BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | The Florida A&M volleyball team put up a valiant effort in its season opener Friday (August 25) but fell 3-1 to Austin Peay in match two of the UAB Invitational. Tournament play continues Saturday in a 1 p.m. tilt with Buffalo. 

Brooke Lynn Watts, the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Preseason Player of the Year, led the Rattler offense with a match-high 18 kills. Emerald Jacobs added 14, and true freshman Iyonnie Sanford contributed seven. The league's Preseason Libero of the Year, Brooke Hudson, also finished with a match-high 14 digs. 

FAMU 1, APSU 3 (25-18, 18-25, 21-25, 21-25)

The Rattlers led the entire opening set – at one point maintaining a 7-1 advantage – but faced adversity in the second, where a 5-4 Governor edge grew to 15-9. A 6-2 rally later saw FAMU pull within two points (19-17). However, the team was unable to close the gap any closer as back-to-back service aces allowed APSU to claim the second, 25-18. 

The final sets were perhaps the most thrilling of the afternoon. The third contained eight ties and five lead changes, while the fourth highlighted nine and five. Jacobs and Kalia Todd partnered at the net for a momentum-shifting block, evening things at 17-all in the third, and four more stalemates ensued -- the final at 20-20. 

Helped, in part, by five unanswered points, the Rattlers possessed a 20-15 edge in the fourth. They were on the brink of forcing a fifth set until an 8-0 Governor run concluded the match. 

Rattler Notes

• London Hatch recorded a match-high 26 assists.
• Sanford received her first collegiate start; Sanford, Hatch, Milana Thornton,  Alexandra Koleva, Kaitlyn Scroggins, and Autumn Hamilton each made their Rattler debut.