2011 Volleyball - Year In Review
Chris Poole, Head Coach
Damien Hoffman, Volunteer Assistant
Caitlin Quinn, Strength and Conditioning
Holly Watts, Associate Head Coach
Gokhan Yilmaz, Assistant Coach
Click here to see individual mug shots
2011 Volleyball - Year In Review | |
| Coaching Staff Chris Poole, Head Coach Damien Hoffman, Volunteer Assistant Caitlin Quinn, Strength and Conditioning Holly Watts, Associate Head Coach Gokhan Yilmaz, Assistant Coach Click here to see individual mug shots |
|
Elise Walch, 6-5, MB-OH, Stuart
Sarah Wickstrom, 5-11, S, Stuart
2011 Roster - By Name
L
T PY
R No Name Pos Hgt Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 9 Visnja Djurdjevic OH 6-1 Sr * Zitiste, Serbia (Zrenjaninska Gimnazija/Tulane)
* 20 Duygu Duzceler S 5-10 Jr ** Istanbul, Turkey (Private Bahcesehir)
8 Patricia Figueiredo S 5-9 Sr * Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Centro Educacional Da Loga/Missouri State-West Plains)
* 22 Sareea Freeman MB 6-4 Jr ** Fresno, Calif. (Sunnyside)
* 12 Marija Milosavljevic MB 6-4 Jr * Bajina Basta, Serbia (Zrenjaninska Gimnazija/Tulane)
* 1 Rachael Morgan OH 6-2 Sr *** Tauranga, New Zealand (Otumoetai College)
* 2 Katie Mosher L 5-9 Fr-R Fort Myers (Bishop Verot)
* 14 Ashley Neff MB 6-3 So * Kennesaw, Ga. (North Cobb)
* 15 Amanda Saxton MB-OH 6-0 Jr * Orlando (Lake Highland Prep)
11 Kalee Schlabach DS 5-8 Jr Arcadia (DeSoto/South Florida CC)
* 3 Jekaterina Stepanova OH 6-2 Sr * Riga, Latvia (Murjanu Sport Gymnasium/Missouri State-West Plains)
* 23 Elise Walch MB-OH 6-5 So Stuart (Martin County/Wisconsin)
* 10 Sarah Wickstrom S 5-11 Fr Stuart (Jensen Beach)
* 7 Fatma Yildirim OH 6-0 Jr ** Istanbul, Turkey (Yuzyil Isil)
2011 Roster - By Number
L
T PY
R No Name Pos Hgt Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 1 Rachael Morgan OH 6-2 Sr *** Tauranga, New Zealand (Otumoetai College)
* 2 Katie Mosher L 5-9 Fr-R Fort Myers (Bishop Verot)
* 3 Jekaterina Stepanova OH 6-2 Sr * Riga, Latvia (Murjanu Sport Gymnasium/Missouri State-West Plains)
* 7 Fatma Yildirim OH 6-0 Jr ** Istanbul, Turkey (Yuzyil Isil)
8 Patricia Figueiredo S 5-9 Sr * Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Centro Educacional Da Loga/Missouri State-West Plains)
* 9 Visnja Djurdjevic OH 6-1 Sr * Zitiste, Serbia (Zrenjaninska Gimnazija/Tulane)
* 10 Sarah Wickstrom S 5-11 Fr Stuart (Jensen Beach)
11 Kalee Schlabach DS 5-8 Jr Arcadia (DeSoto/South Florida CC)
* 12 Marija Milosavljevic MB 6-4 Jr * Bajina Basta, Serbia (Zrenjaninska Gimnazija/Tulane)
* 14 Ashley Neff MB 6-3 So * Kennesaw, Ga. (North Cobb)
* 15 Amanda Saxton MB-OH 6-0 Jr * Orlando (Lake Highland Prep)
* 20 Duygu Duzceler S 5-10 Jr ** Istanbul, Turkey (Private Bahcesehir)
* 22 Sareea Freeman MB 6-4 Jr ** Fresno, Calif. (Sunnyside)
* 23 Elise Walch MB-OH 6-5 So Stuart (Martin County/Wisconsin)
2011 Conference Awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visnja Djurdjevic Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Conference
Ashley Neff Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Conference
Chris Poole Atlantic Coast Conference - Coach of the Year
Jekaterina Stepanova Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Conference
Sarah Wickstrom Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Freshman
All-Conference - 5
2011 All-Americans
Name Organization
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visnja Djurdjevic American Volleyball Coaches Assoc - All-American - Honorable Mention
Ashley Neff American Volleyball Coaches Assoc - All-American - Honorable Mention
Jekaterina Stepanova American Volleyball Coaches Assoc - 2nd Team All-American
Volleyball Magazine - 2nd Team All-American
All-Americans - 3
2011 Schedule and Results
GAME |
SCORE |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Florida State Invitational |
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| Albany Florida State Invitational |
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| Tulsa Florida State Invitational Championship |
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| Florida | |||||
| Northern Iowa Delaware Inviational, Newark, Del. |
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| Delaware Deleware Invitational |
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| Cal-Irvine Delaware Invitational, Newark, Del. |
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| Michigan Dayton Flyer Classic, Dayton, Ohio |
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| Dayton Dayton Flyer Classic |
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| Pepperdine Dayton Flyer Classic, Dayton, Ohio |
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| Miami | |||||
| Virginia | |||||
| Virginia Tech | |||||
| Duke | |||||
| Wake Forest | |||||
| North Carolina | |||||
| North Carolina State | |||||
| Georgia Tech | |||||
| Clemson | |||||
| Maryland | |||||
| Boston College | |||||
| Virginia Tech | |||||
| Virginia | |||||
| North Carolina State | |||||
| North Carolina | |||||
| Wake Forest | |||||
| Duke | |||||
| Clemson | |||||
| Georgia Tech | |||||
| Miami | |||||
| Albany NCAA |
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| Cincinnati NCAA |
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| Purdue NCAA, Sweet 16, Minneapolis, Minn. |
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| Iowa State NCAA, Elite Eight, Minneapolis, Minn. |
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| UCLA NCAA, Final Four, San Antonio, Tex. |
EOY StatsRef Overall Home Away Neutral ------------------------------------------------ FSU record is 28- 7 14- 0 11- 3 3- 4 vs ACC 18- 2 9- 0 9- 2 0- 0
2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Results 1 Florida State 18- 2 28- 7 2 Miami 16- 4 26- 5 3t North Carolina 15- 5 24- 9 3t Duke 15- 5 21- 9 5 Clemson 12- 8 20-11 6 Virginia Tech 11- 9 18-13 7t North Carolina State 8-12 20-13 7t Georgia Tech 8-12 15-16 9 Wake Forest 8-14 9-21 10t Virginia 4-16 10-20 10t Maryland 4-16 10-22 12 Boston College 3-17 7-24
2011 Season Statistics
|--------ATTACK----------| |-----SET-----| |--------SERVE--------| |---RECEPT---| |--DIG---| |------BLOCKING------| Name GP MP MS K K/G E TA Pct A A/G TA SA SA/G SE TA Pct RE TA Pct DIG D/G BS BA Tot B/G BE BHE Pts Pts/G ================================================================================================================================================================== Jekaterina Stepanova128 35 35 421 3.29 129 1106 0.264 36 0.28 13 0.10 24 0.000 45 0.000 353 2.76 6 54 60.0 0.47 13 1 467.0 3.65 Visnja Djurdjevic 124 34 34 354 2.85 107 1042 0.237 44 0.35 33 0.27 26 0.000 33 0.000 421 3.40 9 57 66.0 0.53 8 4 424.5 3.42 Ashley Neff 127 35 34 214 1.69 66 484 0.306 1 0.01 0 0.00 0 0.000 0 0.000 22 0.17 24 173 197.0 1.55 9 0 324.5 2.56 Sareea Freeman 125 35 1 225 1.80 64 484 0.333 3 0.02 0 0.00 0 0.000 1 0.000 27 0.22 18 138 156.0 1.25 20 0 312.0 2.50 Rachael Morgan 129 35 35 217 1.68 71 663 0.220 9 0.07 21 0.16 22 0.000 2 0.000 131 1.02 4 116 120.0 0.93 4 1 300.0 2.33 Elise Walch 114 33 32 235 2.06 77 557 0.284 4 0.04 0 0.00 0 0.000 1 0.000 29 0.25 1 71 72.0 0.63 8 0 271.5 2.38 Duygu Duzceler 129 35 34 56 0.43 14 124 0.339 787 6.10 26 0.20 21 0.000 0 0.000 221 1.71 0 0 0.0 0.00 0 6 82.0 0.64 Marija Milosavljevic 37 19 3 40 1.08 19 137 0.153 1 0.03 0 0.00 0 0.000 0 0.000 2 0.05 1 29 30.0 0.81 0 0 55.5 1.50 Sarah Wickstrom 129 35 1 9 0.07 4 39 0.128 642 4.98 20 0.16 16 0.000 0 0.000 217 1.68 0 0 0.0 0.00 0 10 29.0 0.22 Fatma Yildirim 26 12 1 22 0.85 16 95 0.063 1 0.04 0 0.00 5 0.000 4 0.000 43 1.65 0 6 6.0 0.23 1 0 25.0 0.96 Katie Mosher 129 35 0 9 0.07 1 22 0.364 97 0.75 8 0.06 15 0.000 25 0.000 604 4.68 0 0 0.0 0.00 0 0 17.0 0.13 Amanda Saxton 1 1 0 0 0.00 0 0 0.000 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.000 0 0.000 0 0.00 0 0 0.0 0.00 0 0 0.0 0.00 Team 9 0.0 ============================================================================================================================================== FSU 129 35 35 1802 13.97 568 4753 0.260 1625 12.60 0 121 0.94 129 0 0.000 120 0 0.000 2070 16.05 63 644 707.0 5.48 63 22 2308.0 17.89 Opp 129 35 35 1735 13.45 794 4977 0.189 1651 12.80 120 0.93 193 0.000 121 0.000 2097 16.26 49 375 424.0 3.29 65 32 2091.5 16.21
Seminole Block Party.
Seminoles string together 12 blocks in just three sets in opening sweep.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Florida State University indoor volleyball team posted a strong season-opening effort on the defensive end as it swept Kentucky, 3-0 (25-13, 25-8, 25-14), in front of an energized crowd on Friday evening at the FSU Invitational at Tully Gym.
