Florida A&M volleyball continued its push through Southwestern Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, Oct. 7, sweeping in-state rival Bethune-Cookman University in straight sets.
The Lady Rattlers won 25-19, 25-16 and 25-13 to improve to 9-9 overall and 4-1 in SWAC play. This victory gives FAMU another conference win as it looks to maintain its position in SWAC standings.
LaDonna Trantham led Florida A&M with 13 kills and 13 digs, recording a double-double. Sydney Whitfield also recorded 13 kills, while Farah Farooq added 10 kills. The Lady Rattlers finished with 41 kills and hit .316 as a team while holding Bethune-Cookman to a .081 hitting percentage.
Trantham said the team’s aggressive start helped disrupt Bethune-Cookman’s offense and establish an early lead.
“Starting aggressive allowed us to get them out of system a lot, so we were able to manage the balls that were coming to us, which led us to take a lead in the game,” Trantham said.
The win also gave the Rattlers a confidence boost as they continue conference play.
“It definitely gives us some confidence. I mean, it’s a complete turnaround from the season that we had last year, so it’s a good feeling, and we’re always building our confidence,” Trantham said. “All of our hitters are confident, and we’re ready to go against whoever.”
Setter Simone Robinson said the team benefited from finishing long rallies and applying what they had practiced during scouting and training. She added that the sweep provided the team motivation as it heads into upcoming conference matchups.
“I think this sweep really gave us a lot of motivation and confidence to move on into the next few games,” Robinson said.
Assistant coach Salma Gonzalez Sosa said the team’s focus and consistency with its scouting report helped drive the performance.
“I think today we were very successful on staying focused in the game and staying consistent with our scout report,” Gonzalez Sosa said.
Gonzalez Sosa also emphasized the importance of confidence and aggressiveness as the team moves forward.
“I want them to feel like they’re being themselves on the court, and when that happens, we have very successful games,” she said.
Florida A&M will look to carry that confidence into its next SWAC matchup against Grambling State University on Sunday, Oct. 11, at noon.