The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers will face the Norfolk State Spartans Sunday in the Al Lawson Center.
The Lady Rattlers come into this game 10-13, 6-1 MEAC and the Spartans have a record of 11-18, 4-2 MEAC. Florida A&M looks to build upon the success they had this past weekend when extended their win streak to four games.
Head coach Tony Trifonov said the Lady Rattlers must play with the same intensity and energy that they have played with all season.
“Last time we played Norfolk State we dropped our concentration in game 3,” Trifonov said. “We have to keep the intensity throughout the whole game and not allow that much of a drop emotionally.”
The last time these two teams played the Lady Rattlers won in four sets, but neither team hit well. Florida A&M had a hitting percentage of .101 and Florida A&M held the Lady Spartans to a hitting percentage of .093.
Trifonov wants his team to work on their consistency as he said he wants his players to commit fewer mistakes.
“We have to play consistently and aggressively,” Trifonov said. “We need to minimize errors and it’s the end of the season, so it’s time for us to start playing our best volleyball.”
Florida A&M will depend on the likes of middle blocker Pamela Barrera, setter Susan Egoavil, outside hitter Katherine Huanec and setter Diana Gonzales to lead the attack against the Spartans.
The Lady Rattlers’ offense is starting to come together; Barrera attributes that to their practices, endurance, and them playing more of the court.
“The practices and our endurance are able to help our offense run smooth because even if we drop a set, we have the endurance to play a long game,” Barrera said. “Also, us playing together as a unit has been a key to our victories.”
The Lady Rattlers are looking to get a win for their seniors Egoavil and setter Jessica Bond who have made contributions to the team during the past two to three years.
“It’s important to win this game for them,” Trifonov said. “Susan has been here for four years, she’s been great, helped us win three championships, and Jessica has been here for two, as she helped us win one last year. It’s always good to send the seniors with a sense of accomplishment. We’re going to honor them and their contributions to our program.”
The Lady Rattlers look to continue their momentum as this is the last game before the MEAC tournament where the team will look to win its 10th consecutive championship.