Despite FSU soccer's home opener and the school year not starting until Monday, the Florida State faithful came out in droves tonight and created a tremendous atmosphere at the FSU volleyball facility. The Seminoles (1-0) fed off their fan base and came out with a defensive mindset, amassing 12 team blocks in just three sets of action.
"There's no doubt that playing in front of a good crowd gives you additional motivation," head coach Chris Poole said. "We were excited to have a lot of people there even though school hasn't started yet, and I think it raised the energy level of our team."
Sophomore Ashley Neff led the way by registering a career-high 10 blocks, all assisted, as she combined with sophomore newcomer Elise Walch to form a strong duo up front. Walch, a Stuart, Fla., native, added five blocks and five kills for the Seminoles.
"Ashley played very well," Poole added. "She has worked so hard and has come so far this past year. It's ashamed we had to pull the redshirt from her last year because of injuries. She really stepped up and played very well. She was a monster at the net and continues to get better offensively. We had a lot of balance tonight and everyone had their moment, and it really led to our success in beating a very good program."
Combining with its defensive attack was a formidable offense for FSU that posted a .465 hitting percentage. All night FSU found the open spots on the floor and used its tremendous service game to keep the Wildcats' (1-1) passing off-balanced. Neff tied with senior Visnja Djurdjevic for the team lead with seven kills, while seniors Rachael Morgan and Jekaterina Stepanova added six kills apiece.
Duygu Duzceler and Sarah Wickstrom, both setters, kept their offense on track by combining for 25 assists. Redshirt freshman Katie Mosher made a sterling debut by adding six digs, which Morgan and Stepanova also recorded.
Kentucky was held to a -.013 hitting percentage this evening while being out-blocked 12-2.5. The Wildcats defeated Albany in the opening match of the FSU Invitational by a 3-1 score.
The match started fast for FSU as Kentucky never held a lead until scoring the first points of the third set. After Kentucky's Anne Ames tied the first set at 7-7, the Seminoles outscored their nonconference opponents 12-4 over the next 16 points, which included two kills by Morgan during the run. Junior Sareea Freeman added to the offense with kills at the 22nd point and ending the set on a pinpoint kill that was set up nicely by Wickstrom.
FSU stormed out of the second set, winning 10 consecutive points early on a bevy of services aces and blocks. FSU piled on seven blocks in the second set alone to power past the Wildcats.
While the third set was tight early, FSU broke away after taking a 10-8 lead on a kill by Djurdjevic. FSU won six consecutive points following the Zitiste, Serbia native's kill and fittingly ended the contest on a kill by Neff.
The victory marks FSU's third consecutive win over the Wildcats in the last three seasons, which includes an NCAA Sweet 16 match in the 2009 season.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 6 2 11 0.364 0 2 1 0 6 0 2 0 0 9.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 6 1 14 0.357 0 0 0 0 6 0 1 0 0 6.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 7 0 12 0.583 2 1 1 0 4 0 4 0 0 10.0
14 Ashley Neff 3 7 0 11 0.636 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 12.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 2 0 3 0.667 15 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 3 5 1 10 0.400 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 7.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 1 0.000 0 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 1.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 10 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 5 1 9 0.444 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 6.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 38 5 71 0.465 28 5 5 0 26 0 24 1 0 55.0
Opp 3 24 25 80 -0.013 23 0 5 5 26 0 5 5 2 26.5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | |||
| Florida State |
FSU Invitational Champs.
Seminoles defeat 23rd-ranked Tulsa and Albany; Stepanova named MVP.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Florida State University indoor volleyball team wasted no time in picking up quality wins as it sealed its tournament championship with a 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-16, 25-19) victory over 23rd-ranked Tulsa on Saturday evening at Tully Gym.
The Seminoles (3-0) also played Albany in a morning matchup, defeating the Great Danes (0-3) in three sets (25-16, 25-20, 25-20). FSU started its season strong by posting two good offensive performances, hitting .337 against Albany and .304 versus the nationally-ranked Golden Hurricane (1-2).
"I think for it to be the first weekend says a lot," head coach Chris Poole said. "There's a lot of character out there, the girls are working hard and doing the best they can, and I think it's going to help us as we progress in the season and go through some battles like this. We showed the ability to not lose our minds and learn how to finish a game."
Through the first seven sets played, FSU was unbeaten at this weekend's invitational that brought forth a strong home-court showing from the Seminole faithful. However, FSU faced a small bit of adversity when it surrendered an early 12-7 lead and lost its first set of the season to tie the match at 1-1 going into the intermission against Tulsa.
But throughout FSU's first bout with a nationally-ranked opponent, the Seminoles rode the play of hot-hitting Jekaterina Stepanova. The senior from Riga, Latvia, recorded 15 kills and 15 digs for her first double-double of the year, and committed just one error in 30 attacks while registering a .467 hitting clip. The high-flying outside hitter has shown an even greater improvement in her passing game, as she helped keep her offense in sync all weekend with good set-ups from the back line.
In the third set against Tulsa, Stepanova recorded four kills, one ace, one block and an assist while Duygu Duzceler kept the team on track with seven assists in the set and 25 in the match. Duzceler ended with a double-double after digging 10 balls. Freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom recorded her first career double-double as a Seminole with 16 assists and 12 digs.
"We knew Tulsa was going to be a difficult team," Poole added. "(Tyler) Henderson is a great player - one of the top outside hitters in the country. We knew that this team upset LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year."
Elise Walch showed her capabilities on offense against the Golden Hurricane, recording nine kills for a .333 hitting percentage. Ashley Neff added eight kills in 16 attacks and picked up five blocks, while senior Rachael Morgan also recorded five blocks.
Also making her presence felt was junior Sareea Freeman, who recorded seven blocks.
Tulsa held on early in the fourth set, but some costly errors and efficient hitting from FSU helped put the match out of reach. Back-to-back points that included a kill by Neff and a block by Freeman and Stepanova extended FSU's lead to 19-11. Tulsa came back with three consecutive points, but FSU responded with three straight points of its own that included a block from Freeman and Djurdjevic.
The match ended on a service error by Tulsa's Kelsey Hancock to secure the invitational championship.
Earlier in the day, FSU used a double-double by Djurdjevic and six blocks by Neff to get past Albany. In the last set, FSU recorded 13 kills in 24 attacks with just two hitting errors, equaling a .458 team percentage.
Wickstrom added 19 assists for the Seminoles, while Duzceler chipped in with 15 versus the Great Danes.
The All-Tournament team was announced following the match and included Stepanova as tournament MVP while Djurdjevic and Ashley Neff represented the Seminoles on the squad. Kentucky's Becky Pavan and Gretchen Giesler were also selected, while Tulsa's Tyler Henderson and Albany's Brooke Stanley made the team as well.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 8 4 14 0.286 0 0 0 0 5 0 3 0 0 9.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 5 3 18 0.111 0 0 0 2 10 0 0 0 0 5.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 10 3 27 0.259 1 1 2 0 10 0 3 0 0 12.5
12 Marija Milosavljevic 3 6 0 15 0.400 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 8.0
14 Ashley Neff 3 4 1 9 0.333 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 0 0 7.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 2 0 2 1.000 15 1 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 3.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 0 0.000 2 1 1 2 10 0 0 0 0 1.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 2 1 0 2 0.500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 19 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 7 0 8 0.875 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 9.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 43 11 95 0.337 37 4 5 4 42 0 20 1 0 57.0
Opp 3 32 20 102 0.118 31 4 4 4 37 1 6 1 1 40.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | |||
| Florida State |
FSU Invitational Champs.
Seminoles defeat 23rd-ranked Tulsa and Albany; Stepanova named MVP.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Florida State University indoor volleyball team wasted no time in picking up quality wins as it sealed its tournament championship with a 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-16, 25-19) victory over 23rd-ranked Tulsa on Saturday evening at Tully Gym.
The Seminoles (3-0) also played Albany in a morning matchup, defeating the Great Danes (0-3) in three sets (25-16, 25-20, 25-20). FSU started its season strong by posting two good offensive performances, hitting .337 against Albany and .304 versus the nationally-ranked Golden Hurricane (1-2).
"I think for it to be the first weekend says a lot," head coach Chris Poole said. "There's a lot of character out there, the girls are working hard and doing the best they can, and I think it's going to help us as we progress in the season and go through some battles like this. We showed the ability to not lose our minds and learn how to finish a game."
Through the first seven sets played, FSU was unbeaten at this weekend's invitational that brought forth a strong home-court showing from the Seminole faithful. However, FSU faced a small bit of adversity when it surrendered an early 12-7 lead and lost its first set of the season to tie the match at 1-1 going into the intermission against Tulsa.
But throughout FSU's first bout with a nationally-ranked opponent, the Seminoles rode the play of hot-hitting Jekaterina Stepanova. The senior from Riga, Latvia, recorded 15 kills and 15 digs for her first double-double of the year, and committed just one error in 30 attacks while registering a .467 hitting clip. The high-flying outside hitter has shown an even greater improvement in her passing game, as she helped keep her offense in sync all weekend with good set-ups from the back line.
In the third set against Tulsa, Stepanova recorded four kills, one ace, one block and an assist while Duygu Duzceler kept the team on track with seven assists in the set and 25 in the match. Duzceler ended with a double-double after digging 10 balls. Freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom recorded her first career double-double as a Seminole with 16 assists and 12 digs.
"We knew Tulsa was going to be a difficult team," Poole added. "(Tyler) Henderson is a great player - one of the top outside hitters in the country. We knew that this team upset LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year."
Elise Walch showed her capabilities on offense against the Golden Hurricane, recording nine kills for a .333 hitting percentage. Ashley Neff added eight kills in 16 attacks and picked up five blocks, while senior Rachael Morgan also recorded five blocks.
Also making her presence felt was junior Sareea Freeman, who recorded seven blocks.
Tulsa held on early in the fourth set, but some costly errors and efficient hitting from FSU helped put the match out of reach. Back-to-back points that included a kill by Neff and a block by Freeman and Stepanova extended FSU's lead to 19-11. Tulsa came back with three consecutive points, but FSU responded with three straight points of its own that included a block from Freeman and Djurdjevic.
The match ended on a service error by Tulsa's Kelsey Hancock to secure the invitational championship.
