No. 11 Florida continued its domination over Alabama volleyball on Sunday with a 3-0 win. The win increases the Gators’ winning streak to 44 games. They have also won the last 47 sets in that run.
The Crimson Tide kept pace with the Gators every set until one team reached 10 points. The middle of the game was where the Gators separated themselves from Alabama, outscoring it 34-19.
“It was very obvious that we were giving them runs in the middle of the game,” libero Kaylee Thomas said. “Then we just let them run away on a 4-0 or a 5-0 run. We just really need to learn how to not do that.”
The Crimson Tide struggled to find any success in the first two sets of the game, hitting just .066. Two of the team’s top hitters, Doris Carter and Ginger Perinar, had a combined nine kills and six errors for a .083 hitting percentage.
“We didn’t pass the ball well, and if you don’t pass the ball well it’s difficult for outside hitters,” coach Ed Allen said. “… Our passing was directly tied to the fact that we hit under .100 in those two sets. How we delivered an out-of-system ball to those attackers was less than desirable. Quite frankly, our attackers’ ability to deal with what they get could be better.”
Alabama made five errors on serve receptions, while the Gators were a perfect 37-37.
The biggest bright spot for the Crimson Tide was walk-on freshman Erin Curl. Curl, who had not played since Sept. 8, came on because of Mahalia Swink’s poor showing in the first set. Curl finished tied for the team lead in kills with eight and hit .467.
“She really brought a lot of energy on the court and gave us something to fight for,” Thomas said. “She’s a walk-on freshman who does not see the court ever, and she came in and played her heart out.”
Alabama goes to Knoxville, Tennessee to face the Volunteers on Wednesday Oct. 3.
