No. 16 Florida Volleyball Falls to No. 6 Stanford in Season Opener
LINCOLN, Neb. – The No. 16 Florida volleyball team kicked off its 2025 season at the AVCA First Serve Showcase with a four-set loss to No. 6 Stanford, falling 25-22, 19-25, 22-25, 22-25 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Despite the defeat, several Gators had standout performances, including redshirt junior setter Alexis Stucky, who posted her 11th career double-double with 39 assists and 12 digs, while helping three teammates reach double-digit kills.
In her collegiate debut, redshirt sophomore Jordyn Byrd led Florida with 17 kills on a .368 hitting clip, while freshman Milica Vidacic recorded 10 kills, and sophomore Jaela Auguste added 10 more at a .421 clip. Alec Rothe contributed seven kills, and redshirt freshman Kira Hutson added five to Florida’s 52 kills overall. The Gators hit .203 for the match, slightly below Stanford’s .260. At the net, Florida tallied 11 team blocks compared to Stanford’s 13, with Rothe leading with seven and Vidacic adding five in her debut.
Freshman Lily Hayes made history as the first freshman libero for Florida since 2006, contributing 12 digs and five assists, while Ella Vogel added nine digs in her first collegiate outing. Senior Emily Canaan, Hutson, Vidacic, Rothe, Taylor Parks, redshirt sophomore Aniya Madkin, and Auguste rounded out the 52-dig total. Florida registered one service ace compared to Stanford’s four, with both teams committing 11 service errors.
How It Happened
- Set 1: Florida jumped out to an early 10-8 lead and maintained control, extending to 23-19 before Stanford closed within two. A final block by Rothe and Vidacic secured a 25-22 opening-set victory.
- Set 2: Stanford rallied to take control, eventually winning 25-19 as Florida struggled to maintain consistency.
- Set 3: The Gators kept the set close but ultimately fell 25-22 after Stanford pulled ahead late.
- Set 4: Twelve ties marked the back-and-forth set, but Stanford held on for another 25-22 victory to claim the match.
Coach Ryan Theis on the Match:
“A really special environment and opportunity for us to be out there, and I thought we showcased some of the things we are capable of. Over the length of time, I feel like we got sloppy in the third and fourth sets and gave away too many points to beat a really good team like Stanford. Really impressed with some of our inexperienced players who played extremely well.”
Notable Performances & Stats:
- Byrd: 17 kills, .368 hitting %, 18 points, 2 blocks
- Vidacic: 10 kills, 5 blocks, 4 digs
- Hayes: 12 digs, 5 assists
- Rothe: 7 blocks
- Auguste: 10 kills, 1 assist
- Vogel: 9 digs, 1 ace
- Stucky: 39 assists, 12 digs
Team Notes:
- Florida’s all-time season opener record: 32-10
- Coach Theis’ opener record: 13-5
- Gators are 0-1 against nationally ranked Top-10 teams this season
- Debuts: Byrd, Vidacic, Hayes, Vogel, Madkin
- Three players recorded double-digit kills; two recorded double-digit digs
Florida will look to rebound in their next matchup, building on strong individual performances while gaining experience for their younger players.
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