Gators grab road sweep over Bulldogs in SEC volleyball

ATHENS, Ga. – The 22nd-ranked Florida volleyball team defeated Georgia in straight sets Wednesday night in Stegeman Coliseum.

"The challenges haven't stopped, but tonight the team showed so much resiliency to play as focused and as well as we did on the road," UF coach Mary Wise said.  

The Gators (8-5, 2-1 SEC) took the first set from the Dawgs ((4-9, 0-2), 25-14, and followed with a 25-17 decision in the second to go up 2-0. UF closed it out with a tight 26-24 battle in the final set.

Florida's offense was led by a 13-kill effort from T'ara Ceasar, while Thayer Hall pitched in 11 kills. Both of the outsides notched a .345 clip in the three-setter.

Merritt Beason and Lauren Forte each recorded eight kills on the night, tallying .400 and .375 clips, respectively.

Marlie Monserez registered 40 assists in the match, leading Florida to a .346 clip in the three-setter. The senior setter became just the seventh Gator to record at least 3,000 assists in a career.

As a team, Florida registered 9.0 blocks at the net, led by five from Lauren Dooley. Beason, Ceasar and Forte each added three blocks apiece in the victory.

The backcourt defense was led by Elli McKissock, who recorded a 10-dig performance. Hall added seven digs of her own on the night, while Beason added six.

Ceasar posted a team-high three service aces in the match, followed by a career-high two from Beason.

The Gators continue their conference slate with a two-match series against Ole Miss, beginning Saturday in Exactech Arena. Saturday's first serve is schedule for 3 p.m., while Sunday's match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.