Florida A&M volleyball will begin its first Southwestern Athletic Conference road trip of the season with matches at Mississippi Valley State and Jackson State. The Rattlers enter the trip with a 6-9 overall record and a 1-1 SWAC mark while defending back-to-back conference titles.
Florida A&M will visit Mississippi Valley State on Friday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m. EDT. The Rattlers will then travel to Jackson State for a 1 p.m. EDT match Sunday, Oct. 4.
Florida A&M brings strong conference numbers
Florida A&M opened conference play with a 3-1 win over Alabama State before losing to Alabama A&M in five sets. The Rattlers entered the trip 1-2 on the road this season.
Florida A&M leads the SWAC in blocks at 2.20 per set and 134 total blocks. The team also leads the conference in service aces at 1.72 per set and 105 total aces.
The Rattlers rank second in the SWAC in hitting percentage at .199, team kills with 682 and team assists with 635. Those numbers will be tested during a road trip that includes a Mississippi Valley State team on a seven-match losing streak and a Jackson State team that entered the weekend 2-0 in conference play.
Trantham, Whitfield lead the attack
LaDonna Trantham leads the SWAC in kills per set at 3.27 and total attacks with 566. She also ranks second in the conference in points at 207.5 and attacks per set at 10.29.
Sydney Whitfield provides another leading offensive option for Florida A&M. She ranks sixth in the SWAC in kills per set at 3.03 and third in points at 205.5 after receiving SWAC weekly honors.
Florida A&M also has two of the conference’s top blocking performers. Farah Farooq leads the SWAC in hitting percentage at .366 and ranks second in blocks per set at 1.10, while Tamia Coleman leads the league with 59 total blocks and ranks third in blocks per set at 0.97.
Mississippi Valley State matchup
Mississippi Valley State entered Friday’s match with a 1-10 overall record and an 0-2 SWAC record. The Delta Devils had lost seven consecutive matches, and their lone win came against Wiley on Sept. 5.
Aniyah Moore leads the SWAC in blocks per set at 1.14. Her play at the net gives Mississippi Valley State a key defensive presence for Florida A&M to address in the opening match of the trip.
Jackson State presents defensive challenge
Jackson State entered Sunday’s match with a 6-9 overall record and a 2-0 SWAC mark. The Lady Tigers had won two consecutive matches and were 2-0 at home.
Jackson State leads the conference in opponent hitting percentage at .186 and team digs with 821. The team also ranked 104th nationally in digs per set at 14.40, with Giannelle Asomani leading the SWAC with 248 total digs.
Shelby Zanders leads Jackson State with 40 total blocks, listed in the source at 2.67 blocks per game. Jackson State hit .156 as a team and averaged 11.30 kills per set.
Weekend schedule
- Friday, Oct. 2: Florida A&M at Mississippi Valley State, 3 p.m. EDT
- Sunday, Oct. 4: Florida A&M at Jackson State, 1 p.m. EDT
FSB Take
Florida A&M enters the trip with conference-leading production in blocks and service aces, while Jackson State brings the SWAC’s top opponent hitting percentage and team-digs total. The opening match also pits Florida A&M against a Mississippi Valley State team that entered on a seven-match losing streak. Efficient offense and consistent defense will be important across both road matches.
Source: Original report