TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida A&M volleyball heads west this weekend for its first conference road trip of the season, visiting Mississippi Valley State on Friday and Jackson State on Sunday.

Match Information
Friday, Oct. 2: at Mississippi Valley State, 3 p.m. (EDT)
Sunday, Oct. 4: at Jackson State, 1 p.m. (EDT)

Setting the Scene
FAMU (6-9, 1-1 SWAC) opened league play with a 3-1 win over Alabama State before falling to Alabama A&M in five sets on Sunday. The Rattlers now take their defense of back-to-back SWAC titles on the road, where they are 1-2 this season.

The numbers show a team that is still winning at the net and at the service line. FAMU leads the conference in blocks (2.20 per set, 134 total) and service aces (1.72 per set, 105 total), and ranks second in hitting percentage (.199). The Rattlers are also second in the SWAC in team kills (682) and team assists (635).

Scouting the Rattlers
LaDonna Trantham leads the SWAC in kills per set (3.27) and total attacks (566), and is second in the league in points (207.5) and attacks per set (10.29). Sydney Whitfield, fresh off SWAC weekly honors, ranks sixth in the conference in kills per set (3.03) and third in points (205.5).

The middle of the net remains a strength. Farah Farooq leads the SWAC in hitting percentage (.366) and is second in blocks per set (1.10). Tamia Coleman leads the league in total blocks (59) and ranks third in blocks per set (0.97), giving FAMU two of the conference's top three blockers by total.

Scouting Mississippi Valley State
The Delta Devils (1-10, 0-2 SWAC) are in the middle of a tough stretch, having dropped seven straight. Their lone win came against Wiley on Sept. 5, and they opened league play with sweeps against Texas Southern and Prairie View last weekend.

Aniyah Moore is the player to watch. She leads the SWAC with 1.14 blocks per set and gives MVSU a disruptive presence in the front row. Mississippi Valley State also hosts Jackson State on Wednesday night before welcoming FAMU on Friday.

Scouting Jackson State
The Lady Tigers (6-9, 2-0 SWAC) arrive at Sunday's match as one of only two unbeaten teams in conference play, riding a two-match win streak after beating Prairie View in five sets and Texas Southern in four. They are 2-0 at home and have played a demanding nonconference schedule that included Southern Miss, Mississippi State and Louisiana.

Defense is the calling card. Jackson State leads the SWAC in opponent hitting percentage (.186) and in team digs (821), and ranks 104th nationally at 14.40 digs per set. Giannelle Asomani leads the conference with 248 total digs. Shelby Zanders paces the team with 40 total blocks (2.67 per game).

Offense has been tougher to come by. The Lady Tigers hit .156 as a team and average 11.30 kills per set.

Keys to the Weekend
FAMU's block-and-serve combination should again be the difference maker. Against Mississippi Valley State, the Rattlers can use their size and serving pressure to limit Moore's impact and get Trantham and Whitfield good looks on the outside.

Sunday sets up as a contrast of strengths, with the SWAC's best blocking team meeting its stingiest defense. Winning the long rallies against a Jackson State team that digs at a high rate will be important, and so will efficient offense from a Rattler attack that hits .199 against a defense holding opponents to .186.