The Florida A&M volleyball team traveled to Coral Gables, Fla., for the University of Miami tournament. The Rattlers played on Friday against the Oklahoma Sooners and played Saturday against Auburn.
The Lady Rattlers lost in three straight sets to Oklahoma Sooners. The score of the first set was 25-11, the second set 25-12 and the third set 25-12. Diana Gonzalez, a sophomore setter, led the Lady Rattlers in assists with 13. Katherine Huanec, sophomore Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker, also contributed with seven kills.
The Rattlers lost in three straight sets to the Auburn Tigers. The score of the first set was 25-22, 25-17 in the second and 25-23 in the third. Marija Jovanovic, a senior Setter, headed the attack with 10 kills. Gonzalez contributed 29 assists, which was the most assists between the two teams. Karol Marquez, a junior defensive specialist, hustled to earn 13 digs.
The Lady Rattlers played the last game of the Miami tournament on Sunday against FIU. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) struggles against Division one teams. The MEAC Southern Conference record against non-conference opponents is eight wins and 45 losses. The Kansas Jayhawks, Georgia Bulldogs, Liberty Flames, Jacksonville Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes each contributed to the Lady Rattlers 0-7 start. The Lady Rattlers first 10 opponents were non-conference teams.
Eight of the 10 non-conference games were not played in Tallahassee. The Lady Rattlers participated in back-to-back weekend tournaments. The tournaments consist of one game each day of the weekend, totaling 3 games. The Lady Rattlers and three other teams have not won a match this volleyball season. South Carolina State and Bethune– Cookman are tied for first with a 4-6 record each. The Lady Rattlers have five days off until their next game against Mercer University in Macon, Ga.