Alabama Falls to No. 7 Florida in Three Games
10/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA ?? The University of Alabama volleyball team saw its consecutive win streak against ranked teams stop at two matches, as No. 7 Florida came into Tuscaloosa and handed the Tide a 3-0 loss in a Southeastern Conference match.
The Tide, who had defeated No. 10 LSU and No. 18 Tennessee in its last two appearances against ranked teams, dropped a home match for the first time since a loss to UW-Milwaukee on Sept. 2, ending a nine-match home win streak.
“It just boiled down to Florida making really good, solid plays at the end of games,” said Alabama head coach Judy Green. “We had some miscommunication at key moments that may have cost us the first two games. But I think we grew today and I saw that our team has grown a lot since our first meeting with Florida.”
The Gator defense was the story, as Florida held Alabama to a .153 hitting percentage on the afternoon. Florida tallied 14.5 blocks in the match and posted 67 digs as a team. The Gators won their 12th-straight match of the season and improved to 20-2 overall and 13-1 in conference play.
Alabama was led once again by standout junior Crystal Hudson. Hudson, who earned National Player of the Week honors earlier this season, hit .533 against Florida, with a match-high 18 kills. The Hueytown native, who came into the match ranked fourth in the SEC in hitting percentage, added a solo block and six block assists in the losing effort.
“We needed better balance in our offense today,” said Green. “Today we were not balanced, with one player hitting the ball well. Crystal played very well today, but we had to get her some more help. If we are reduced to being a one-option team, it will be very difficult to win in this league.”
Bridget Fuentez posted another double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs. Megan Hudson tallied 10 digs defensively, while Rachael Green pounded 10 kills. Setter Brigitte Slack racked up 42 assists and Amy Pauly recorded a pair of service aces.
Behind Crystal Hudson’s heroics, it looked the Tide was set for another upset early, as Alabama jumped out quickly in game one. With the serving acumen of Green and Megan Hudson, Alabama built a 7-1 lead, only to see the Gators fight back. The score was knotted at 26 apiece late, but a key run earned Florida the 30-27 victory. Crystal Hudson tallied eight kills in the first frame, but the Tide hit just .065 in the game.
Game two saw the Gators get out quickly, as the visitors led 7-3 early on. The Tide clawed back in another exciting game, tying the score at 20. The Gators came back strong after a timeout, however, putting together a run to build a late lead. Alabama made a last-ditch effort, but it wasn’t enough as Florida won game two, 30-28.
The Gators led early again in game three, but the Tide would not quit. After tying the score midway through the final game, the teams traded points until a late Florida run put the game and the match away with a 30-20 UF win.
Alabama returns to the road for the next two weekends, beginning with a trip to Kentucky and Tennessee. The Tide faces the Wildcats in Lexington on Friday, Nov. 3 and travels to Knoxville to take on the Lady Vols on Sunday, Nov. 5.
