DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman volleyball continues its homestand Friday with an all-important matchup against hated rival Florida A&M at Moore Gymnasium.

The Wildcats fell to the Rattlers earlier this season in Tallahassee, but last year, B-CU beat FAMU in Daytona Beach for the first time since 2017.

The game begins at 6 p.m. EST and will be streamed live on SWAC TV.


 
Friday, October 16
Opponent: Florida A&M (11-9, 6-1 SWAC)
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Daytona Beach, Fla. | Moore Gymnasium
Watch: Click here 
Listen: Click here
Live Stats: Click here

 

The Wildcats made quick work of the Golden Lions, defeating UAPB 3-0 capped off by a dominant 25-4 third set.

Bethune-Cookman (9-8, 5-2) jumped out to a 13-6 lead in the opening set before Arkansas-Pine Bluff battled back to cut the deficit to one. The Wildcats responded by scoring the final three points, with Alaya Rhodes recording kills on the final two points.

The second set remained tight throughout, but B-CU used a 6-1 run to take control before closing on a 5-2 spurt to secure the 2-0 lead. Kaleigh Williams and Laura Lino dos Santos each recorded kills during the decisive run.

The Wildcats dominated the third set, scoring 13 straight points after UAPB took a 2-1 lead. B-CU added five blocks in the set while holding the Golden Lions to a -.368 hitting percentage and just two kills to complete the sweep.

The Rattlers are currently in the midst of the a five-game winning streak and are 6-1 overall in conference play. Most recently, FAMU defeated Grambling 3-1 at the Al Lawson Center, closing out an undefeated three-game homestand.

FAMU ranks top three in the SWAC in points, hitting percentage, assists, and kills. LaDonna Tranham and Sydney Whitfield are tied for the league lead in kills ith 261 each.

Tranham is coming off a 21-kill, 11 dig performance in the win over the Tigers. It was her fourth game reaching 20+ kills this season.

Defensively, the Rattlers sit fourth in the conference in opponent hitting percentage but lead the league in blocks by a wide margin. 

Tamia Coleman and Farah Farooq have been a deadly combination at the net, combining for 154 total blocks this season — a total that would rank sixth among all SWAC teams.

The Wildcats will look to turn things around against Florida A&M as the Rattlers have continued to dominate the all-time series. FAMU leads 67-7, including a 12-1 mark in SWAC play.

 
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