Earlier in the day, FSU used a double-double by Djurdjevic and six blocks by Neff to get past Albany. In the last set, FSU recorded 13 kills in 24 attacks with just two hitting errors, equaling a .458 team percentage.
Wickstrom added 19 assists for the Seminoles, while Duzceler chipped in with 15 versus the Great Danes.
The All-Tournament team was announced following the match and included Stepanova as tournament MVP while Djurdjevic and Ashley Neff represented the Seminoles on the squad. Kentucky's Becky Pavan and Gretchen Giesler were also selected, while Tulsa's Tyler Henderson and Albany's Brooke Stanley made the team as well.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 6 0 20 0.300 0 1 2 0 2 0 5 0 0 9.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 15 1 30 0.467 2 1 0 1 15 0 4 0 0 18.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 10 2 41 0.195 3 3 1 1 11 0 2 2 0 14.0
14 Ashley Neff 4 8 1 16 0.438 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 10.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 3 0 5 0.600 25 1 1 0 10 0 0 0 1 4.0
23 Elise Walch 4 9 3 18 0.333 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 9.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 5 2 2 0 21 0 0 0 0 2.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 1 0 1 1.000 16 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 1 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 4 3 16 0.063 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 1 0 7.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 56 10 147 0.313 51 8 6 2 74 0 24 4 2 76.0
Opp 4 51 21 155 0.194 47 2 7 8 77 2 2 2 1 56.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | ||||
| Florida State |
FSU Can't Hang on.
25th-ranked FSU gives up large leads in second and third sets; falls to No. 9 UF in three.
GAINESVILLE, FL - Although they held sizeable leads early in the second and third sets, the 25th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team was unable to hang on and fell to the No. 9 Florida Gators in three sets (25-21, 25-22, 25-22) at the Stephen O'Connell Center on Tuesday evening.
The Seminoles (3-1) were held to a .137 clip offensively, while the Gators (3-0) weren't too much more effective with a .238 hitting percentage. Senior All-American Kelly Murphy was UF's go-to person when trouble was near, recording 12 kills and 17 assists. Throughout the contest, FSU passed fairly well and handled UF's jump serves for the most part, but was unable to withstand a Gator run when holding big leads.
Jekaterina Stepanova led FSU with 10 kills, while newcomer Elise Walch showed some offensive proficiency with eight kills and a .304 hitting percentage. Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher led the way with 17 digs, while junior Duygu Duzceler added 19 assists.
In the first set, FSU wasn't able to put together many quality chances on offense as it was held to .029 hitting percentage by an active Florida defense. Despite the low mark, the Seminoles hung around after falling behind 15-10, pulling it to within two points at 22-20 on a kill by Rachael Morgan and an attack error by UF's Chanel Brown to force a Florida timeout. However, consecutive calls for Murphy resulted in kills and Cassandra Anderson ended the set on a kill.
FSU took a sizeable 9-1 advantage in the second set as its service game originally foiled Florida's offense. Morgan had two kills to start the set and a service ace to put the Seminoles ahead by eight points, but the Gators looked to Murphy as they often do when they get behind. She recorded four kills, two assists and an ace in the second frame, although Stepanova found her rhythm by countering with six kills of her own.
Florida took control of the set when it made a 7-0 run to take a 19-15 lead. Walch aided the offense when she recorded her third kill of the set to tie it at 22-22 and force a Gator timeout. Following the break, much didn't go FSU's way as a kill by Stephanie Ferrell was followed by an apparent kill by Walch that was ruled an attack error despite appearing to nick a UF back-row player. The set point resulted in a kill by UF in another close ball that grazed the back line.
The third set was similar to the second set. FSU reached six and seven-point leads, including 17-11 late in the frame. UF countered with a run that was stopped by a kill from Visnja Djurdjevic to make it 21-18. From there, UF used some kills, a block and miscues by the Seminoles to win a match that could have gone either way.
Tonight's loss is FSU's 21st in a row against Florida on the volleyball court dating back to Oct. 10, 1995. The contest also marked the second consecutive season both teams faced off as nationally-ranked opponents, the first time such has happened in the 56-match history of the two teams. Florida leads the overall series now at 35-21.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 5 6 16 -0.063 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 6.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 10 6 33 0.121 0 0 0 1 8 0 0 1 0 10.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 9 2 30 0.233 0 3 1 1 10 0 0 0 0 12.0
14 Ashley Neff 3 4 0 10 0.400 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 5.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 0 2 3 -0.667 19 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 0.0
23 Elise Walch 3 8 1 23 0.304 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 10.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 1 0 1 1.000 4 0 1 1 17 0 0 0 0 1.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 1 1 -1.000 10 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 2 3 14 -0.071 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 4.0
Team 2
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 39 21 131 0.137 34 4 3 5 52 1 8 2 1 48.0
Opp 3 45 16 122 0.238 43 5 5 4 57 1 6 0 1 54.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||
| Florida |
Seminoles Fall in Five.
Seminole Volleyball relinquishes two-set lead to No. 14 Northern Iowa at Delaware Invitational.
NEWARK, DE - Showing once again that it can go toe-to-toe with some of the nation's best, the Florida State University indoor volleyball team got off to a desirable start against 14th-ranked Northern Iowa before falling in five sets (25-23, 25-15, 21-25, 21-25, 13-15) at the opening match of the Delaware Invitational on Friday evening.
Statistically, the Seminoles (3-2) had the edge in some of the most important facets of the match. FSU won the hitting percentage battle (.277-.260), produced more kills (74-73) and less attack errors (20-22), but could not hold its early advantage against another nationally-ranked opponent.
"We need to regroup and come back mentally," head coach Chris Poole said. "There is a reason why UNI is ranked 14th. We did a lot of good things tonight but again did not find a way to win at the end. We didn't win the big points at the end of the last three sets.
"The results are disappointing. We were very much in control of the first two sets but really relaxed in set three and let them gain confidence. Give credit to Northern Iowa, they never quit and kept pushing us."
FSU won the first set courtesy of some quality hitting from senior Jekaterina Stepanova, who finished the match with a team-high 19 kills and a .288 hitting percentage. In the first set alone, the Riga, Latvia, native had four kills which included consecutive put-downs late in the frame that broke a 20-20 tie to give FSU a two-point lead.
Sophomore Elise Walch proved to be just as effective as she compiled 16 kills and a .355 clip while registering FSU's final two kills in the set to put the Seminoles ahead early. The Stuart, Fla., native has become one of FSU's go-to players after having the team's best offensive performance earlier in the week against No. 9 Florida.
Senior outside hitter Rachael Morgan added 11 kills and six digs for FSU. Stepanova's line also included 12 digs to mark her second double-double of the season, with both coming against nationally-ranked opponents. Freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom continues to earn plenty of time on the floor, playing in all five sets and finishing with 27 assists and 11 digs for her third double-double of the year.
Junior Duygu Duzceler finished with a team-high 28 assists. Redshirt freshman Katie Mosher has also proven to find her groove along the back line, compiling 25 digs and five assists.
FSU's most impressive stretch of play came in the second set, winning 25-15. The Seminoles sprung out to a 5-0 lead and peaked to a 17-7 advantage on one of Walch's six kills in the set. Duzceler later followed with a set-kill and the frame came to a close on a put-down from Stepanova. The Seminoles hit .533 in set No. 2.
From there, UNI showed enough resolve to merit its No. 5 national seed from a season ago. FSU held various leads in the set, including an 18-17 advantage on a block by Sareea Freeman and Stepanova and a 19-18 lead on a Stepanova kill, but UNI countered by winning four consecutive points that involved two FSU attack errors. The Seminoles cut the deficit to 22-21 on kills by Freeman and Visnja Djurdjevic, but UNI won the next three points to take the third set.
After the Panthers won the fourth set, a deciding fifth frame featured a strong start for the Panthers. Michelle Burow's kill gave UNI a 9-4 lead, but FSU fought back to an 11-9 deficit on a kill by Morgan. After the Panthers received consecutive kills from Krista DeGeest, the Seminoles kept it close by winning three consecutive points. However, Burow buried a match-ending kill to complete the comeback for the Panthers.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 5 11 1 35 0.286 0 1 1 0 6 0 3 0 0 13.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 5 19 4 52 0.288 0 0 0 0 12 0 2 0 1 20.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 5 9 5 33 0.121 3 0 1 3 17 0 3 0 0 10.5
14 Ashley Neff 5 7 1 13 0.462 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 10.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 5 4 1 7 0.429 28 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 4.0
23 Elise Walch 5 16 5 31 0.355 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 16.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 5 0 1 2 -0.500 5 0 0 1 25 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 5 0 0 4 0.000 27 0 1 0 11 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 5 8 2 18 0.333 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 9.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 5 74 20 195 0.277 63 1 3 4 80 0 18 1 1 84.0
Opp 5 73 22 196 0.260 67 4 3 1 84 1 26 1 1 91.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Northern Iowa |
Seminoles Rebound.
Florida State posts two impressive offensive performances in three-set wins over Delaware and UC-Irvine.
NEWARK, DE - The 25th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team put together two thorough performances as it defeated both Delaware (25-20, 25-19, 25-21) and UC-Irvine (25-10, 25-23, 25-11) to end its stay at the Delaware Invitational on Saturday.
Although the loss to nationally-ranked Northern Iowa still stings after holding a two-set advantage, the Seminoles (5-2) played flawlessly today combining for a .368 team hitting percentage against the Blue Hens (1-4) and Anteaters (3-3). Senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova powered FSU's attack with a team-best 22 kills on the day and a .378 hitting percentage. The Riga, Latvia, native averaged 3.67 kills per set.
"We played very well overall today," head coach Chris Poole said. "It is a shame that we let the third set slip away from us last night or we could have had three sweeps. In each set we have lost we have been even or ahead at 20. We need to do a better job of closing the set in the end.
"I'm proud of the girls and we will keep getting better. There is a lot of potential for further growth with this group. We will get better."
Senior outside Visnja Djurdjevic was also impressive. She compiled 16 kills and a .389 hitting percentage in two matches, while Rachael Morgan posted 13 kills, a .400 clip and three blocks.
FSU's match against Delaware was the sixth consecutive contest against a reigning NCAA Tournament opponent to start the season. The Seminoles made it hard for Delaware's hitters by posting 10 team blocks, including five each by sophomore Ashley Neff and junior Sareea Freeman. Stepanova and Djurdjevic added 10 and 11 digs, respectively, while redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher led FSU with 12.
