LINCOLN, Neb. – The No. 16 Florida volleyball team opened its 2025 season at the AVCA First Serve Showcase, falling to No. 6 Stanford in four sets (25-22, 19-25, 22-25, 22-25) on Saturday night inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.
 
Setter Alexis Stucky recorded her 11th career double-double after dishing out 39 assists and tallying 12 digs, as the redshirt junior assisted three Gators to double-digit kills. In her collegiate debut, redshirt sophomore Jordyn Byrd finished with a team-high 17 kills for a .368 hitting clip (17-3-38), while freshman Milica Vidacic had 10 kills of her own in her first collegiate match. Sophomore Jaela Auguste also finished with 10 kills to hit .421 on the night.
 
Sophomore Alec Rothe added seven kills and redshirt freshman Kira Hutson’s five also contributed to Florida’s 52 kills and .203 hitting percentage, while Stanford recorded 58 kills and hit a .260 clip.
 
At the net, Florida totaled 11.0 team blocks to Stanford’s 13.0. Rothe led the way with seven, while Vidacic added five in her first outing.
 
Becoming the first freshman to wear the libero jersey since Elyse Cusak in 2006, Lily Hayes recorded 12 digs and five assists in her first collegiate match. Redshirt freshman Ella Vogel finished with nine of her own in her Gator debut, while senior Emily Canaan (5), Hutson (5), Vidacic (4), Rothe (2), Taylor Parks (1), redshirt sophomore Aniya Madkin(1) and Auguste (1) also contributed to Florida’s 52 digs.
 
Behind the service line, the Gators finished with one ace to Stanford’s four, with both teams committing 11 service errors.
 
Records:
No. 16 Florida (0-1), 0-0 SEC)
No. 6 Stanford (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
 
Series record:
Florida trails 6-11 (0-1 under Theis)
3-set: 3-3 | 4-set: 2-4 | 5-set: 2-3
Home: 1-3 | Away: 3-1 | Neutral: 3-6
 
How It Happened
Set 1

• Florida never trailed in set one, taking an early 10-8 lead into the first media timeout. The Gators extended their lead after a block from Rothe and Vidacic to pull ahead 13-9. Auguste added a kill to push the lead to five, but Stanford responded with three straight points to close the gap to 17-15. Serving miscues from Florida allowed the Cardinal to inch within one, but Rothe capitalized on an overpass to regain a 20-18 lead heading into the second media break. Out of the timeout, points from Byrd and Vidacic increased the Gator lead to 23-19 and forced a Cardinal timeout. Out of the huddle, Vogel delivered an ace to bring up set point Florida, but Stanford pulled within two before a block from Rothe and Vidacic closed out set one, 25-22.
• Set 1 Stats | .323 Hitting %| 14 Kills | 13 Assists | 8 Digs | 5.0 Blocks | 1 Ace
• Stanford | .200 Hitting % | 14 Kills | 13 Assists | 12 Digs | 3.0 blocks | 1 Ace

Set 2

• Stanford grabbed the early lead in the second frame, but Florida tied it at three after an unsuccessful Cardinal challenge. The Gators went into first media timeout trailing 8-10, but following the break, Auguste and Byrd teamed up for a block to even the score at ten. Stanford responded with three-straight points, but Byrd and Auguste continued their momentum and helped bring Florida within one (16-17). Stanford answered with a run of its own to take a 20-16 lead advantage into the second media timeout. The Cardinal extended the margin to six late, but a Vidacic kill and a solo block by Hutson inched UF back within four before Stanford evened the match at one set a piece with a 25-19 second-set win.
• Set 2 Team Stats | .121 Hitting % |10 Assists | 10 Kills | 11 Digs | 4.0 Blocks | 0 Aces
• Stanford | .244 hitting % |19 Digs | 16 Kills | 16 Assists | 3.0 blocks | 1 Ace

Set 3

• The two teams traded points at the start of the third set before Stanford pulled ahead by three (7-4). Florida stayed within striking distance thanks to kills from Auguste, but the Cardinal carried a 10-9 lead heading into the first media timeout. The Gators grabbed a two-point lead out of the break, but errors allowed for Stanford to hang around within one at the second media break. Out of the huddle, the Cardinal took a 23-20 lead and held on for a 25-22 win. 
• Set 3 Team Stats | .209 Hitting % | 17 Digs | 16 Kills | 16 Assists | 1.0 Blocks | 0 Aces
• Stanford | .286 hitting % |19 Digs | 13 Kills | 12 Assists |2.0 Blocks | 0 Aces

Set 4

• There were 12 tied scores in the fourth set, as Florida grabbed an early lead behind points from Auguste, Byrd and Vidacic. Following the first media timeout, the Gators trailed 8-10, but a block from Byrd and Rothe inched the Gators back within one, where the two teams would exchange points until a Stanford pulled ahead by two (22-20) and was able to hold on for a 25-22 set win and close out the match in four.
• Set 4 Team Stats | .171 Hitting % | 16 Digs | 12 Kills | 12 Assists |1.0 Blocks | 0 Aces
• Stanford | .308 Hitting % | 15 Digs | 15 Kills | 15 Assists | 5.0 Blocks | 2 Aces

Hear from Head Coach Ryan Theis:
“A really special environment and opportunity for us to be out there, and I thought we showcased some of the things that 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.”

Notables

• Florida is now 32-10 in season openers
• Coach Theis season-opener record sits at 13-5
• Lily Hayes, Jordyn Byrd, Ella Vogel and Aniya Madkin made their career debuts in the Orange and Blue jersey
• Lily Hayes and Jordyn Byrd made their first official career start as a Gator
• The Gators are 0-1 against nationally ranked top-10 teams
• Florida is now 0-1 is four-set matches in the 2025 season
• The Gators are 0-1 in neutral-site matches
• Florida is 0-1 when playing on a Friday
• The Gators are 0-1 in August matches
• Seven Players set or tied career highs:
  
• Three players recorded double-digit kills: Jordyn Byrd (17), Jaela Auguste (10), Milica Vidacic (10)
• Two players recorded double-digit digs: Lily Hayes (12), Alexis Stucky (12)

Up Next
Florida returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday, Aug. 24 for its final appearance at the AVCA First Serve, as the Gators take on No. 3 Pitt at 1 p.m. ET. Sunday’s match will air live on ESPN with Courtney Lyle handling play-by-play alongside analysts Holly McPeak and Katie George, with Madison Fitzpatrick reporting from the sidelines. Former Florida head coach Mary Wise will serve as a studio analyst, joining Emily Ehman and host Eric Frede for coverage throughout the broadcast.

No. 3 Pitt (0-1, 0-0 ACC)

Date & Time: Sunday, Aug. 24 | 1 pm ET

Venue: Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

Broadcast: ESPN

Event Play-by-Play: Courtney Lyle

Event Analysts: Holly McPeak, Katie George

Event Reporter: Madison Fitzpatrick

Studio Host: Eric Frede

Studio Analysts: Emily Ehman, Mary Wise

LiveStats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=606636

 

Series Information

• Series Record: 1-3 (0-0 under Theis)
• 3-set: 1-1; 4-set: 0-2; 5-set: 0-0
• Home: 1-1; Away: 0-1; Neutral: 0-1
• Last time out: Dec. 8, 2022 | L, 1-3 | N (Wisconsin Field House) | 20-25, 25-21, 25-17, 22-25

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