The Florida A&M women’s volleyball team hosted the Florida A&M Invitational tournament this past weekend.
This is the third tournament for the Rattlers in the first three weeks of the 2023-24 season.
The Rattlers opened the invitational facing off against the University of South Alabama on Thursday. These two teams met last year during the South Alabama Tournament in Mobile, Alabama, where FAMU lost 1-3.
FAMU started the match slowly and trailed 2-1 by the end of the third set. Despite the early setback, the team managed to pick up their play during the fourth and fifth set, allowing the Rattlers to come out victorious with a match score of 3-2. The team was led by former Southwestern Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year, Brooke Lynn Watts, with 22 kills on the outing.
In the second game of the invitational, the Rattlers faced the Stetson University Hatters, a team they haven’t matched up with in over five years. The teams have met only twice previously, both resulting in losses for the Rattlers. This matchup came out no different as the Rattlers fell short with a match score of 3-0.
The team finished the weekend with a match against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Sunday. The Rattlers fell short in this match, unable to obtain a round, resulting in a final score of 0-3.
FAMU went 1-2 for the invitational, leaving them at a 2-7 record for the season. The Rattlers are having a tough start to the season but are yet to begin conference play.
FAMU finished the 2022-2023 season with a record of 21-13, going 15-1 in conference play. This led the Rattlers to land the second seed in the SWAC Tournament, and their victory over the Alabama State Hornets allowed them to secure their second SWAC Tournament title in consecutive years.
The team lost three All-SWAC selections from last year’s roster, but despite the change, the team still knows they live with a target on their back.
“We’re gaining respect around the country as well. Our goal is to look at what we have and improve what we can do; after that, it’ll be a competition once the conference tournament starts,” said Head Coach Gokhan Yilmaz.
Their next game is scheduled for September 15 against the Citadel in the Charleston Southern Tournament. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ at 7 p.m.