Alabama
Florida
Alabama Battles in Hard-Fought Four Set Loss to Florida Sunday in Gainesville
9/28/2025 2:48:00 PM | Volleyball
The Crimson Tide wins its first set over the Gators since 2008, breaking a 78-set streak
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alabama volleyball battled in a hard-fought four set loss to 19th-ranked Florida Sunday afternoon in Gainesville, including the Crimson Tide's first set win over the Gators since 2008.
Alabama (8-4, 0-2 SEC) and Florida (6-5, 1-1 SEC) battled back-and-forth in a close beginning to the opening set before the Gators started to pull away with a 6-0 run at the halfway mark to lead 18-11. Florida ended up taking the opening set, 25-16, and carried the momentum into the second as they forced an early Tide timeout with the score at 10-6. Alabama bounced back after the break, swinging the lead in its favor at 13-11 to force Florida into its own timeout. The Tide stretched its lead as far as a five-point margin but the Gators eventually fought back to tie it at 21-21. Alabama finished out the frame strongly, finishing with a 25-23 win for its first set win in the series since Oct. 3, 2008, breaking a 78-set streak in the series.
Florida won a competitive third set, 25-21, to take a 2-1 match lead. Needing to win the fourth to extend the match, the Tide battled back in the second half of the frame with a Callie Kieffer service ace tying it at 19-19. With the score still tied four points later at 21-21, the Gators closed out the match with four straight points to take the set, 25-21, and the match, 3-1.
FROM HEAD COACH RASHINDA REED
"It's nice to be able to break that streak today. I wish I could say that was our focus, but I think what was really special was that this team had a lot of fight today. They really went after it. My biggest focus was elevating our play from our previous match and I think we did that. If we continue to play against teams with this kind of fight and determination, I think we're going to surprise a lot of people. It just goes to show we're a team that can adjust quickly. I'm very proud of the way we adjusted after Friday and am proud that we could make some history today."
NOTES
- Alabama's win in set two broke a streak of 78 consecutive set victories by Florida, marking the Crimson Tide's first set win over the Gators since Oct. 3, 2008
- Kaleigh Palmer led the Tide offense with a career-best 16 kills
- Trinity Stanger finished with a team-leading 17 digs, giving her 972 for her career as she is now just 28 shy of her 1,000th career dig
STAT LEADERS
- Kills: Kaleigh Palmer - 16
- Assists: Callie Kieffer - 19
- Digs: Trinity Stanger - 17
- Blocks: Kaleigh Palmer - 4
- Aces: Lily Gervase, Callie Kieffer - 3
SET-BY-SET SCORES
- Set 1: Florida 25, Alabama 16
- Set 2: Alabama 25, Florida 23
- Set 3: Florida 25, Alabama 21
- Set 4: Florida 25, Alabama 21
UP NEXT
- Friday, Oct. 3 at Mississippi State – Starkville, Miss. – 5 p.m. CT
- Sunday, Oct. 5 vs. No. 13 Texas A&M – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 2 p.m. CT
