The Florida A&M University women’s volleyball team celebrated Senior Night with a 3-0 win over North Carolina A&T Friday in Gaither Gymnasium, extending its current match-winning streak.
FAMU (22-2, 10-0 in MEAC), won 30-15, 30-15 and 30-11, led by sophomore outside hitter Maria Andonova with 11 kills.
Junior outside hitter Andreina Ruiz and senior outside hitter Ivelina Petkova each had nine kills. Ruiz also had 14 digs in the match. Senior setter Mariela Portocarrero led FAMU with 38 assists, while the other senior for FAMU, Tereza Arellano, finished with six kills.
North Carolina A&T (9-17, 8-3) was led by Arlene Mitchell with eight kills, and twin sister Darlene Mitchell finished with seven kills. Brendan Chatman led A&T with 18 assists, and Lauren Walker finished with nine digs.
Lady Rattlers thrash South Carolina State, 3-0, in home finale Saturday. Ivelina Petkova and Maria Andonova combined for 23 kills, as 24th-ranked FAMU successfully ended its home schedule with the 3-0-match victory in Jake Gaither Gymnasium.
Saturday’s win was the 22nd straight match won by the Lady Rattlers this season.
Petkova led FAMU with 12 kills, while Andonova had 11 as the Lady Rattlers prevailed over SCSU, 30-9, 30-13 and 30-16.
Senior Mariela Portocarrero had 28 assists for FAMU, while quartet Andreina Ruiz (11), Tereza Arellano (11), Adriana Kostadinova (10) and Rosa Rojas (10) led in digs against SCSU.
SCSU (18-12), coached by Mary Hill, a former volleyball star from FAMU who was inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in September, pushed the Lady Rattlers hard in the second and third games, holding brief leads in both.
Aubrey Posadas led SCSU with five kills. Olive Aneno (8) and Posadas (7) led the club in assists, with Jasmine Bland turning in 12 digs for the Lady Bulldogs.
The Lady Rattlers (23-2, 10-0 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will be the top seed in this week’s MEAC Volleyball Championships in Greensboro, N.C.
The Lady Rattlers will be seeking their fourth straight MEAC tournament title and a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, which begins the first weekend in December.
NOTE: Due to scheduling policy within the MEAC, Saturday’s match did not count as a league contest.