Courtesy f Florida A&M Athletics
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | With a six-match winning streak on the line, the Florida A&M volleyball team is off to Mississippi for action at Jackson State (Oct. 14) and Mississippi Valley State (Oct. 15). The much-anticipated bout versus the Tigers also highlights a rematch of the 2022 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship, where FAMU defeated JSU, 3-2.
Friday, Oct. 14
at Jackson State (6-12, 5-1 SWAC) | 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, Oct. 15
Mississippi Valley State (1-14, 0-6 SWAC) | 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT
Both events will be live streamed.
Those Striking Rattlers
- FAMU (9-11, 6-0) is the only SWAC team currently undefeated in league play
- Florida A&M is coming off a 3-0 victory over Prairie View A&M; the decision captured the team’s 18th consecutive victory over a SWAC opponent
- The Rattlers claimed their first Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship title a season ago – in their inaugural season as league members
- Gokhan Yilmaz secured his 50th career win as a head coach in a 3-0 decision over Alcorn State (Oct. 10) last year; he compiled 17 in a single season at Charlotte (2014-15) and currently manages 55 at the helm of FAMU
- FAMU has recorded six straight-set wins this season (four against SWAC opponents)
- Dominique Washington, the SWAC’s reigning Player and Newcomer of the Year, guides the conference in kills (257); the grad is working 16-straight matches with 10-plus
- Washington also ranks 19th in the country in total attacks (779)
- Aja Jones possesses the best hitting percentage in the SWAC (.353) while Irem Ucar maintains the most assists (468)
- Ucar is the only athlete in the SWAC with 400 or more assists; she averages 9.75 per game
- Brooke Hudson leads the conference and ranks 31st in the nation in digs (330)
All-Time Greats
In just two seasons with the Green and Orange, Ucar sees her name listed amongst the Rattler greats in career assists. The red-shirt senior possess 1,664 at FAMU to rank fifth all-time.
1. Tracy Parker | 1993-96 | 4,960
2. Mariela Portocarrero | 2001-04 | 3,872
3. Delisha Peterson | 1999-02 | 2,725
4. Zaire Manzo | 2006-07 | 2,236
5. Irem Ucar | 2021-Present | 1,664
Washington is also less than 80 kills away from etching her name into FAMU’s record book as a Top 10 career leader. She already ranks 10th in total attacks (2,104).
1. Adriana Kostadinova | 2002-05 | 3,441
2. Maria Andonova | 2003-06 | 3,168
3. Jovana Blazeski | 2007-09 | 3,027
…
9. Kim Funchess | 1985-88 | 2,544
10. Dominique Washington | 2021-Present | 2,104
In The SWAC
As a team, Florida A&M ranks “Top 3” in several SWAC categories, including:
Hitting Percentage | .198 | Second
Assists | 848 | First
Assists Per Set | 11.31 | Second
Kills | 919 | First
Kills Per Set | 12.25 | Second
Total Blocks | 132.0 | First
Blocks Per Set | 1.76 | Third
Service Aces | 109 | Second
Digs | 1,054 | First
Digs Per Set | 14.05 | Second
SWAC Weekly Recognition
The Rattlers have secured 13 weekly awards this season. The most recent, announced Oct. 5, marked the second sweep of the season.
Brooke Hudson has received a team-best four weekly accolades, all defensive.
Oct. 5
Offensive Player & Newcomer of the Week – Brooke Lynn Watts
Defensive Player of the Week – Brooke Hudson
Setter of the Week – Irem Ucar
Sept. 28
Newcomer of the Week – Brooke Lynn Watts
Sept. 21
Defensive Player of the Week – Brooke Hudson
Setter of the Week – Irem Ucar
Sept. 14
Offensive Player of the Week – Dominique Washington
Defensive Player of the Week – Brooke Hudson
Setter of the Week – Irem Ucar
Newcomer of the Week – Aja Jones
Sept. 7
Defensive Player of the Week – Brooke Hudson
Setter & Newcomer of the Week – Nina Sharpton