In the second match, Stepanova set a career-high at FSU with a .600 hitting percentage as she recorded 14 kills and just two errors in 20 attacks. She also added 12 digs to give her three double-doubles this season and tie freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom for the team lead.
Morgan put down seven kills in nine attacks, while Djurdjevic added eight kills in 17 attacks with just one error. Junior setter Duygu Duzceler added 22 assists.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 6 2 16 0.250 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 7.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 8 3 25 0.200 0 0 1 0 10 0 2 0 0 9.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 8 1 19 0.368 2 0 1 0 11 0 1 0 0 8.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 6 1 15 0.333 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 9.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 4 0 6 0.667 20 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 4.0
23 Elise Walch 3 6 3 18 0.167 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 8.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 0 0.000 5 0 0 1 12 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 11 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 6 1 14 0.357 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 8.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 44 11 113 0.292 40 1 3 1 45 1 18 2 0 55.0
Opp 3 44 18 114 0.228 40 1 6 1 49 2 12 0 3 53.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||
| Delaware |
Seminoles Rebound.
Florida State posts two impressive offensive performances in three-set wins over Delaware and UC-Irvine.
NEWARK, DE - The 25th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team put together two thorough performances as it defeated both Delaware (25-20, 25-19, 25-21) and UC-Irvine (25-10, 25-23, 25-11) to end its stay at the Delaware Invitational on Saturday.
Although the loss to nationally-ranked Northern Iowa still stings after holding a two-set advantage, the Seminoles (5-2) played flawlessly today combining for a .368 team hitting percentage against the Blue Hens (1-4) and Anteaters (3-3). Senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova powered FSU's attack with a team-best 22 kills on the day and a .378 hitting percentage. The Riga, Latvia, native averaged 3.67 kills per set.
"We played very well overall today," head coach Chris Poole said. "It is a shame that we let the third set slip away from us last night or we could have had three sweeps. In each set we have lost we have been even or ahead at 20. We need to do a better job of closing the set in the end.
"I'm proud of the girls and we will keep getting better. There is a lot of potential for further growth with this group. We will get better."
Senior outside Visnja Djurdjevic was also impressive. She compiled 16 kills and a .389 hitting percentage in two matches, while Rachael Morgan posted 13 kills, a .400 clip and three blocks.
FSU's match against Delaware was the sixth consecutive contest against a reigning NCAA Tournament opponent to start the season. The Seminoles made it hard for Delaware's hitters by posting 10 team blocks, including five each by sophomore Ashley Neff and junior Sareea Freeman. Stepanova and Djurdjevic added 10 and 11 digs, respectively, while redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher led FSU with 12.
In the second match, Stepanova set a career-high at FSU with a .600 hitting percentage as she recorded 14 kills and just two errors in 20 attacks. She also added 12 digs to give her three double-doubles this season and tie freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom for the team lead.
Morgan put down seven kills in nine attacks, while Djurdjevic added eight kills in 17 attacks with just one error. Junior setter Duygu Duzceler added 22 assists.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 7 1 9 0.667 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 7.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 14 2 20 0.600 4 0 1 1 12 0 2 0 0 15.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 8 1 17 0.412 2 3 1 1 8 1 0 0 0 12.0
14 Ashley Neff 3 6 0 13 0.462 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 7.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 1 1 2 0.000 22 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 2 2 0 3 0.667 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 2 2 0 3 0.667 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 11 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 3 1 1 4 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1.5
22 Sareea Freeman 3 3 1 6 0.333 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 5.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 44 7 77 0.481 39 5 3 3 35 2 8 0 0 55.0
Opp 3 31 19 94 0.128 30 3 6 5 26 0 2 1 1 35.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||
| Cal-Irvine |
FSU Defeats No. 23 Dayton.
Season-high 15 blocks power Florida State volleyball past 23rd-ranked Dayton to salvage day.
DAYTON, OH - Although the day did not start well for the 24th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team, a season-high 15 blocks and a dominant performance by senior Jekaterina Stepanova pushed FSU past No. 23 Dayton, 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 25-13), on Friday evening at the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic in the Frericks Center.
The Seminoles' (6-3) turnaround performance against the Flyers (4-4) gives FSU its second Top-25 victory this season, having already defeated then No. 23 Tulsa at home on Aug. 27. It is also the fifth ranked team to fall to the Seminoles since head coach Chris Poole took over in 2008, as well as FSU's second road win over a ranked opponent since 2008.
FSU's performance this evening was reassuring after it fell to No. 20 Michigan earlier in the day at 3-0 (21-25, 17-25, 15-25). Through nine matches this season, the Seminoles have faced five Top-25 teams and eight 2010 NCAA participants.
"It was a very disappointing effort earlier today," Poole said. "We got some bad breaks in the first set and let it affect us the rest of the match. We really challenged the girls to get past that first match and come back strong tonight. They showed a lot of character."
Poole, who picked up his 630th career victory, helped ignite the play of senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova. She put together a season-high 21 kills, 14 kills and a .348 attack percentage, breaking her career high of 20 kills that she set twice last season versus Kansas State and Duke.
Fellow senior Visnja Djurdjevic put together a strong effort today, including a 17-kill nightcap to mark a season high. Since coming to FSU in 2010, Djurdjevic has recorded 17 or more kills in a single match on seven occasions.
Middle blockers Ashley Neff and Sareea Freeman guided FSU to a tremendous blocking effort. Freeman recorded eight blocks while Neff added seven. Also contributing was junior Marija Milosavljevic with her four blocks, while Rachael Morgan also batted down four balls.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher bolstered FSU with 24 digs and four assists. Duygu Duzceler led the Seminoles with 26 assists while Sarah Wickstrom added 17.
FSU endured a difficult outing in its first match of the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic as it allowed Michigan to record a .410 attack percentage in the three-set affair. Michigan's offensive output is the highest by any Seminole opponent in the Chris Poole era.
A bright spot in the Seminoles' loss to Michigan was Djurdjevic, who recorded 11 kills in 25 attacks and committed just two errors for a .360 hitting percentage. The Zitiste, Serbia, native picked up her third double-double of the season while adding two service aces and a block.
Neff added four kills in eight attacks versus Michigan, and contributed with four blocks. FSU's five team blocks tied its season-low that was originally set at Florida.
Already the fourth ranked opponent FSU has played this season, Michigan kept the Atlantic Coast Conference's top attack in check for the majority of the match. In the first set, the Wolverines hit .405 and registered 16 kills, while Stepanova and Djurdjevic combined for 13 of FSU's 15 kills in the set. Starting off with an early 4-1 lead on a kill by Duzceler, UM fought back quickly and raced off to a 19-12 advantage on a service ace from Alex Hunt. FSU could not recover and ended up losing the set on a service error.
FSU kept the second set close and tied the frame at 11-11 on a block by Freeman and Djurdjevic. UM then won the next four points, but the Seminoles countered with five straight capped by a solo block from Neff to take a 16-15 lead. The Wolverines then squashed any momentum by the Seminoles by winning seven consecutive points and eventually taking set No. 2.
UM recorded 21 kills in 33 attacks in the third set, and never trailed in the frame. Setter Lexi Dannemiller recorded 17 assists as FSU's deficit throughout was too much to overcome.
The Seminoles return with their final match of the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Frericks Center against Pepperdine.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 5 1 14 0.286 2 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 5.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 8 3 25 0.200 1 0 1 1 5 0 3 1 0 9.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 11 2 25 0.360 1 2 2 1 12 0 1 1 0 13.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 4 1 8 0.375 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 6.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 1 1 4 0.000 18 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1.0
23 Elise Walch 3 3 0 8 0.375 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 1 0.000 0 0 0 4 9 0 0 0 0 0.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 1 0 1 3 -0.333 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 1 0 1 1.000 11 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 2.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 2 1 4 0.250 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2.5
Team 1
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 35 10 93 0.269 33 3 5 7 36 1 8 2 1 43.0
Opp 3 52 9 105 0.410 47 7 5 3 42 0 14 1 1 66.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||
| Michigan |
FSU Defeats No. 23 Dayton.
Season-high 15 blocks power Florida State volleyball past 23rd-ranked Dayton to salvage day.
DAYTON, OH - Although the day did not start well for the 24th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team, a season-high 15 blocks and a dominant performance by senior Jekaterina Stepanova pushed FSU past No. 23 Dayton, 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 25-13), on Friday evening at the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic in the Frericks Center.
The Seminoles' (6-3) turnaround performance against the Flyers (4-4) gives FSU its second Top-25 victory this season, having already defeated then No. 23 Tulsa at home on Aug. 27. It is also the fifth ranked team to fall to the Seminoles since head coach Chris Poole took over in 2008, as well as FSU's second road win over a ranked opponent since 2008.
FSU's performance this evening was reassuring after it fell to No. 20 Michigan earlier in the day at 3-0 (21-25, 17-25, 15-25). Through nine matches this season, the Seminoles have faced five Top-25 teams and eight 2010 NCAA participants.
"It was a very disappointing effort earlier today," Poole said. "We got some bad breaks in the first set and let it affect us the rest of the match. We really challenged the girls to get past that first match and come back strong tonight. They showed a lot of character."
Poole, who picked up his 630th career victory, helped ignite the play of senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova. She put together a season-high 21 kills, 14 kills and a .348 attack percentage, breaking her career high of 20 kills that she set twice last season versus Kansas State and Duke.
Fellow senior Visnja Djurdjevic put together a strong effort today, including a 17-kill nightcap to mark a season high. Since coming to FSU in 2010, Djurdjevic has recorded 17 or more kills in a single match on seven occasions.
Middle blockers Ashley Neff and Sareea Freeman guided FSU to a tremendous blocking effort. Freeman recorded eight blocks while Neff added seven. Also contributing was junior Marija Milosavljevic with her four blocks, while Rachael Morgan also batted down four balls.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher bolstered FSU with 24 digs and four assists. Duygu Duzceler led the Seminoles with 26 assists while Sarah Wickstrom added 17.
FSU endured a difficult outing in its first match of the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic as it allowed Michigan to record a .410 attack percentage in the three-set affair. Michigan's offensive output is the highest by any Seminole opponent in the Chris Poole era.
