Bethune-Cookman volleyball will host Florida A&M at Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach on Friday at 6 p.m. EST, with the match streamed live on SWAC TV. The Wildcats enter the Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup with a 9-8 overall record and a 5-2 mark in conference play. Florida A&M is 11-9 overall and 6-1 in the SWAC.
The match gives Bethune-Cookman an opportunity to respond after falling to Florida A&M earlier this season in Tallahassee. The Wildcats defeated the Rattlers in Daytona Beach last year for the first time since 2017. Florida A&M leads the all-time series 67-7, including a 12-1 advantage in SWAC play.
Bethune-Cookman enters after a sweep
Bethune-Cookman most recently defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3-0, finishing the victory with a dominant 25-4 third set. The Wildcats scored 13 consecutive points after the Golden Lions took a 2-1 lead in the set. Bethune-Cookman added five blocks in the third set and held Arkansas-Pine Bluff to a minus-.368 hitting percentage.
Alaya Rhodes recorded kills on the final two points of Bethune-Cookman’s opening-set win. Kaleigh Williams and Laura Lino dos Santos each recorded a kill during the Wildcats’ decisive second-set run. The performance gave Bethune-Cookman momentum heading into its home rematch with Florida A&M.
Florida A&M brings strong attack and blocking
Florida A&M has won five consecutive matches and most recently defeated Grambling 3-1 at the Al Lawson Center. The Rattlers rank among the top three teams in the SWAC in points, hitting percentage, assists and kills. Florida A&M also leads the conference in blocks.
LaDonna Tranham and Sydney Whitfield are tied for the SWAC lead with 261 kills each. Tranham recorded 21 kills and 11 digs in the victory over Grambling, marking her fourth match this season with at least 20 kills. That production will challenge the Bethune-Cookman defense in the rematch.
Tamia Coleman and Farah Farooq have combined for 154 total blocks this season. Their work at the net adds another defensive factor for Bethune-Cookman to manage. The Wildcats will face a Florida A&M team that has produced at the top of several major SWAC statistical categories.
FSB Take
Bethune-Cookman has a home-court opportunity after sweeping Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but Florida A&M enters with the better SWAC record and a five-match winning streak. The Wildcats will need to handle Florida A&M’s conference-leading blocking and limit the attack led by Tranham and Whitfield. The match begins Friday at 6 p.m. EST at Moore Gymnasium and will stream live on SWAC TV.
Source: Original report