Florida’s Season Concludes in NCAA Second Round After Falling to No.2/7 SMU

On top of making the program’s 35th-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, first under new leadership of Head Coach Ryan Theis, the Gators concluded the 2025 season with an 16-11 overall record. Additionally, Florida posted a 9-6 record in SEC play, matching its preseason projection with a fifth-place finish.

Offensively, Florida registered more kills than SMU, 44-41, but totaled 25 hitting errors for a .156 hitting clip to the Mustangs’ .370 clip, as they recorded only seven attacking errors.

Setter Alexis Stucky dished out 40 assists and led three Gators to double digits offensively. Jordyn Byrd led the way with a team-high 14 kills for her fifth-consecutive match in double digits, while Aniya Madkin recorded her third-straight with 11.

At the net, Jaela Auguste and Alec Rothe each had two blocks, with Auguste added 12 kills and a team-best .273 clip and Rothe chipped in six kills.

In her final match wearing the Orange and Blue, senior Emily Canaan led the Gators backcourt with 10 digs. Freshman Libero Lily Hayes and Kira Hutson each finished with six digs, while both Stucky and Ella Vogel recorded five. After subbing in during the third set, Bella Lee contributed three digs.

Behind the service line, Hayes and Stucky recorded Florida’s two aces.

SMU’s Kennedi Rogers led the Mustang’s offense with 14 kills and a .440 hitting clip.

Records:

Florida (16-12, 9-6 SEC)

No. 2/7 SMU (27-5, 17-3 ACC)

 

All-Time Series record:

0-0 (0-1 under Theis)

3-set: 0-1, 4-set: 0-0; 5-set: 0-0

Home: 0-0; Away: 0-1; Neutral: 0-0

 

How It Happened

Set 1

• After opening the set 0-4, a kill from Byrd put the Gators on the board, but SMU’s block allowed for a 2-8 lead and forced an early Florida timeout. Out of the huddle, the Mustangs strung together four points, but back-to-back kills from Byrd and Rothe helped cut the deficit to 4-12. The Gators continued to struggle to find any rhythm offensively and was unable to make the comeback, falling 11-25 in the first set.
• Set 1 Team Stats | .000 Hitting %|10 Kills | 9 Assists | 13 Digs | 0.0 Blocks | 0 Aces
• SMU Stats | .483 Hitting %| 14 Kills | 14 Assists | 15 Digs | 5.0 Blocks | 0 Aces

Set 2

• A kill from Madkin put Florida first on the board, but the Mustangs responded with three straight to take a two-point lead. Back-to-back kills from Madkin and Auguste notched it up at five, as the two teams exchanged points until a block from Auguste and Vidacic followed by a kill from Vidacic gave the Gators a 13-10 lead and forced an SMU timeout. Out of the huddle, an ace from Hayes kept the momentum going, but the Mustangs tied it up at 17. With the race to 25 inching near, SMU went on an 8-4 scoring run to take a 25-21 second-set win and a 2-0 match lead.
• Set 2 Team Stats | .222 Hitting %| 14 Kills | 12 Assists | 8 Digs | 2.0 Blocks | 2 Aces
• SMU Stats | .333 Hitting %| 13 Kills | 13 Assists |12 Digs |4.0 Blocks | 3 Aces

Set 3

• The Gators started set three with back-to-back kills from Madkin and Auguste, as the middle blocker recorded two more kills to give the Gators a 5-3 lead. The Mustangs went on a 3-0 scoring run to take a one-point lead, as the teams have five tied scores until the Gators strung three points behind attacks from Madkin and Auguste to head into the media timeout with a 15-12 lead. Following the break, two kills from Madkin stretched Florida’s lead to four (17-13), but SMU responded with another 3-0 run to inch back within one. Points from Byrd allowed the Gators to be the first to 20, but back-to-back kills from Kennedi Rogers allowed the Mustangs to clinch it up and take a 22-20 lead. With the race to 25 inching near, an attack from Rothe followed by a block from her and Hutson evened the score at 22, as the teams battled for points until SMU clinched the 26-24 victory.  
• Set 3 Team Stats | .224 Hitting %| 20 Kills | 20 Assists | 16 Digs |2.0 Blocks | 0 Aces
• SMU Stats | .306 Hitting %| 14 Kills |14 Assists |17 Digs | 6.0 Blocks | 1 Ace

Hear from Head Coach Ryan Theis:
“Congratulations and good luck to SMU… they earned it. I thought being down 0-2 on the road, I really enjoyed our spirit in the third set. It was fun to see Aniya get going for a little bit. We scored 20 and were in it in the end and obviously didn’t finish.”  

On his first year as Florida’s Head Coach…

“Transition is hard. This is my third time doing it and all of them have had challenges. Really a lot of my energy and time is spent making sure they are having a good time, a good experience and they are in a good space. It was difficult, but will continue to move forward.”

Outside Hitter Jordyn Byrd on her first year playing collegiate volleyball and her first year being a Gator…

“This season was definitely very special. We have talked about the changes this past year, so being able to do all of that with this group of girls was special to me. Coming from a different program, having everyone welcome me with such open arms meant a lot to me.”

Setter Alexis Stucky on her four years as a Gator…

“I am just super grateful. I had a wonderful experience and had such great coaching staff, such great teammates. Gainesville has given me a lot of great times and a lot of hard times. It has made me push through a lot of adversity and I am just really, really grateful for the people I have done it with.”

Notables

• The Gators are now 28-6 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
• In the NCAA Tournament, Florida holds an 85-36 record.
• UF moved to 6-4 in three-set matches this season and 56-16 in NCAA play.
• Florida sits 6-7 in away matches during the 2025 campaign and is now 5-10 in the NCAA Tournament.
• Florida’s record is 1-3 against ACC opponents.
• When playing on a Saturday, Florida’s record sits 1-1.
• In the month of December, UF finished with a 1-1 record.
• Against AVCA Top-25 opponents, Florida’s record is 4-8.  
• Three names recorded double-digit kills:
  
• One Gator finished with double-digit digs:
  
• Alexis Stucky ranks 9th for career assists in Program history with 3,047

2025 DI women’s volleyball championship schedule
All times listed in ET

• Selection show: 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30
• First and second rounds: Dec. 4-5 or Dec. 5-6
• Regionals: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
• Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
• National championship: 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21 | ABC

 
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