A bright spot in the Seminoles' loss to Michigan was Djurdjevic, who recorded 11 kills in 25 attacks and committed just two errors for a .360 hitting percentage. The Zitiste, Serbia, native picked up her third double-double of the season while adding two service aces and a block.
Neff added four kills in eight attacks versus Michigan, and contributed with four blocks. FSU's five team blocks tied its season-low that was originally set at Florida.
Already the fourth ranked opponent FSU has played this season, Michigan kept the Atlantic Coast Conference's top attack in check for the majority of the match. In the first set, the Wolverines hit .405 and registered 16 kills, while Stepanova and Djurdjevic combined for 13 of FSU's 15 kills in the set. Starting off with an early 4-1 lead on a kill by Duzceler, UM fought back quickly and raced off to a 19-12 advantage on a service ace from Alex Hunt. FSU could not recover and ended up losing the set on a service error.
FSU kept the second set close and tied the frame at 11-11 on a block by Freeman and Djurdjevic. UM then won the next four points, but the Seminoles countered with five straight capped by a solo block from Neff to take a 16-15 lead. The Wolverines then squashed any momentum by the Seminoles by winning seven consecutive points and eventually taking set No. 2.
UM recorded 21 kills in 33 attacks in the third set, and never trailed in the frame. Setter Lexi Dannemiller recorded 17 assists as FSU's deficit throughout was too much to overcome.
The Seminoles return with their final match of the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Frericks Center against Pepperdine.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 3 2 19 0.053 0 0 2 0 5 0 4 0 0 5.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 21 5 46 0.348 0 2 0 0 14 1 0 0 0 24.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 17 6 45 0.244 3 0 0 0 9 0 3 1 0 18.5
14 Ashley Neff 4 4 1 9 0.333 0 0 0 0 2 0 7 0 0 7.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 1 0 2 0.500 26 0 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 1.0
23 Elise Walch 2 1 1 4 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 4 0 1 1 24 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 0 0 1 0.000 17 0 1 0 9 0 0 0 0 0.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 3 4 2 16 0.125 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 6.0
15 Amanda Saxton 1 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 4 1 16 0.188 1 0 0 0 1 2 6 1 0 9.0
Team 1
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 55 18 158 0.234 51 2 5 2 71 3 24 2 0 72.0
Opp 4 57 35 176 0.125 56 2 5 2 74 0 21 3 0 69.5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | ||||
| Dayton |
Seminoles Fall to Waves.
No. 24 FSU ends the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic at 1-2.
DAYTON, OH - After picking up its second Top-25 victory of the season on Friday, the 24th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team couldn't sustain any momentum as it fell to Pepperdine, 3-1 (21-25, 25-23, 18-25, 23-25), on Saturday evening at the Frericks Center as part of the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic.
Despite out-blocking the Waves (6-3) by nearly twice as much, the Seminoles (6-4) were hurt by the three-player attack of Victoria Adelhelm (11 kills, .474 hitting percentage), Kim Hill (19 kills, .378 hitting percentage) and Samantha Cash (10 kills, .381 hitting percentage). The Seminoles (6-4) faced a difficult opponent that came off a recent win over a Top-10 opponent.
"We played very well in spots against Pepperdine but made some critical mistakes late in the games," head coach Chris Poole said. "We have to learn to be more consistent and make the big play.
"Pepperdine just knocked off eighth-ranked UCLA last week and they are a good team," Poole added. "All three matches this weekend were against legitimate Top 25 teams. The competition will make us better."
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher had her work cut out for her, registering a career-high 28 digs in just four sets. Mosher was later named to the All-Tournament Team for her outstanding play. Senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova added another double-double, her team-leading fifth of the season, with 12 kills and 11 digs.
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff continued to bolster the Seminoles up front with seven blocks, giving her 55 this season as she averages 1.57 per set. She also picked up six kills in 12 attacks for a .333 hitting percentage. Also contributing was junior Marija Milosavljevic, who had nine kills and four blocks.
Setters Duygu Duzceler and Sarah Wickstrom added 25 and 20 assists, respectively.
FSU started off well in the first set, taking an 11-8 lead on kill by Visnja Djurdjevic. However, a late surge by the Waves ended any chance of the Seminoles getting the early edge, including three consecutive points after holding a 22-21 lead to end the set.
The Seminoles bounced back in set No. 2. Rachael Morgan's kill brought them to within 16-15 and ignited a five-point rally to take a 19-16 lead. Stepanova added two late kills and a Pepperdine service error closed out the set to tie the match overall at 1-1.
After Pepperdine took a 9-8 lead in the third frame, FSU was unable to mount any comeback as the Waves scored a flurry of points on the hitting of its attacking trio. The Seminoles had a chance late in the last set after taking an 18-15 lead on an attack error on Pepperdine's Hill, but let the Waves get back in before ensuing in back-and-forth points. The match ended on a kill by Hill, giving FSU a 1-2 mark for the weekend.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 6 1 19 0.263 0 2 1 0 2 0 4 0 1 10.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 12 4 40 0.200 1 1 1 3 11 0 1 1 0 13.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 11 3 38 0.211 0 1 2 2 8 1 0 0 0 13.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 4 9 2 26 0.269 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 11.0
14 Ashley Neff 4 6 2 12 0.333 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 10.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 0 0 0 0.000 25 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 3 0 1 2 28 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 0 0 0 0.000 20 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 7 3 17 0.235 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 8.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 51 15 152 0.237 49 4 5 7 62 2 18 3 1 66.0
Opp 4 68 25 168 0.256 62 7 6 4 73 1 10 1 1 81.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | ||||
| Pepperdine |
Seminoles Upend Hurricanes.
Steady play of three outside hitters leads FSU volleyball past rival on ESPNU.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Playing behind a standing-room only crowd in an energetic atmosphere at Tully Gym, the Florida State University indoor volleyball team stormed past 20th-ranked Miami, 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-18), on Wednesday evening in front of a national audience on ESPNU.
With the fans packing in and creating an enormous buzz in the building, the Seminoles (7-4, 1-0) elevated their play as they took a crucial Atlantic Coast Conference opener that was broadcast as part of ESPNU's Wednesday Night Volleyball package. FSU was guided by the marksmanship of sophomore outside hitter Elise Walch, who compiled a .706 hitting percentage on 12 kills in 17 attacks. The Stuart, Fla., native did not record one attack error.
"It was a really big win and a great atmosphere," Walch said. "It was great to come out and show that we can play like we can. Home is a great atmosphere. The fans are great as well as the band, and it's great that we can play so well together here."
Walch's enormous hitting percentage eclipses her previous career high as a collegiate athlete, when she hit .607 on a career-best 19 kills against Seton Hall while at Wisconsin. Her 12 put-downs are her second-most while at FSU, only behind her 16 kills against Northern Iowa two weekends ago.
When the score began to draw closer, it was Walch who turned out to be FSU's go-to player. She made a significant impact in closing out the match for the Seminoles, recording five kills in the second set and another five in the third. Several of her points came in big moments that helped FSU break a tie or ease the sting of a Miami comeback.
Along with Walch, the Seminoles got a balanced effort from seniors Visnja Djurdjevic and Jekaterina Stepanova. Each racked up their fourth and sixth double-doubles, respectively, as Djurdjevic recorded 12 kills and 12 digs while Stepanova added 12 kills and 11 digs.
Middle blocker Sareea Freeman stepped up in a big way from the offensive end, hitting well throughout the match. Freeman finished with a season-best nine kills and a .571 attack percentage.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher led the Seminoles with 15 digs, while freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom established her second-highest assist total with 25. Fellow setter Duygu Duzceler added 20.
The victory for FSU is its third Top 25 win this season, and is also the highest. Its other nationally-ranked victories in 2011 include then-No. 23 Tulsa and then-No. 23 Dayton.
Since coming to FSU in 2008, Poole now has the upper hand on the Hurricanes (9-1, 0-1), who were dealt their first loss of the season tonight. Poole entered tonight's contest with a 3-3 record against FSU's in-state rival before adding a win. The 25-year coaching veteran has a winning record against every ACC opponent except Georgia Tech.
Poole has also guided the Seminoles to six Top-25 wins since arriving four seasons ago. In that time, the previously unbeaten Hurricanes are the fourth-highest behind only eighth-ranked Illinois in 2009, 13th-ranked Kentucky in the 2009 Sweet 16 and 16th-ranked Kentucky in 2010.
Feeding off the energy of its fan base, the FSU offense posted its best hitting percentage in its last four matches with a .310 clip. The 20th-ranked Hurricanes, who had already defeated nationally-ranked Oklahoma and Pepperdine, totaled a .205 percentage as some of their more productive hitters were forced into uncharacteristic performances.
"It was an absolute unbelievable crowd," Poole said. "If we can have this crowd every time, we can have similar results. The building was full of energy and there's no doubt they played a big part in our adrenalin flowing and getting us on a real high.
"We've been playing great competition for three weeks so it's not as though this was any different," Poole added. "We just happened to be home and we had a great crowd, and they helped us get over some of the humps that we had been giving up on the road. The girls are working hard right now; they understood how important this match was because Miami is very good. They knew that if we want to make a run at the ACC this year we had to get this one at home."
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 5 1 14 0.286 0 1 2 0 5 0 1 0 0 6.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 12 5 29 0.241 0 1 0 0 11 0 1 0 0 13.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 12 4 33 0.242 1 0 1 1 12 0 2 1 0 13.0
14 Ashley Neff 3 2 1 10 0.100 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 3.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 1 1 5 0.000 20 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 1.0
23 Elise Walch 3 12 0 17 0.706 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 1 0.000 2 0 1 0 15 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 1 3 -0.333 25 0 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 9 1 14 0.571 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 10.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 53 14 126 0.310 48 2 6 1 57 0 8 2 0 59.0
Opp 3 39 14 122 0.205 36 1 4 2 50 0 8 0 0 44.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | |||
| Florida State |
Hot Hitting Lifts Seminoles.
FSU Volleyball defeats Cavaliers on the road in three sets.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The 23rd-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team rode the momentum of a quality start on the offensive end to race past conference opponent Virginia, 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-21), on Friday evening at Memorial Gymnasium.
