Friday was a tale of two outcomes for University of Florida sports teams, with soccer, men’s and women’s tennis and volleyball all in action across the country. The most important game of the day was No. 8 Florida Gators soccer (15-5-2, 8-1-2 SEC) taking on No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks (17-3-1, 7-3-1 SEC) in the semifinal round of the Southeastern Conference Championship Tournament in Orange Beach, AL.

After winning the regular season and defeating the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round, the Gators fell 1-0 to the Gamecocks. Ironically enough, Florida defeated South Carolina 3-0 one week ago in Gainesville, FL, to clinch the SEC regular season title. The Gamecocks scored their lone deciding goal off of a penalty kick at 10:36 in the first half, the first to be successfully scored against the Gators all season.

Also in action were players from the school’s tennis teams. Freshman Allie Will dropped a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision to Pichittra Thongbach of the Boise State Broncos in the round of 16 at the ITA National Indoor Tennis Championships. Considered the second leg of the collegiate Grand Slam, Will was the lone Florida female to earn a spot in the event and now holds a 20-3 singles record and 13-3 doubles mark on the season. The men’s doubles team of junior Alexandre Lacroix and redshirt senior Antoine Benneteau, who were previously undefeated, lost an ITA quarterfinal match 8-6 to Tennessee’s Boris Koncic and Rhyne Williams. Lacroix, who was also competing in singles consolation action, won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 over Patricio Alvarado of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

Last but certainly not least on the evening was No. 9/11 Gators volleyball (19-3, 13-2 SEC), who earned their seventh consecutive sweep of a league opponent by taking down the Georgia Bulldogs (14-11, 5-9 SEC) 25-16, 25-20, 25-14. Four Florida players hit better than .500 and sophomore hitters Kristy Jaeckel and Kelly Murphy combined for 23 kills on the night in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Volleyball will be back in action on Sunday against the Auburn Tigers in Gainesville at 1:30 p.m. The match will air live on Sun Sports.

Tags: Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Antoine Benneteau, Auburn Tigers, Boise State Broncos, Boris Koncic, Georgia Bulldogs, ITA National Indoor Tennis Championships, Kelly Murphy, Kristy Jaeckel, O'Connell Center, Patricio Alvarado, Pichittra Thongbach, Rhyne Williams, SEC, SEC Championship, soccer, South Carolina Gamecocks, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Tennessee Volunteers, tennis, University of Florida, volleyball

1 » Three Florida Gators competed Thursday in the first round of the ITA National Indoor Tennis Championships at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center. Freshman Allie Will defeated Yale Bulldogs player Jessie Rhee in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. Will has advanced to the round of 16 and will face Boise State Broncos competitor Pichittra Thongdach on Friday at 10:30 a.m. The news was not so good for Alexandre Lacroix, who dropped straight sets to Wisconsin Badgers player Marek Michalicka; however, he did bounce back with partner Antoine Benneteau to win a doubles match over Aleksey Bessonov and Oleksandr Nedovyesov of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The duo will compete in quarterfinal action Friday at 9 a.m.

2 » In case you didn’t already realize it, Florida redshirt junior linebacker A.J. Jones is having a breakout season. Grabbing three interceptions combined in the last two games, Jones’ teammates are surprised. Not because he is not a good player, but because he is one of the clumsiest on the team. “I’ve seen him in practice where he’s covering a running back and he’ll trip over his own feet,” junior cornerback Joe Haden said. “We sit and laugh at A.J. sometimes, because sometimes he’s real clumsy.” Clumsy he may be, but an improved work ethic and healthy competition have raised his game to a new level.

3 » Having not played in a college basketball game in over a year, Gators junior transfer center Vernon Macklin “got off to a jittery start” during Florida’s exhibition game Monday night against Saint Leo. “I hadn’t played a game in a long time, so I was nervous,” Macklin said. “I don’t think it really kicked in all of the way. I was still trying to get into the rhythm of the game. It was just all in my head. I just should have gone out there and have been ready to play no matter what, first game and treat it like I do in practice.” As the Gators’ starting center, Macklin will have more than enough opportunities to get it together this season. Hopefully sooner than later.

