The Florida A&M University [FAMU] Women’s Volleyball team lost 3-1 against Xavier University (Ohio) at the Al Lawson center on Friday, September 11.
The Lady Rattlers co-hosted the FAMU- FSU Invitational and were defeated in four sets to open the tournament play (16-25, 25-23, 14-24, 18-25).
With a rocky start, FAMU fell short to Xavier 16-25 in the first set.
Pamela Soriano, sophomore Outside Hitter from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (UNAPEC) kickstarted the Lady Rattlers off with four kills in the first game.
Despite game one, the Lady Rattlers woke their fans up with a win in game two. Valeria Lopez, Setter from Medellin, Colombia and Tamar Fowler, from Winnetka, Calif., both had one block. Soriano had three kills leading the Rattlers in game two.
Head Coach Tanio Trifonov expressed that the Lady Rattlers are fighters and will bring it. He believes that his team can and will make FAMU proud.
“The game is at high energy, and the girls have to stay focused” Trifonov said.
In game three, Xavier defeated FAMU 24-14 and in game four the Lady Rattlers played hard but couldn’t stop Xavier in the end. The final score was 18-25.
The Lady Rattlers are looking to improve on the offensive side of the ball as well as their strength and conditioning.
Sydney Barrinight, a first-year Business Administration student, attended the tournament cheering on the Lady Rattlers. She wanted to see FAMU volleyball team defeat Xavier.
“The Rattlers had great energy in the second and last game but Xavier took over,” said Barrinight. “I hope the girls can bring home a championship my first year on the hill.”
Christian Henson, a first-year Pharmacy student attended the tournament in hopes of the Lady Rattlers bringing home a win.
“I want FAMU’s volleyball team to have the spotlight because our girls serve and mean business,” Henson said.
For more information about upcoming Volleyball games visit famuathletics.com or call the ticket office at 850-599-3141.