DURHAM, NC (Nov.6) - The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers were the spoilers at Senior Night against a feisty NCCU Eagles team, winning 3-1 today in MEAC play at the McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium. The Lady Rattlers took games one and two with scores of 26-24 and 25-22 respectively, before dropping the third set 24-26. The Lady Rattlers would right the ship and closeout the match in the fourth set with a 25-17 victory.
The Lady Rattlers continue to win with a balanced attack as Marija Jovanovic and Maria Ceccarelli both finished with 16 kills. Katherine Huanec finished with 12. Diana Gonzales has continued to find the groove with the Rattlers' outside hitters, carding 41 of FAMU's 47 assists.
Karol Marquez led the team defensively with 23 digs, while Gonzales added 10. Pamela Barrera, Andrea Soriano and Jovanovic made two blocks each in the match.
The Eagles were led by Dayanna Arrufat who knocked down 15 kills. Senior Emanuelle Santos scored a double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs. Shantal Moore would get 10 kills in the match. Jzima-Malaki Kalao dished out a game-high 42 assists.
The Lady Rattlers close out the regular season on Sun., Nov.13 with a match against arch-rival Bethune-Cookman at the Alfred Lawson Center, in a 3 p.m. start. The game would normally be Senior Night, but coach Tony Trifonov's young team does not have any aboard. The game will be designated a "Pack the Pit," night, as FAMU Athletics attempts to shatter the MEAC home volleyball attendance record.