In 106 total attacks, the Seminoles (8-4, 2-0) committed just 10 errors in one of their most efficient hitting performances of the season. FSU tallied 48 kills and a .358 hitting percentage, its third-highest clip of the year. FSU's high attack percentage trails only its .481 mark against California-Irvine on Sept. 3 and its .465 percentage versus Kentucky on Aug. 26. The Seminoles entered tonight's contest 11th nationally with a .286 clip.
FSU's performance in the first set created the tone for the entire match. The Seminoles put down 15 kills in 30 attacks with just one error, equating to a .467 hitting percentage in the frame.
Senior outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic had one of her best outputs of the season, registering 12 kills, eight digs, three blocks and a .393 hitting percentage. Fellow senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova followed with nine kills and eight digs on a .381 clip, while Rachael Morgan rounded out the hitting group with five kills on a .357 hitting percentage and three blocks.
FSU played 10 student-athletes in Friday's match, with nine recording at least one kill. Junior setter Dugyu Duzceler tied a career high with five kills while recording a 1.000 hitting percentage and 18 assists. Freshman Sarah Wickstrom continued her steady play, leading the team with 19 assists.
Ashley Neff, Elise Walch and Sareea Freeman each contributed five kills apiece. Freeman led the Seminoles with six blocks, while FSU out-blocked the Cavaliers (6-6, 0-2) 8-3.
Redshirt freshman Katie Mosher added 19 digs, two assists and one kill.
FSU's defense was able to hold Virginia to an off night on the offensive end. Cavalier outside hitter Simone Asque, one of the top players in the ACC, recorded 10 kills on just a .233 hitting percentage. Jessica O'Shoney added seven kills on a .267 percentage, over 100 points below her then-season clip of .379 that was fifth in the ACC entering tonight's match.
FSU's 2-0 start in conference play is the third straight season it has achieved the feat. The Seminoles have now won seven of their past eight matchups versus Virginia.
In Set No. 2, Virginia tried to even the match after Asque's kill gave UVA a 10-8 lead. FSU then won the next four points and would not relinquish the lead in that set, which included late kills by Neff, Duzceler and Morgan to finish off the Cavaliers in the frame.
It was no easy task for FSU to end the third set, despite taking a 17-12 lead on a kill by Duzceler. Rachel Gray's service ace put UVA ahead at 19-18 in the set, but FSU fought back with five consecutive points which included a kill by Marija Milosavljevic. Freeman's kill then ended the match.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 5 0 14 0.357 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 0 6.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 9 1 21 0.381 2 2 1 1 8 0 0 0 0 11.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 12 1 28 0.393 3 0 0 3 8 0 3 2 0 13.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 5 3 12 0.167 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 6.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 5 0 5 1.000 18 2 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 7.0
23 Elise Walch 3 5 3 9 0.222 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 6.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 1 0 1 1.000 2 0 0 1 19 0 0 0 0 1.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 1 0.000 19 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 1.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 1 1 2 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 5 1 13 0.308 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 1 0 8.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 48 10 106 0.358 44 5 1 5 52 0 16 3 0 61.0
Opp 3 40 15 116 0.216 40 5 5 5 42 1 4 2 1 48.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||
| Virginia |
Noles Cruise Past Virginia Tech.
Seminole volleyball is dominant in Virginia trip, sweeping the Cavaliers and the Hokies.
BLACKSBURG, VA - The 23rd-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team cruised past Virginia Tech, 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-11), on Saturday night at Cassell Coliseum.
The Seminoles made just seven errors in 84 total attack attempts for a sizzling .353 hitting percentage just a day after hitting at a .358 clip in a 3-0 win over Virginia in Charlottesville on Friday night.
FSU leaves the Old Dominion State with a 9-4 overall record and a flawless 3-0 mark in the ACC after a dominating weekend.
"It was a great weekend for the girls," Florida State head coach Chris Poole said. "They are improving every week. Our offense did very well overall and our defense made some good adjustments tonight both with the block and backrow."
Senior outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic led the Garnet and Gold with a 11 kills and added nine digs. Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher had a team-high 12 digs, while freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom tallied 15 assists.
Sophomore outside hitter Elise Walsh had an impressive .583 hitting percentage and recorded seven kills.
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff tallied a pair of solo blocks and six block assists. FSU held a commanding 12.0-3.0 advantage in total blocks.
The Hokies struggled to get their offense going during the entire match, making 27 errors and finishing with a .063 hitting percentage. Three Virginia Tech players hit at a negative clip, as FSU set up a formidable block the entire match.
The Seminoles used a 7-0 spurt midway through the first set to take command of the match. FSU broke an 8-8 tie when junior outside hitter Fatma Yildirim had a kill to spark the run, and moved ahead 15-8. Led by junior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova's perfect 1.000 hitting percentage and three kills, the Noles held a decisive .312 - .050 advantage in attack percentage in the initial set.
Virginia Tech kept it close in the second set and trailed by one, 22-21, before FSU scored the final three points. A Hokie attack error followed a Walch kill and senior outside hitter Rachel Morgan's kill capped the set to give the Noles a 2-0 lead.
Florida State saved it's best for last, crushing the host Hokies, 25-11 in the final set. The Noles had a pair of 10-2 runs in the third frame. With the set tied, 5-5, an attack error by Virginia Tech's Alyssa Gammel started a 6-0 FSU run. After Walch's kill made the score 15-7, the Hokies scored back-to-back points, but Djurdjevic's kill on the next play sparked a final 10-2 run for the Noles. The Zitiste, Serbia, native fittingly had a kill to end the set and the match.
The Seminoles' seven errors tied for the second lowest total of the season, matching their mark against UCI on Sept. 3 and behind only their five errors in the season-opener versus Kentucky on Aug. 26.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 5 2 16 0.188 1 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 7.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 6 1 16 0.313 0 0 1 3 9 0 1 0 0 6.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 11 1 21 0.476 0 0 0 0 9 0 2 0 0 12.0
14 Ashley Neff 3 5 2 12 0.250 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 1 0 10.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 0 0 1 0.000 13 3 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 3.0
23 Elise Walch 3 7 0 12 0.583 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 0 8.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 1 0 2 0.500 3 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 1.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 15 1 0 0 5 0 0 0 1 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 2 1 5 0.200 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 4.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 37 7 85 0.353 32 4 2 3 43 2 20 2 1 53.0
Opp 3 34 27 111 0.063 33 3 7 4 38 0 6 0 0 40.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||
| Virginia Tech |
No. 22 FSU Overpowers Duke.
Seminole volleyball continues its hot start in conference play with fourth consecutive 3-0 sweep.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The 22nd-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team's fast start in Atlantic Coast Conference play continued on Friday evening as it used a consistent, collective effort in its attacking game to defeat Duke, 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-19), in front of 1,116 fans at Tully Gym.
FSU's impressive victory holds plenty of significance. The Seminoles (10-4, 4-0) have now won four consecutive matches in straight sets, a feat they haven't accomplished since the beginning of the 2006 season. All four wins have come against conference opponents, marking the first time it has swept four consecutive ACC foes since doing it five times in a row between Oct. 10-30 in the 1998 season.
"The girls are working really hard," head coach Chris Poole said. "I feel like our pre-season was very good for us. We didn't always do as well as we wanted to but it pushed us to the limit and I think it allowed them to find what they were capable of doing. I think right now they are trying to beat the expectations we have for them this year.
"Every part of our game is improving right now and I think that's a real key," added Poole, who will look to tie FSU coaching legend Cecile Reynaud on the NCAA career wins list with 635 on Sunday. "We want to improve every week and there are certain things we work on each week and we saw those things come out tonight."
The Seminoles overpowered the Blue Devils (8-5, 2-2) to the tune of a .318 team hitting percentage. In 107 total attacks, FSU's talented group of hitters managed just 13 errors as it posted an above .300 mark on offense for the eighth time this season. FSU's 47 team kills are its third-most in a three-set match this year.
Duke, which was chosen as the conference champion in the preseason ACC coaches' poll, hit just .126 and fell victim to nine team blocks from the tall, lengthy, Seminoles. Throughout the match, the Blue Devils would fall behind early in each set and could never sustain any sort of rally in each frame.
Once again, sophomore right-side hitter Elise Walch put on a show for the loyal crowd. Courtesy of some tremendous sets by freshman Sarah Wickstrom and junior Duygu Duzceler, Walch put down a match-high 12 kills in 18 attacks for a remarkable .611 hitting percentage. The sophomore standout has produced attack percentages of .583 (at Virginia Tech), .611 and .706 (vs. Miami) already in conference play.
Seniors Visnja Djurdjevic and Jekaterina Stepanova recorded double-doubles in the three-set affair. Stepanova's team-leading seventh double-double came on 10 kills and 11 digs as the Riga, Latvia, native hit .320 for the night. Djurdjevic, who surpassed 1,300 kills for her entire college career which includes Tulane and FSU, added 10 kills and 10 digs.
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff ignited FSU with several kills in the first set, but continued to make her biggest mark at the net with seven blocks. Neff's seven bat-downs tie for her third-most this season, as she is now averaging a conference-best 1.57 blocks per set.
FSU has now defeated the Blue Devils in four straight matches dating back to the 2009 season.
The Seminoles started off well as they raced to a 6-1 lead on three of Neff's kills. She also added three blocks in the frame, while Stepanova recorded four kills of her own as FSU hit .382 in the opening set.
The second set was closer until FSU managed to pull away toward the end. Duke trimmed its deficit to 16-13 on an attack error by the Seminoles, but FSU won eight of the next 11 points before a service error by Amanda Robertson gave the Seminoles a 2-0 overall advantage.
FSU never lost focus following the intermission while Duke produced its worst offensive showing in the last frame. The Blue Devils hit .057 as FSU broke a 5-5 score by winning 14 of the next 18 points, which was capped by a Djurdjevic kill to make it 19-9. The match ended on an attack error by Sophia Dunworth.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 5 1 12 0.333 0 3 1 0 7 0 2 0 0 9.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 10 2 25 0.320 1 0 1 3 11 0 3 0 0 11.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 10 3 23 0.304 0 0 1 0 10 0 3 1 0 11.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 7 2 14 0.357 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 0 0 11.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 0 1 3 -0.333 20 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 0.0
23 Elise Walch 3 12 1 18 0.611 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 0 0.000 2 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 1 0 1 2 -0.500 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 17 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 3 2 10 0.100 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 4.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 47 13 107 0.318 41 3 6 3 50 1 16 2 0 59.0
Opp 3 31 17 111 0.126 31 3 8 3 40 2 4 0 0 38.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | |||
| Florida State |
Seminoles Win in Five.
