The FAMU volleyball team standing for the anthem before their game against North Carolina A&T on Oct. 26.
Sydne Vigille | The FAMUAN
The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers volleyball team fought for their victory against the North Carolina A&T Aggies last night. The Lady Rattlers won 3-0 (26-24, 25-10, and 28-26).
The beginning of the game immediately set the tone for the rest of the night with the score being close all throughout the first set. The Lady Rattlers dominated the second set with outside hitter, Maria Yvett Garcia, landing the first two kills. The Aggies eventually gained a point but a net foul on their part, would give that point right back to the Lady Rattlers.
The dynamic duo Radka Dimitrova and Maria Yvett Garcia returned as they both secured the last two points of the second set. Dimitrova snagged the second to last point and Garcia snagged the final point. Victor Duncan, the commentator for last night’s game said, “I think the team did very well. They played a team that brought the game up to their skill level but FAMU came out and played very well.”
FAMU currently ranks second in the Southern Division of the MEAC at 2-1. Collectively, the Lady Rattlers are third in digs per set (14.22) and blocks per set (1.96). They’re fifth in kills (10.73) and sixth in hitting percentage (.142). Brandon Thomas, a senior computer science student said “It was a close game. NCAT is good competition and both teams did their thing but them Lady Rattlers pulled through in the last few minutes of the game.”
The third set of the game was like watching an intense ping pong tournament. The Lady Rattlers and Aggies were neck and neck. Both teams were doing their best to block digs and kills. Lady Rattlers and Aggies were tied 24-24 when the Aggies called for a timeout. Ultimately, the Aggies would fall short on the last play when they hit the ball out of bounds—the Lady Rattlers won 28-26.
When asked about her expectations for the rest of the season, libero Jessa Long says, “Oh we’re ready. We’re ready to go to the championships, ready to win, that’s our goal right now. The MEAC championship against Howard—that’s all we’re thinking about right now. We want to go to the NCAA Tournament 100 percent.”
On Sunday, Oct. 28 the Lady Rattlers will take on North Carolina Central at 1 p.m. And next Friday, Nov. 2, the Lady Rattlers will face rival HBCU, Bethune-Cookman University at 7 p.m. For more information about upcoming volleyball games visit famuathletics.com or call the box office at 850-599-3141.