.

Gator Volleyball Clinches 18th Consecutive SEC Title
Columbia, SC - Wednesday November 26, 2008

As it has gone all season long, it was a tale of the young and old coming together on Wednesday night to help the No. 14/12 University of Florida volleyball team capture at least a share of its 18th consecutive Southeastern Conference title with a 3-2 (25-27, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 15-11) victory against South Carolina in the Volleyball Competition Facility.

The Gators (24-3, 18-2 SEC), who feature the youngest team in head coach Mary Wise’s 18-year tenure with five freshmen and one redshirt freshman as part of the team’s regular playing rotation, were led by freshman right-side/setter Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.), who broke the school record for career triple-doubles just 27 matches into her collegiate career. She finished with 17 kills on .353 hitting with 25 assists and 13 digs for her fifth career triple-double. She also charted a career-high five blocks.

The Gators have won at least a share of the SEC title every year of Wise’s tenure (1991-present), having tied for the league crown in 1991 and 2004 and winning it outright in each of the other seasons. Florida will have to await the outcome of the Kentucky-Tennessee match-up to see if they win the conference title outright. The Gators would need a Tennessee win in Lexington, Ky., Friday night to claim sole possession of the league title.

“This one is extra special because of all the factors that were involved in winning a championship over the past 2 ½ months,” Wise said. “Tonight we played a very good South Carolina team that played its heart out and I thought it showed a lot of guts by our players to be able to get it done.”

*GatorZone*


Congrats to those Gator girls. They captured UF's second SEC title this season; following the lead of the girls' soccer team, who won the SEC title earlier this year.