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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Under the direction of Head Coach Gokhan Yilmaz, Florida A&M Volleyball hosts the FAMU Volleyball Tournament this weekend at Al Lawson Center beginning Thursday, September 10. The Rattlers welcome teams from Florida International, Hampton and Louisiana, respectively.
 
The tournament runs Thursday through Saturday, with all matches played on the FAMU campus.
 
MATCH #7: FAMU vs. Louisiana
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Al Lawson Center (Tallahassee, Fla.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #8: FAMU vs. FIU
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Al Lawson Center (Tallahassee, Fla.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #9: FAMU vs. Hampton
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Al Lawson Center (Tallahassee, Fla.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
IN THE RANKINGS

? Florida A&M is not ranked in this week’s AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
? FIU is not ranked in this week’s AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
? Hampton is not ranked in this week’s AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
? Louisiana is not ranked in this week’s AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything FAMU Volleyball this year by following the Rattlers on all their social media platforms. You can follow @FAMUVB on Instagram and @FAMU_VB on Twitter.
 
NEWS & NOTES
? Sydney Humes was named Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Defensive Player of the Week for the period of September 8-14.
? Senior outside hitter Sydney Whitfield owns a team-leading 69 kills and averages 3.00 kills per set for the Orange and Green to lead the team in that department.
? Farah Farooq has registered a .347 hitting percentage through six matches on the campaign.
? Head Coach Gokhan Yilmaz is approaching 150 career wins as a collegiate head coach, entering the weekend with 145 under his belt.
? Setter Makenzie Taylor, a junior from Charlotte, North Carolina, tallied her first double-double last weekend in Jacksonville, Florida, accumulating 38 assists and 12 digs in a win over UConn.
? Tamia Coleman, a junior right-side, registered 10 blocks last weekend – five of those coming ion the Rattlers victory over the UConn Huskies.
 
FAMU VS. LOUISIANA SERIES
? Records show FAMU and Louisiana playing just twice throughout time, with the Ragin’ Cajuns holding a 2-0 count in the short series.
? The first meeting was in 2019, where the Rattlers dropped a 3-1 decision away in Lafayette, Louisiana.
? The last meeting was a five-set thriller in favor of the Ragin’ Cajuns back in 2024 – that match also occurring in Lafayette, respectfully.
 
SCOUTING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
? Head coach Kristi Gray collected her 200th career win in the September 3 win over Southeastern.
? Boosted by a career-high 25 kills vs. Memphis, Lolo Lambert piled up 49 during Week 2 action.
? In contrast 2025 when UL had 11 newcomers, this season’s roster has 14 returning players.
? In the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Ragin’ Cajuns were picked fourth in the West division.
 
FAMU VS. FIU SERIES
? In records dating back to 1988, FIU leads the all-time series against the Rattlers by a commanding 18-5 advantage.
? The two sides have not met since 2021, where the Panthers took a 3-1 decision in Fort Myers, Florida.
? The last Rattlers win against FIU occurred in 2016, where FAMU claimed a 3-1 victory in Mobile, Alabama.
? FAMU actually won the first-ever meeting between the teams with a 3-2 score line in River Forest, Illinois.
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
? FIU went 2-1 during its first regular season test, beating Stetson and Merrimack, respectively. Jillian Huckabey led the way with 31 kills while hitting .300 overall for the Panthers.
? Jillian Huckabey is one of two returners for the Panthers this season. Last year, Huckabey was named All-CUSA Second Team, while being named Preseason All-Conference USA heading into the 2026 season.
? Outside hitter Marla Valentin has some ties in the music industry, as her grandfather is Bobby Valentin, famous Puerto Rican musician known as “El Rey de Bajo”, or “The King of Bass”.
? Coach Siqueira brought in four transfers from Georgia State, also the Panthers. The players that made the jump are Kamryn Itzen, Marta Lazzarin, Marla Valentin and Rayne Williams.
 
FAMU VS. HAMPTON SERIES

? Florida A&M owns an unblemished 14-0 record lifetime against Hampton dating back to their days in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
? Records have the first meeting in 1998, with the Rattlers taking a 3-1 win from the Pirates.
? The two teams did not meet from 2008 through 2025, where they renewed the rivalry with FAMU staking a 3-0 win in Hampton, Virginia.
? Only once have the two sides met in Tallahassee, that being a 2003 contest in November.
 
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
? Two different Pirates have 71 kills apiece – Racquel Frazier and Katerina Pappa.
? Pappa is also hitting at a .301 clip for Hampton, adding five service aces in the process.
? Frazier has a team-leading 11 service aces for the Pirates.
? Defensively, Frazier leads the squad with 52 digs.
? Janiah Robinson, Nikola Jaroszewicz and Lillian Campbell have each amassed 10 blocks for the Pirates.
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE RATTLERS
2026 Record – 2-4 (.333) // 2026 SWAC Record – 0-0 (.000) // Last 5 Matches – 2-3 (.400) // Last 10 Matches – 5-5 (.500) // Last 15 Matches – 9-6 (.600) // Head Coach Gokhan Yilmaz has 145 career wins as a collegiate head coach entering the weekend’s Florida A&M Volleyball Tournament.
 
UP NEXT

Florida A&M stays out of conference traveling to Mercer for a midweek affair on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m.
 

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