Florida is riding more momentum than ever before under head coach Ryan Theis. 

With four consecutive wins under their belt, the Gators have relied on a strong defense. They hold opponents to an average hitting percentage of .160, with Alec Rothe leading the team in blocks per set at 1.31. 

Florida’s offensive production speaks for itself, with a team hitting percentage of .285 that sits at No. 3 among conference teams. Outside hitter Kamryn Chaney fuels that success, averaging 3.72 kills per set with a season-high 22 kills. 

No. 4 Florida (17-2, 8-1 SEC) will take this momentum to Neville Arena on Friday as it travels to Auburn (12-9, 2-7 SEC) to face the Tigers at 7 p.m. ET. 

Florida enters the matchup as the favorite, sitting at its highest ranking since Sept. 25, 2023. The Tigers, however, have lost seven of their nine conference matches this season. Most recently, they suffered a four-set loss to LSU on Sunday, a team the Gators had no trouble sweeping 3-0. 

But Auburn has offensive leaders that could rattle the Gators. Outside hitter Belle Patrick leads the Tigers with 3.66 kills per set and 4.19 points per set. She also recorded a career-high 29 kills against Arkansas on Sept. 25. 

Outside hitter Anastasija Ivkovic is another player Florida must watch out for. The Belgrade, Serbia, native has recorded seven or more kills in 13 consecutive matches. Relying on her hot hand, the Tigers might have a chance to break through Florida’s walls.

To size up against Auburn, the Gators will need to apply defensive pressure to limit Patrick and Ivkovic. Florida must position its defense to dig Auburn’s attacks and force mistakes. 

The Gators offense will also have to be efficient. They can count on setter Taylor Parks to do the job. After leading the Gators sweeps over LSU and Ole Miss last week, Parks was named the SEC Player and Setter of the Week. During the stretch, Parks averaged 11.00 assists and 2.67 digs per set. Her efforts are enough to be ranked 5th in the SEC in both assists and service aces. 

Florida is one of three programs to sit in the top-15 nationally in both hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage, alongside Nebraska and Louisville. If the Gators maintain that balance on both sides of the net, they can extend their winning streak to five games on Friday.

Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @alamosofiaa.

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Sofia Alamo

Sofia Alamo is a sophomore sports journalism student in her fourth semester at The Alligator. She is the volleyball beat reporter. She enjoys spending time with family and watching sports with friends.