Alabama A&M defeated Florida A&M 3-2 in a five-set Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s volleyball match Sept. 27 at the Al Lawson Center in Tallahassee. The Bulldogs won 21-25, 25-16, 28-26, 22-25 and 15-13 in a match between teams competing for the top spot in the SWAC standings.
Sydney Whitfield led Florida A&M with 16 kills, 13 digs and two service aces. The performance marked her fourth double-double of the season and her second in as many matches. Florida A&M entered the match 6-9 overall and 1-1 in SWAC play, while Alabama A&M entered 9-7 and 2-0.
Florida A&M forces a fifth set
Florida A&M won the fourth set 25-22 after producing its best offensive showing of the match. The Rattlers hit .333 in the frame, with Whitfield contributing six kills and LaDonna Trantham providing timely swings. A late service run from libero Kelly Kelsick and a kill from Iyonnie Sanford helped Florida A&M close out the set.
Florida A&M also took the opening set 25-21. Farah Farooq contributed three kills and hit .750 in the frame, while Whitfield added two kills and a service ace. Farooq finished with eight kills and a match-high eight assisted blocks.
Alabama A&M answers in the middle sets
Alabama A&M evened the match with a 25-16 victory in the second set. Florida A&M hit -.040 in the frame, recording four kills and five errors, while Scholar Bates led the Bulldogs with four kills. Alabama A&M then edged Florida A&M 28-26 in the third set to move within one set of the win.
The Bulldogs received double-figure kill totals from four players. Gerren Tomlin led Alabama A&M with 16 kills, 13 digs and three assisted blocks, while Rayishon Jackman recorded 12 kills, 21 digs and two service aces. Bates added 15 kills and seven block assists, and Amya Jennings contributed 12 kills.
Rattlers come up short in the fifth
Florida A&M held leads of 3-2 and 9-5 in the decisive set. Alabama A&M rallied behind three fifth-set kills from Bates, but Florida A&M continued to pressure the Bulldogs late. After the Rattlers pulled within 14-13, Carys Sanabria closed out the match on the next point for Alabama A&M.
Along with Whitfield and Farooq, Florida A&M received seven kills apiece from Sanford and Trantham. Bengisu Kazazlar recorded 14 assists, Makenzie Taylor had 17 assists and Kelsick led the Rattlers with 16 digs. The result moved Alabama A&M to 2-0 in SWAC play and Florida A&M to 1-1.
What comes next for Florida A&M
Florida A&M next plays at Mississippi Valley State on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. EDT, or 6 p.m. CDT, in Itta Bena, Mississippi. The match begins Florida A&M’s SWAC Magnolia State swing. It will be the Rattlers’ next conference match after the five-set loss to Alabama A&M.
FSB Take
Florida A&M recovered from the middle-set deficit by winning the fourth set and taking two leads in the fifth. Whitfield’s 16-kill, 13-dig performance and Farooq’s eight assisted blocks gave the Rattlers significant individual production, but Alabama A&M finished the deciding set. Florida A&M now turns to its matchup with Mississippi Valley State after opening conference play 1-1.
Source: Original report