TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | Florida A&M volleyball starts its Southwestern Athletic Conference schedule Friday (Sept. 23) at Bethune-Cookman. The match is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Those Striking Rattlers

• FAMU (3-11) left the state of North Carolina with a clean sweep in victories over UNC Greensboro, Elon, and North Carolina A&T, two of which – UNCG and NCAT – captured straight-set decisions
• 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 49 at the helm of FAMU
• Dominique Washington, the SWAC's reigning Player and Newcomer of the Year, ranks second in the conference in kills (178); the grad is working 10-straight matches with 10-plus  
• Washington also ranks seventh in the country in total attacks (587), 32nd in total kills (178), and 35th in points (200)
• Aja Jones possesses the best hitting percentage in the SWAC (.333) while Irem Ucar maintains the most assists (238)
• Brooke Hudson leads the conference and ranks 17th in the nation in digs (239) 

In The SWAC
As a team, Florida A&M ranks "Top 3" in several SWAC categories, including:

Hitting Percentage | .165 | Second
Assists | 567 | Second
Kills | 610 | First
Kills Per Set | 11.30 | Second
Total Blocks | 101.0 | First
Blocks Per Set | 1.87 | Third
Service Aces | 73 | First
Service Aces Per Set | 1.35 | Second
Digs | 748 | First

SWAC Weekly Recognition 
The Rattlers have secured nine weekly awards this season. The most recent, announced Sept. 21, included –  Defensive Player of the Week (Brooke Hudson) and Setter of the Week (Irem Ucar).

Nina Sharpton and Hudson were the first to receive recognition when the former garnered Newcomer & Setter of the Week and the latter Defensive Player of the Week for performances in the FAMU/FSU Tournament (Sept. 2-3).

The Newcomers
All five Rattler newcomers have received considerable playing time this season. 

Jones boasts the team's best hitting percentage (.333) and is also pacing the team and conference in blocks (45.0), while Sharpton sits second on both lists in assists (222). Hudson manages a team-best 239 digs (the most in the conference) to go alongside 11 service aces.

#1 Jada Taylor | L | 5-5 | Jr. | Chicago, Ill. / Grambling State
#2 Brooke Lynn Watts | OH | 5-9 | So. | Odenton, Md. / Murray State
#8 Nina Sharpton | S | 5-10 | R-Sr. | Palm Beach, Fla. / N.C. State
#9 Brooke Hudson | DS | 5-3 | Sr. | Houston, Texas / Colorado State
#11 Aja Jones | MB | 6-1 | Sr. | Venice, Fla. / Florida Gulf Coast University