BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Nov. 23) | The Florida A&M volleyball team will advance to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship match for the fourth consecutive season after sweeping Bethune-Cookman (25-18, 25-22, 25-16) in the semifinal round.
The Rattlers will face either No. 2 Jackson State or No. 3 Prairie View A&M Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 p.m. ET. The title match can be viewed live on ESPNU.
GAME NOTES
- Brooke Lynn Watts finished with a match-high16 kills with eight digs and two blocks.
- Iyonnie Sanford added nine kills.
- Bryshanna Brown posted a match-high 19 digs.
- Makenzie Taylor (20) and London Hatch (18) both finished with double-digit assists.
- Brookelynn Thomas achieved a significant milestone in the third set, recording her 1,000th career kill.
- With a 26-6 record, the Rattlers have achieved their third 20-win season under head coach Gokhan Yilmaz. The 26 victories mark the most in a single season during Yilmaz's tenure, surpassing the team's 25-7 record in 2021 and 21-13 record in 2022.
- The Rattlers have amassed 18 straight-set wins this year, including 13 against SWAC opponents.
- Florida A&M fell short of a three-peat at the 2023 championship, dropping a 3-0 decision to Jackson State. The Rattlers won the tournament title in 2021 and 2022.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE | There were plenty of ties in the opening set – eight to be exact – with neither team able to separate by more than three points until a 5-0 Rattler run. They led 17-13 at the end of the stretch and never trailed again.
Watts finished the set with 8.5 points.
SET TWO | A 5-0 start for BCU grew into a 14-9 advantage, with the Wildcats maintaining control until a 6-1 Rattler run—capped by a Hatch ace—tied the score at 15-all. There was another deadlock at 16-16 before a pair of attacking errors put FAMU ahead for good.
SET THREE | With the score knotted at 4-4, FAMU embarked on a 9-1 run, the lone BCU point occurring on an attacking miscue.
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