4 » Updating our story on four-star wide receiver recruit Chris Dunkley (Pahokee, FL), Rivals is reporting that “Florida appears to be in good shape” to receive his commitment. While Dunkley said he had a good time visiting Tennessee last weekend, sources told Rivals that “the Vols are almost totally out of it for Dunkley.” He has visits remaining but is also coveted by head coach Urban Meyer and considered a major piece to the 2010 recruiting puzzle.

Tags: A.J. Jones, Alexandre Lacroix, Alexsey Bessonov, Allie Will, Antoine Benneteau, Chris Dunkley, ITA National Indoor Tennis Championships, Jessie Rhee, Joe Haden, Marek Michalicka, Oleksandr Nedovyesov, PIchittra Thongdach, tennis, Urban Meyer, Vernon Macklin

In a big day for Florida Gators tennis, the men’s doubles team of junior Alexandre Lacroix and redshirt senior Antoine Benneteau won the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championship Monday, defeating the Florida State Seminoles team of Connor Smith and Vahid Mirzadeh 8-2 at the Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA.

Almost simultaneously, Florida freshman Allie Will won the singles title in the women’s Wilson/ITA Southeast Region Championships at the Bill More Tennis Center in Atlanta, GA. Will first had to defeat the Miami Hurricanes‘ Laura Vallverdu (ranked No. 2 in the tournament and No. 6 in the nation) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, before meeting FSU’s Noemie Scharle in the finals. Scharle was the event’s No. 4 seed and ranked No. 24 in the country, but still lost to Will 6-4, 6-0.

Both Lacroix/Benneteau and Will earned spots at the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships. This event is considered to be the second leg of the collegiate Grand Slam and will be held on Nov. 5-8 at Yale University and the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center in West Haven, CT, respectively.

Tags: Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Antoine Benneteau, Connor Smith, Florida State Seminoles, ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, Laura Vallverdu, Miami Hurricanes, Noemie Scharle, tennis, Vahid Mirzadeh, Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championship

1 » Volleyball (16-3, 10-2 SEC) continues to roll through the SEC as the No. 10/11 Florida Gators swept the Ole Miss Rebels (8-14, 2-10 SEC) in straight sets (25-18, 25-13, 25-16) on Sunday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Sophomore right-side/setter Kelly Murphy continues her stellar play and recorded a match-high 14 kills. Florida goes on the road to Tuscaloosa, AL, to square off against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m.

2 » The No. 12 Florida soccer team (13-4-2, 7-1-2 SEC) defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks (8-6-4, 2-6-2 SEC) Sunday afternoon on the road at Razorback Field by a 1-0 margin. The victory puts Florida in first place in the conference heading into its final match of the regular season Friday, Oct. 30 against No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks.

3 » The Gators women’s swimming and diving team won the 2009 SMU Classic in Dallas, TX, on Saturday, finishing in first-place with 353 points ahead of the Louisville Cardinals, Wisconsin Badgers, Southern Methodist Perunas, Florida State Seminoles and Rice Owls. The rest of the team that did not compete in that event were also victorious on the weekend, taking down both Arkansas and the Kansas Jayhawks in double-dual on the road in Fayetteville, AK.

Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Soccer rolls; Volleyball wins; Swimming dominates; Tennis in finals

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Antoine Benneteau, Arkansas Razorbacks, Connor Smith, diving, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, Kansas Jayhawks, Kelly Murphy, Laura Vallverdu, Lauren McCreless, Louisville Cardinals, Miami Hurricanes, O'Connell Center, Ole Miss Rebels, Rice Owls, SEC, SMU Classic, soccer, South Carolina Gamecocks, Southern Methodist, swimming, tennis, University of Florida, Vahid Mirzadeh, volleyball, Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championship, Wisconsin Badgers, Yale University