Kamryn Chaney scored the final seven points of the match, including six kills and a solo block, as No. 17 University of Florida volleyball defeated No. 11 Minnesota 3-1 on Tuesday at UW Fieldhouse in Madison, Wisconsin. Florida won 27-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21 to open the Big Ten-SEC Challenge with a victory. The Gators improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the challenge, while Minnesota fell to 1-2 overall.
Florida trailed 21-18 in the fourth set before Chaney took control. The fourth-year outside hitter finished the set with seven kills while hitting .500, helping Florida close the match with a 7-0 run. Chaney ended the match with 14 kills and two blocks.
“Honestly, in the huddle we had before, my teammates said we’re going to go out swinging and we’re going to go out together, giving our all,” Chaney said. “With the support of my teammates, I just went all out and tried to make the best decisions to help us win and get a point.”
Selena Leban leads Florida offense
Selena Leban led Florida with 20 kills while hitting .326, matching her career best. She also recorded eight digs, four service aces, three assists and two blocks. Taylor Parks finished with 46 assists, four digs, three kills and two service aces.
Parks recorded her 1,000th career assist on a ball to Chaney in the first set, becoming the 18th Gator in program history to reach the milestone. Florida finished with 61 kills, 54 assists and 11 service aces while hitting .245. Lily Hayes led the Gators with 21 digs, and Bella Lee added 11.
“Selena had it going and really carried us through a long stretch of the match, not only in service, but offensively as well,” Florida coach Ryan Theis said.
Florida holds off Minnesota
Minnesota moved ahead 25-24 in a back-and-forth opening set after Florida had reached three set points. Leban answered with a kill to tie the set, then followed with two service aces to give the Gators a 27-25 win. Florida recorded six service aces in the opening set.
Minnesota responded by taking the second set 26-24, but Florida regained control in the third. The Gators overcame a 20-17 deficit with a 5-1 run that included a Leban kill. A block assist from Brooklyn Briscoe and Leban secured the 25-23 set victory and gave Florida a 2-1 match lead.
Florida recorded five team blocks compared with 11 for Minnesota. The Gators produced 18 kills while hitting .306 in the fourth set and held Minnesota to a .167 hitting percentage. Mckenna Wucherer led Minnesota with 21 kills and 10 digs, while Jordan Taylor led the Golden Gophers with seven block assists.
Florida recorded 61 kills, 54 assists and 11 service aces in the match. Minnesota finished with 52 kills, 50 assists and a .274 hitting percentage. The Gators’ 11 service aces were their most in a match since they recorded 12 against UCF on Nov. 11, 2023, according to the source.
The victory was Florida’s 157th over a ranked opponent, according to the source. Florida improved to 10-1 against teams ranked No. 11 nationally since 1984 and moved to 4-6 against Minnesota, including 1-0 under Theis. The Gators also moved to 1-0 in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge.
Next for Florida
Florida returns to action against No. 5 Wisconsin on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 8 p.m. ET at UW Fieldhouse. The match will be Florida’s next contest in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge.
Source: Original report