The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers volleyball team is two years removed from a Mid-Eastern Conference Athletic Championship (MEAC). The Lady Rattlers are looking to get back to the top this weekend in the MEAC tournament and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Coach Tanio Trifonov has his team prepared for the MEAC tournament. They are currently undefeated in conference play,
“The Lady Rattlers remember all too well how last year ended and are ready to go the distance this time,” Trifonov said. “Last year was a tough pill to swallow and I believe the girls have learned from that experience.” “This year we learned how to treat every game like a playoff game and we are getting better at staying consistent because our goal is to win the MEAC Tournament this year and go back to the NCAA Tournament.”
Playing tough opponents earlier in the season has helped prepare the Lady Rattlers for the tournament.
“We try to schedule as many tough teams in the start of the season so the girls have a good feel for what we need to work on and the type of competition that is around the country because they are going to help prepare us for the MEAC Tournament,” Trifonov said.
The Rattlers have been the runner up the past two years and fourth year literature student Maria Ceccarelli from Lima, Peru knows that a perfect MEAC record means very little if they don’t win it all.
“We have to play consistent and play as a team,” Ceccarelli said. “We have been getting every team’s best shot so far so we kind of know what to expect. If we can cut down on the mental mistakes and communicate with each other we should be able to bring the MEAC crown back to FAMU.”
The Lady Rattlers know keeping their intensity is key as they head into tournament play. Freshmen Yeisha Arcia from San Juan, Puerto Rico said keeping the same intensity level throughout the season has been a struggle for the Lady Rattlers. The Lady Rattlers need to stay focused and keep up their intensity said Arcia.
The Lady Rattlers are the No.1 seed in the Southern Division and the MEAC Volleyball Championship tournament will take place at Coppin State University in Baltimore, MD. The MEAC Tournament will be played from November 16th-18, 2012.