Still Winless: FAMU Volleyball Lags in 2011 Season

The Florida A&M Rattlers volleyball team has yet to earn a win on the season as they lost to the University of North Florida Lady Dolphins in four sets (25-19 L, 25-23 L, 25-23 W, 25-21 L) Sunday September 25 at the Al Lawson Center. The Lady Rattlers fall to 0-10 on the season and the Lady Ospreys improve their record to 7-8.

The Lady Rattlers got off to a slow start losing the first set to the Lady Dolphins. The team had a chance to win the second set at one point, being up 23-21, but wasn’t able to capitalize as the Lady Dolphins took the next four points to win the second set.

UNF head coach, Kevin Campbell, said her team had to regain it’s composure and get back to setting the pace of the game.

“We lost our mental edge,” Campbell said. “We talked about what to anticipate from FAMU, what they were doing next.”

During the third set, Florida A&M were able to hold off the Lady Ospreys, defeating them 25-23. Junior Bianca Rucker said they team was more relaxed and focused and that helped them win the third set.

“We communicated better and we were able to brush off mistakes and playing with the fear of no mistakes helped us to win that match,” Rucker said. “The first two matches the energy level was low and we played with more fear.”

The team wasn’t able to build off that momentum, as they fell short in the fourth set 25-23.

The Lady Osprey’s head coach said she was proud of the way her team was able to handle the pace of the game.

“We were able to dictate the tempo of the game because we were just playing a little bit faster and Florida A&M has some very strong hitters but as a team we are just a little bit faster,” Campbell said.

FAMU starts Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play in their next game as they go to Orangeburg, S.C. to face the defending MEAC Champions on Sunday October 2.