TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | On the road in the state of Alabama, the Florida A&M volleyball team looks to extend its Southwestern Athletic Conference win streak.
Sunday, Oct. 2 | at Alabama State | 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT
Monday, Oct. 3 | at Alabama A&M | 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT
Those Striking Rattlers
- FAMU (4-11) 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 team is coming off a 3-0, SWAC-opening win at Bethune-Cookman; the decision captured FAMU's 13th consecutive victory over a league 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 50 at the helm of FAMU
- Dominique Washington, the SWAC's reigning Player and Newcomer of the Year, guides the conference in kills (189); the grad is working 11-straight matches with 10-plus
- Washington also ranks 21st in the country in total attacks (619)
- Aja Jones possesses the best hitting percentage in the SWAC (.344) while Irem Ucar maintains the most assists (273)
- Brooke Hudson leads the conference and ranks 30th in the nation in digs (256)
In The SWAC
As a team, Florida A&M ranks "Top 3" in several SWAC categories, including:
Hitting Percentage | .172 | First
Assists | 609 | First
Assists Per Set | 10.68 | Second
Kills | 656 | First
Kills Per Set | 11.51 | Second
Total Blocks | 103.0 | Second
Blocks Per Set | 1.81 | Third
Service Aces | 81 | First
Service Aces Per Set | 1.42 | Third
Digs | 802 | First
SWAC Weekly Recognition
The Rattlers have secured 10 weekly awards this season. The most recent, announced Sept. 28, was awarded to newcomer Brooke Lynn Watts, after pouring in a team-high 15 kills in the team's 3-0 victory over the Wildcats.
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
The Newcomers
All five Rattler newcomers have received considerable playing time this season.
Jones boasts the team's best hitting percentage (.344) and is also pacing the team and conference in blocks (45.0), while Sharpton sits second on both lists in assists (224). Hudson manages a team-best 256 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