No. 22 FSU wins in five sets over Demon Deacons to move to 5-0 in the ACC.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - After cruising through its first four conference matches, the 22nd-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team was challenged well by Wake Forest but managed to squeak out a 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 22-25, 15-9) victory on Sunday afternoon at Tully Gym.
The Seminoles (11-4, 5-0) have now won their first five Atlantic Coast Conference matches for the first time since the 1993 season. The win also gives head coach Chris Poole his 635th career victory at the NCAA Division I level, tying FSU coaching legend Cecile Reynaud.
The victory, however, did not come without a bit of adversity. A hard-charging Demon Deacons (4-10, 1-4) squad played with noticeable energy and held one of the top hitting teams in the nation to a .188 attack percentage. FSU responded to the challenge by coming up with big points when it counted most, especially in the fifth and final set.
"You always have to take a win over a loss," Poole said. "We wish we could have played better and we were a little flat this weekend overall. We made some mistakes that were a little uncharacteristic on Friday night, but we still were able to do a lot of good things also. Today, we came out again and made some mistakes early and just never got into a rhythm, but our right-sides played well."
Arguably the match's top performer was junior middle blocker Marija Milosavljevic, who played in four of the five sets yet compiled a career-high 12 blocks which is the most by a Seminole since former player Lauren Young recorded the same amount on Oct. 1, 2010 against N.C. State. Milosavljevic, a native of Bajina Basta, Serbia, had three of her blocks in the final frame.
In the fifth set, FSU was noticeably sharper in its passing game than the previous frame. Both teams traded points at 3-3, but a big kill by right-side hitter Elise Walch helped created a permanent lead for the Seminoles. Walch got in on the next play when she and Milosavljevic teamed up to block an attack by Jazmen Russell. Later, Milosavljevic got in front of the net to record a solo block against Wake Forest outside hitter Kadija Fornah and later recorded a block assist with Rachael Morgan to turn away a kill attempt by Mary Hoey, making it 10-5.
Three of the final four points went to FSU, starting with Ashley Neff's well-placed kill to make it 13-8. Following an FSU attack error, Visnja Djurdjevic created match point with a kill and Walch delivered a match-ending kill to keep FSU's home record intact at 6-0.
FSU, which began the weekend ranked 20th in the NCAA in blocks per set, is likely to climb the chart after amassing a season-high 18 team blocks this afternoon. The mark is the second-high since the 2006 season, trailing only its 19 blocks at North Carolina on Sept. 30, 2010.
Making a big difference in the match was redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher, who established a career high with 29 digs. The Fort Myers, Fla., native repeatedly got under kill attempts by Wake Forest's attackers as she enjoyed one of her finest performances this season.
More career highs were established in today's match. Neff's 12 kills marked her most as a Seminole, while junior setter Duygu Duzceler's 37 assists were her most at FSU. Neff added six blocks.
Morgan was another huge presence for the Seminoles as she posted a strong all-around performance that included nine kills, four digs and seven blocks. Walch continued to finish offensively by recording 11 kills and a .409 hitting percentage, and added six blocks.
Leading FSU in kills was Djurdjevic, who had 17 to tie for her most this season. Although the Seminoles fell to Wake Forest in the fourth set, they mounted a strong comeback toward the end on the strength of several kills from Djurdjevic, who had eight in that set.
Wake Forest's intention to stop FSU's streak of strong play was on display in the first set when it broke the Seminoles' 12-set win streak. FSU did not garner a single block in the opening frame while the Demon Deacons hit .324.
FSU came back in the second set despite a sturdy Wake Forest group staying within reach. FSU fell behind 12-11 on an attack error but won four consecutive points to help turn the match around. Djurdjevic ended the set on a kill to tie the match heading into intermission.
The best hitting came in the third set as FSU pulled away early. Wake Forest came back with a strong fourth set in which they weathered a furious comeback by the Seminoles late in the frame to force a deciding fifth set. It was FSU's second five-match set of the season and its first win under the same circumstances.
"This is great for us," Poole said. "We need to be humbled and we need to work hard for every match. Give credit to Wake Forest, they kept staying in the game and working hard and making good serves and moving the ball all around offensively."
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 5 9 0 25 0.360 0 1 2 0 4 0 7 1 0 13.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 8 7 22 0.045 0 1 0 3 5 0 2 0 0 10.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 5 17 5 54 0.222 1 0 2 1 16 0 2 0 1 18.0
14 Ashley Neff 5 12 6 26 0.231 0 0 0 0 3 0 6 1 0 15.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 5 1 0 2 0.500 37 2 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 3.0
23 Elise Walch 5 11 2 22 0.409 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 0 14.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 5 1 0 1 1.000 2 0 2 0 29 0 0 0 0 1.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 5 2 2 15 0.000 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 2.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 5 0 0 0 0.000 19 2 1 0 11 0 0 0 2 2.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 4 4 5 18 -0.056 0 0 0 0 1 1 11 0 0 10.5
22 Sareea Freeman 1 0 2 6 -0.333 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 5 65 29 191 0.188 59 6 7 4 86 1 34 2 3 89.0
Opp 5 51 30 181 0.116 50 4 5 6 83 4 12 3 3 65.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest | |||||
| Florida State |
Seminoles Top Heels.
FSU's 6-0 record in conference is program-best since joining ACC.
CHAPEL HILL, NC - Playing through its strength of batting down balls at the net, the 24th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team earned an impressive 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-18) victory at North Carolina in what was a battle of conference unbeatens on Friday night at Carmichael Arena.
The victory for FSU marks its best conference start ever in the ACC as it holds a 6-0 conference record. It is also its best start in conference play since the 1989 squad also started 6-0 and finished 10-0 in the Metro Conference.
Propelled by the strong play of sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff, FSU looked past its inauspicious beginning and rolled through the last three sets as UNC's attackers found no luck in getting balls through the Seminoles' (12-4, 6-0) front line. More importantly, an important block was made whenever FSU got ahead and needed to stop a Tar Heel run.
FSU finished with a season-high 20 team blocks, as Neff led the way with a career-high 12 blocks. It is the second straight time FSU has visited Carmichael Arena and had one player record 12 blocks in a contest, as Sareea Freeman also recorded the same amount last season.
"Our blocking was tremendous tonight," head coach Chris Poole said following his 636th career victory. "We tried to work on putting up a really solid block this week. We did a really good job of that tonight and as the match progressed you saw us getting better and better."
Senior outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic finished with 13 kills on .282 hitting, coming through mightily with 18 digs for another double-double this season. Jekaterina Stepanova added 10 kills, while Katie Mosher registered 21 digs for the Seminoles. Duygu Duzceler and Sarah Wickstrom combined for 41 assists.
A slow start accompanied the Seminoles in the opening frame, as they struggled to find any consistency on offense until the end of the set when it was virtually out of hand. FSU was held to 10 kills on 34 attacks, which included seven errors for a .088 hitting percentage. Neff finished the frame with three blocks, but UNC's Emily McGee and Kayla Berringer combined for 11 of UNC's 17 kills to pace its attack.
"In the first set we weren't able to get into any sort of rhythm," Poole added. "The second set we started doing some things right and thank goodness instead of letting them come back we were able to finish the match."
The Seminoles flipped fortunes in set two as they got off to a quick start courtesy of some strong blocking and timely hitting. FSU hit at a .294 clip in the second frame which included 14 kills, including four from Neff in the middle. Stepanova added three put-downs as she began to find her rhythm as the match progressed. FSU was careful not to relinquish its large advantage when UNC managed to get within 18-16 on a service ace, calling a timeout and returning from the break by winning on seven of the next 11 points. Through two frames, FSU produced 10 team blocks as it improved in the second frame on its defensive play at the net.
Momentum carried into the third set as the team blocks continued to mount for the Seminoles. FSU produced six blocks in the third frame as FSU quelled another UNC run after holding a rather sizeable advantage. Fittingly, the set ended on a combined block by Rachael Morgan and Neff, as Neff already reached her career high of 11 bat-downs through three sets played. Morgan finished the night with eight blocks, followed by Freeman's seven.
It was again a good beginning for FSU in the fourth set until UNC began to chip away at its deficit. After the Tar Heels (13-4, 5-1) earned a kill to make it a 20-16 deficit against the Seminoles, a timeout by FSU was followed by a UNC attack error and a key kill by Marija Milosavljevic to make it 22-16. Freeman finished the match with a kill to keep FSU's undefeated conference record intact.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 5 2 22 0.136 0 1 0 0 3 0 8 0 0 10.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 10 5 36 0.139 0 1 1 0 8 1 1 1 0 12.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 13 2 39 0.282 1 1 1 1 18 0 2 0 0 15.0
14 Ashley Neff 4 8 1 18 0.389 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 1 0 14.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 1 0 3 0.333 20 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 1.0
23 Elise Walch 3 3 2 13 0.077 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 4.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 2 0 1 0 21 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 0 0 0 0.000 21 2 0 0 7 0 0 0 1 2.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 1 0 4 0.250 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 8 4 16 0.250 0 0 0 0 3 2 5 0 0 12.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 49 16 151 0.219 44 5 3 1 64 4 32 2 2 74.0
Opp 4 60 38 172 0.128 57 1 2 5 75 2 10 1 1 68.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | ||||
| North Carolina |
FSU Survives Wolfpack.
No. 24 FSU saved by its season-high 26 blocks in five-set road win.
RALEIGH, NC - In one of the wildest matches of the season, the 24th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team persevered against a motivated N.C. State squad and won a thrilling five-setter, 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 26-24, 17-25, 15-13), on Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum.
The Seminoles (13-4, 7-0) countered their season-low hitting percentage of .131 by producing a season-high 26 blocks, the most by any Atlantic Coast Conference team this season. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff was tremendous with a career-best 14 blocks, leaving the weekend with 26 blocks in two matches. Junior Sareea Freeman added nine blocks, while Rachael Morgan and Elise Walch poured in six apiece.
