SEC Defeat

Ghosts. Goblins. Ghouls.

Nothing scares the Florida Gators women's volleyball team. Unless, of course, you're a Lady Volunteer or Wildcat. 

The falling No. 17 Gators were humbled this weekend in conference play as they dropped two straight to now No. 13 Tennessee and No. 15 Kentucky, dropping Florida to 17-5 on the season, 10-3 in the conference, and third in the division. Unless both Tennessee and Kentucky drop a couple of the few remaining games before the tournament, Florida is likely out of the race for conference champion.

Florida's play on Friday at Tennessee lacked the offensive tenacity they've come to be known for over recent years. After winning the second set 25-17, they dropped the next two sets to lose to the Lady Vols 3-1. 

Above, Junior right-side hitter Tangerine Wiggs

Junior right-side hitter Tangerine Wiggs, who helped stuff Tennessee in the second set, said the team just couldn't get into rhythm. 

"We tried to adjust to their playing style," Wiggs said. "We changed formations, we substituted players, we tried to use our height to stuff them at the net. It's really disappointing to lose to this team again in a month."

Tennessee is the only conference rival the Gators have been unable to defeat at least once this season. They also accomplished something no other teams, not even the top-ranked teams in the invitationals at the start of the season, have done. They outhit the Gators for the entire match, limiting Florida's effectiveness.

Senior right-side setter Kelly Murphy came out Sunday to face Kentucky and played spectacularly. With 15 kills, 13 digs and 24 assists, she notched the 27th triple-double of her career. Yet even with her performance, the Gators fell in a hard-fought 3-2 match. The fifth and final set started out with nine ties in the score, with each team earning a point successively until the Wildcats blew the set open with six unanswered points.

While the Gators got back into offensive rhythm, outhitting the Wildcats .276 to .227, the Wildcats won out in the end with 65 kills to Florida's 64. The game came all the way down to the wire in the fifth set. 

The Gators returned Monday and will begin preparing for Alabama and Ole Miss, the latter of whom will be played in honor of Homecoming this weekend.