TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Tide traveled to Gainesville on Wednesday night for their first match of SEC play, after putting up a 6-6 record against their previous opponents. Unfortunately, their first SEC match was also their first SEC loss, as they were swept by Florida (19-25, 19-25, 17-25).
The Gators rocketed out to an early 4-11 lead. The Tide fought back, closing the gap to 14-17, but ultimately dropped set 1 19-25.
Florida was able to capitalize on their first set momentum, taking another early lead 7-15. Graduate student OH Abby Marjama was not ready to go down without a fight, as she aced the Gators and contributed to the Tide fending off 5 Gator set points. The Tide fell short, however, dropping set 2 19-25.
Yet another Florida lead started the third set, as the Tide found themselves down 6-13. But they never quit, closing the gap to 13-17. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough as the Gators won set 3 17-25 and took the win over the Tide.
Looking ahead, the Tide will host the undefeated Auburn tigers on both Saturday and Sunday, as they look to better their SEC record against the arch-rivals. After the loss to the Gators, the Tide’s record sits just below .500 at 6-7 (0-1). The Tide will see Florida again on October 26th.
