TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 11 Florida volleyball team finished off the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational on with a win on Saturday night, defeating host South Florida in five sets in the Yuengling Center.

With the win, the Gators have now started the season with a 2-0 record 28 times in program history. This is the fifth-straight year Florida begins with an unblemished record after the first weekend of play.

South Florida claimed the first set 25-22 before the Gators answered with the 25-18 victory in the second. The third set belonged to the Bulls, with USF winning 25-22, but Florida forced the deciding fifth set after cruising to the 25-16 victory in the fourth. The Gators went on to win the match with a 15-8 fifth set.

Kennedy Martin and Anna Dixon were named to the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational All-Tournament Team.

For the second-straight night, Kennedy Martin led the offensive attack for Florida, finishing with a career-high 27 kills and a .449 hitting percentage. Sofia Victoria followed with nine kills, while Anna Dixon posted eight on the night with a .429 clip.

Sophomore setter Alexis Stucky dished out 46 assists on the night, leading the team to a .350 clip.

Defensively, Dixon was a stud at the net, coming up with a career-high 14 blocks in the five-setter. She was followed by Martin's six, while Stucky added five of her own in the match.

The backcourt defense was evenly spread with Trinity Adams (8), Elli McKissock (8), Stucky (8), Emily Canaan (7) and Dixon (7) combining for 38 digs.

Florida was strong behind the service line, coming up with 11 aces on the night. Dixon posted a team-high three aces, followed by two apiece from Stucky, Martin and McKissock.

The Gators continue their road trip, heading west to take on No. 3 Stanford on Tuesday, Aug. 29. First serve is slated for 9 p.m. EST on the Pac-12 Network.

No. 11 Florida improved to 2-0 while South Florida dropped to 0-2.

Notables

• Anna Dixon and Kennedy Martin were each named to the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Kennedy Martin set new career-bests in kills (27) and blocks (6.0) on the night.
• Anna Dixon recorded a career-high 14.0 blocks, surpassing her previous best of 6.0.
• The Gators are now 2-0 for the 28th time in program history, including the fifth-straight season.
• Florida improves to 30-3 against the Bulls, including an 18-0 record under Mary Wise.
• UF is now 2-1 in five-set matches against USF.
• The Gators are 11-1 against the Bulls in Tampa.

Up Next

The Gators continue their road trip, heading west to take on No. 3 Stanford on Tuesday, Aug. 29 First serve is slated for 9 p.m. EST on the Pac-12 Network The match can also be heard on the airways of ESPN