Gainesville, Fla. –  Alabama State was unable to slow down a hot No. 10 seed Florida in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament and dropped a 3-0 (10-25, 16-25, 20-25) decision on Thursday night in Exactech Arena.
 
The 12th-ranked Gators (26-4) hit a blistering .412 with 44 kills and only nine errors while limiting the Lady Hornets (17-22) to a .126 clip with 28 kills. Additionally, Florida recorded 43 digs, five blocks and six service aces as it advanced to the second round of the tournament.
 
The Lady Hornets made a huge jump from the last time the teams faced each other in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 30, 2017. Florida beat Alabama State 25-9, 25-13, 25-9. This time, Alabama State had the Gators on their heels in the final two sets.
 
Junior Taira Cottingham posted a match-high 11 kills on a .321 hitting percentage. Senior Bayle' Bennett followed behind with eight kills, four digs, one assist and a service ace.
 
Freshman Kimari Terrell tallied four kills on a team-high .400 hitting percentage. Junior McKenzie Boland dropped 22 assists with four digs while freshman Emersen Belles paced the defense with seven digs. Junior E'laisah Young recorded a match-high tying two service aces.
 
Set One (Alabama State 10, Florida 25)
Alabama State could not find an offensive rhythm in the first as the Lady Hornets only recorded seven kills while also committing seven errors for a .000 hitting percentage. The Gators were on fire as they posted 15 kills with only one error for a .560 clip. Additionally, Florida recorded three blocks and 17 digs to halt any hopes for Alabama State.
 
Set Two (Alabama State 16, Florida 25)
The second set was a dog fight early on, as both teams battled back and forth before Alabama State solidified an 11-6 lead. The Lady Hornets were holding the Gators to a -.167 hitting percentage while dropping seven kills on a .250 hitting percentage forcing Florida to call a timeout. Florida would calm down and end the set on an 11-1 run to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Set Three (Alabama State 20, Florida 25)
Just like the second set, the third was a battle early on. The Lady Hornets stayed close with the help of back-to-back service aces from Young to only trail by one (6-7). The Gators stretched their lead to five (15-10) but Alabama State fought hard to come within two at 17-15. Alabama State remained close at 20-22 but the Gators used an error and two kills to solidify the win.
 
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