No. 4 Florida volleyball will close the regular season on the road against Mississippi State and Alabama with an outright Southeastern Conference title at stake. The Gators enter the weekend at 21-2 overall and 12-1 in SEC play after clinching a share of the 2026 regular-season championship with a Nov. 8 victory over Georgia. A win in either match would give Florida the outright title and the top seed in the SEC tournament.
Florida’s final regular-season matches
Florida will play Mississippi State at 8 p.m. ET Friday, Nov. 13, at the Grissom-Newell Building in Starkville, Mississippi. The match will stream on SEC Network+, with live statistics available through Mississippi State. The Bulldogs enter at 17-7 overall and 7-6 in SEC play.
The Gators will face Alabama at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 15, at Foster Auditorium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. That match also will stream on SEC Network+, with live statistics available through Alabama. Alabama enters at 10-13 overall and 2-12 in SEC play.
Mississippi State is 7-0 at home and is tied for seventh in the SEC after being picked 13th in the conference’s preseason poll. Lindsey Mangelson averages 3.51 kills and 2.67 digs per set, while McKenna Yates ranks second in the SEC with 4.48 digs per set. The Bulldogs lead the conference in digs at 15.33 per set.
Alabama defeated Auburn 3-1 on Wednesday and is tied for 14th in the SEC. Laney Hennessee, Kyla Dunaway and Kaleigh Palmer lead the Crimson Tide offensively, while Alabama averages 1.68 aces per set, third in the conference. Hannah Parant leads the SEC with 43 total aces and ranks third with 0.49 aces per set.
Logan King leads Florida into title opportunity
Logan King enters the weekend after earning SEC Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week honors. It was King’s first SEC Player of the Week award and her third SEC Defensive Player of the Week honor. She helped Florida defeat South Carolina and Georgia while averaging 4.14 kills, 1.43 blocks and 5.29 points per set.
King totaled 29 kills, 10 blocks and 20 digs over the weekend. She recorded 14 kills, eight digs and four blocks against South Carolina before adding 15 kills, 12 digs, six blocks and two aces against Georgia. Her awards gave Florida its fourth SEC Defensive Player of the Week honor this season and its second SEC Player of the Week award, following Taylor Parks on Oct. 26.
Gators carry strong statistical profile
Florida leads the SEC in opponent hitting percentage at .160 and blocks per set at 2.80. The Gators also enter the weekend with a .284 hitting percentage and 18.23 points per set. Alec Rothe ranks sixth in the NCAA with a .431 hitting percentage, while Taylor Parks ranks 22nd nationally with 10.52 assists per set.
Florida finished the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record at Tower Hill Arena. The undefeated home slate was the program’s first since the 2008 team went 14-0. Florida leads the all-time series against Mississippi State 56-3 and holds a 56-0 advantage against Alabama.
FSB Take
Florida has already secured a share of the SEC championship, but either road win would convert that shared title into an outright championship and secure the conference tournament’s top seed. Mississippi State’s 7-0 home record presents the first challenge before Florida travels to Alabama. Florida’s conference-leading blocking and opponent hitting percentage give the Gators a clear statistical strength as they pursue their first outright SEC title since 2014.
Source: Original report