 3rd set. DeLeye is the player that won more accolades than Kennedy Martin at the end of the 2023 season. Her style of play is mirror image of Martin plus she may be a bit more athletic which is saying a lot about how good she is and can be.

Like last year, UK is toughening up against high caliber competition, but they are 0-5 against ranked teams and 6-0 against unranked teams. UK holds a 3-0 win over a very good 7-3 SMU team in Dallas where Nebraska had lost 3-0 just 10 days earlier.

UK opens SEC play at Auburn on Friday and then comes to UF on Sunday. Everything the mildcats have done since the start of the season was to be totally prepared to play their SEC schedule.

After the Buffalo match today on the SECN, UF opens SEC play at Oklahoma on Thursday night on SECN+ followed by the next Sunday match with the mildcats on ESPN.

 

UF dominates the first set over Buffalo 25-15. Stuckey gets the start and has 14 assists, an ace, 4 digs and 2 blocks. AC Fitzpatrick had her best set of the year with 5 kills and hitting .625.

 

WOW!!! - Gators score 13 straight points off the serve of Emily Canaan in set 2. She had 5 aces and had Buffalo off balance point after point. Incredible run.

 

Florida wins 2nd set 25-9. They're hitting .471 for the match and holding Buffalo to .055. 6 players currently hitting over .400, led by Alec Rothe at .667 & Fitzpatrick at .583. Domination!!!

 

Gators sweep Buffalo 25-15, 25-9, 25-16 Sunday afternoon on the SEC Network. This team is just so much better with Alexis Stuckey on the floor as setter. They led the SEC in hitting % with freshman Taylor Parks in that role, but Alexis just takes them to aqnother level. Gabby Essix missed her 2nd match in a row and I wonder if her leg problems have recurred. Kennedy Martin continued her streak of double digit kills in every game she's played as a Gator with 12 today, hitting .526. Florida had 41 kills, 32 of them on assists from Stuckey. 11 aces against 6 errors is the best they've served in a while. Jaela Auguste was solid with 5 kills, 3 blocks and hit .500. Elli McKissock had 15 digs, Stuckey had 6, Izzy Martin had 6, along with 7 kills, 2 blocks and 2 aces. Fitzpatrick had 8 kills and 2 blocks and hit .438. And Emily Canaan's service streak in set #2 was incredible. The Gators scored 14 straight points and she had 5 aces during that stretch. Just a dominating match for 9-2 Florida, who goes to Oklahoma to open SEC play on Thursday.

 

Did Parks play at all? Thnx

 

Nope

 

You're right. She made 2 appearances, but not at setter. Thanks for the catch.

 

Yes, she did serve.

 

Yeah Parks played some in a 6-2.
Oklahoma Thursday, then kentucky and Texas back to back. We will see how good they are pretty quickly.

 

Saw the stats…appears as if Parks may have served in two set appearances but had no assists.

 

So good to see Kennedy Martin and Alexis Stucky back and getting the floor time before SEC play. Huuuuge difference from a couple of weeks ago.
Any word on Kira Hudson?

 

Probably not gonna play this year.

 

Echoing the announcers, the team, led by Stuckey, were playing with incredible joy and it showed in their efforts. They have a chance to be special!