In today's match, FSU and the Wolfpack (14-6, 2-5) tangled with 25 lead changes and 49 different tie scores. The final set saw the Seminoles rack up seven blocks at the net, which included the match-ending block by Neff. She added 10 kills to record a double-double.
Visnja Djurdjevic added 10 kills and 18 digs for the Seminoles, while redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher produced a team-best 25 digs.
Freeman had a great performance overall, recording 12 kills on 19 attacks for a team-leading .579 hitting percentage. She came up in big in several moments by hitting through the N.C. State defense and putting up a tremendous front against the Wolfpack offense.
FSU lost the first set for the third straight match, as an attack error that fell just outside gave the Wolfpack the opening frame. Seven lead changes and nine tied scores occurred as both teams traded points throughout. Freeman recorded four kills while Sarah Wickstrom came in and produced some tremendous sets for the middle blocker. N.C. State was very effective with the block, recording 3.5 and holding the Seminoles to a .163 hitting percentage in the set.
The second set proved to be even wilder as 13 lead changes and 21 ties were recorded. FSU ended the frame on a 7-1 run and used an attack error by Dariyan Hopper to win 25-22. One of several key plays was made when Morgan's kill put the Seminoles on top 23-22. Morgan then combined with Neff for a crucial block before winning the set.
A tremendous block by Freeman and Marija Milosavljevic closed out another dramatic set in third frame, as FSU got past N.C. State 26-24. FSU only hit .077 in the set but relied on eight crucial blocks to create tougher alleys for N.C. State's attackers to hit through.
FSU wasn't able to find much offensive rhythm in set No. 4, hitting .054 while N.C. State performed adequately with a .231 mark. The Seminoles could not start off right yet again, facing bigger deficits and being unable to climb out of them. FSU changed its play in the final frame with a .500 hitting percentage to provide a boost in the victory.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 5 7 3 29 0.138 0 0 0 0 5 0 6 1 0 10.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 5 7 6 28 0.036 0 0 1 2 3 2 1 1 0 9.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 5 10 7 39 0.077 1 0 0 2 18 1 3 0 0 12.5
14 Ashley Neff 5 10 5 28 0.179 0 0 0 0 2 2 12 0 0 18.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 5 0 1 3 -0.333 27 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 1 0.0
23 Elise Walch 4 3 1 14 0.143 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 0 0 6.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 5 1 0 1 1.000 1 0 1 0 25 0 0 0 0 1.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 4 4 4 18 0.000 0 0 1 0 10 0 1 0 0 4.5
10 Sarah Wickstrom 5 1 0 1 1.000 21 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 2 3 4 18 -0.056 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 4.0
22 Sareea Freeman 5 12 1 19 0.579 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 1 0 17.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 5 58 32 198 0.131 50 0 5 4 72 7 38 3 1 84.0
Opp 5 66 38 189 0.148 62 4 8 0 95 4 19 2 0 83.5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| North Carolina State |
FSU Moves to 8-0 in ACC.
No. 21 Seminoles defeat Georgia Tech at home for the first time since 2008 in three-set win.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The No. 21 Florida State University indoor volleyball team extended its Atlantic Coast Conference record to 8-0 as it got past visiting Georgia Tech, 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-21), on Friday evening at Tully Gym.
The combination of 25 Georgia Tech attack errors, as well as seven service errors, and an important momentum-changing comeback in the second set helped put away the opposition as the Seminoles (14-4, 8-0) stretched their home record to 7-0 on the season. The Yellow Jackets (10-8, 3-5) were unable to develop a consistent offensive attack as they finished with a .098 hitting percentage.
Georgia Tech is now the third opponent that has hit under .100 against the Seminoles this season. The other two include Virginia Tech (.063) and No. 25 Kentucky (-.013).
"The girls struggled at times tonight, but they still stepped up and got the win when we needed to and got the big points when we needed to," head coach Chris Poole said. "We again had someone come off the bench in Fatma (Yildirim) and give us a lift. You need that kind of depth so when you are in a situation and you have a player that is having an off game; you have someone who can step up. We're very fortunate we got the win."
While FSU was efficient in the first set with a .348 hitting percentage, it rallied in the second frame to seize control of the match. The Seminoles trailed 16-12 and never held a lead midway through the second set, but rattled off seven consecutive points which included kills by Elise Walch, Sareea Freeman, Jekaterina Stepanova and Sarah Wickstrom. Georgia Tech continued to hang tough, as a later kill by Ivona Kolak cut FSU's lead to 23-22. Stepanova's big kill for the 24th point was followed by an attack error, but set point was clinched on an attack error from Georgia Tech's Jennifer Percy.
Walch finished with a team-high nine kills on 15 attacks for a .600 hitting percentage. It is the third time this season the Stuart, Fla., native has mustered an attack percentage of .600 or more on at least 10 total attacks. In seven home matches, Walch is hitting .510 with 58 kills and only seven errors in 100 attacks.
Junior outside hitter Yildirim provided a spark in the second and third sets, recording six kills, 11 digs and two blocks. She combined with the NCAA's leading blocker, Ashley Neff, in batting away an attack by Monique Mead in the third set to win the match. FSU held Mead, one of the nation's top attackers, to 15 kills on 49 attacks for a .143 hitting percentage.
Overall, the Seminoles were efficient on offense in terms of not giving away points. FSU recorded just 14 attack errors compared to Georgia Tech's 25, with some coming in big moments that hurt the Yellow Jackets' rally attempt.
Freeman, a junior middle blocker, added to her stretch of strong play by compiling seven blocks. FSU produced its 11th match of double-digit team blocks, out-blocking Georgia Tech 10-5.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher led FSU with 13 digs, while Stepanova added 10. Junior Duygu Duzceler added 15 assists while Sarah Wickstrom had 14.
Tonight's victory means Poole now boasts a winning record against every ACC opponent since taking over the FSU program in 2008. Prior to the matchup this evening, Georgia Tech and FSU were 3-3 in the last three seasons.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 5 3 11 0.182 0 0 0 0 6 0 3 0 0 6.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 8 5 28 0.107 1 0 0 0 10 0 1 0 0 8.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 2 2 2 7 0.000 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 2.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 3 2 8 0.125 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 5.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 2 0 3 0.667 15 1 1 0 5 0 0 0 1 3.0
23 Elise Walch 3 9 0 15 0.600 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 10.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 1 0.000 4 0 0 0 13 0 0 0 0 0.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 2 6 1 19 0.263 0 0 2 0 11 0 2 1 0 7.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 1 0 1 1.000 14 0 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 4 1 14 0.214 0 0 0 1 0 0 7 1 0 7.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 40 14 107 0.243 35 1 4 4 54 1 18 2 1 51.0
Opp 3 37 25 123 0.098 36 4 7 1 49 1 8 3 0 46.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Tech | |||
| Florida State |
Crisp Play Lifts Volleyball.
No. 21 Seminoles receive host of strong individual performances in three-set victory over Clemson.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The 21st-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team put together a smooth all-around performance as it defeated Clemson, 3-0 (25-22, 29-27, 25-12), on Sunday afternoon at Tully Gym.
The Seminoles (15-4, 9-0) kept their unbeaten conference streak intact with quality passing and a bunch of strong individual performances on offense. FSU hit a conference-best .389 as senior right-side hitter Rachael Morgan ignited FSU with 11 kills and a .409 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova posted 10 kills and 13 digs for her eighth double-double of the year, showing a .500 attack percentage.
Junior middle blocker Sareea Freeman has played extremely well at the net recently, continuing her strong play with 10 kills and a team-high seven blocks.
Throughout the match, FSU played at a high level and rarely went through any spurts of sloppy play. The Seminoles executed offensively with 54 kills and revved up their block attack in the third set to break away from the Tigers (13-7, 5-4). A thrilling second set provided a big highlight for the match, as each team went back and forth late before FSU pulled off a 29-27 win.
In that frame, FSU averaged .425 hitting while Clemson hit .385. The Seminoles led for most of the set, but the Tigers pulled ahead on an attack error at 18-17. A kill by Alexa Rand later gave Clemson a 22-20 lead, but FSU pulled even on a kill by Stepanova and a block by Elise Walch and Freeman. Freeman then allowed FSU to take the lead on a kill, but Moneshia Simmons tied it up with a kill. FSU held set point at 24-23 but Clemson came back with another kill. Each team began to side out until Walch ended the set on a kill.
Junior setter Duygu Duzceler compiled 25 assists, while senior outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic added seven kills and a team-high 15 digs. Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher had 11 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff contributed to FSU's high hitting percentage with eight kills on 12 attacks for a .667 hitting percentage.
Facing a 2-0 overall lead, FSU stormed through the third set due to a 14-1 run that put the match out of reach. The Seminoles recorded five of their nine blocks in the final set.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 11 2 22 0.409 0 0 1 0 5 1 4 0 0 14.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 10 0 20 0.500 1 0 1 3 13 0 0 0 0 10.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 7 2 22 0.227 2 2 1 1 15 0 1 0 1 9.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 8 0 12 0.667 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 8.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 2 1 4 0.250 25 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 3.0
23 Elise Walch 3 5 3 14 0.143 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 6.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 2 0.000 3 0 0 1 11 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 20 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 1 0.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 1 0 3 0.333 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 10 2 14 0.571 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 13.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 54 10 113 0.389 51 3 5 5 54 1 16 0 2 66.0
Opp 3 37 16 113 0.186 36 5 6 3 45 1 6 0 0 46.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | |||
| Florida State |
Seminoles Hold off Maryland.
No. 19 Florida State reaches 10-0 in conference play for the first time since 1989.
COLLEGE PARK, MD - Although it took a little extra work, the 19th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team managed to hold off Maryland for a 3-1 (25-15, 25-19, 24-26, 25-23) victory on the road and reach 10-0 in conference play for the first time since 1989.
The Seminoles (16-4, 10-0) were cruising through their first two sets before facing a stubborn Terrapins (9-13, 3-7) group that hung tough following the 10-minute intermission. FSU relied on the offense of outside hitters Jekaterina Stepanova and Visnja Djurdjevic, whom combined for 28 of FSU's 62 kills.
Stepanova had one of her best outings of the season, registering a .421 hitting clip and 18 kills. The Riga, Latvia native's kill total is her third-highest of the year, trailing her season-high of 21 against Dayton and 19 versus nationally-ranked Northern Iowa. Djurdjevic added 10 kills in three sets played on an identical .421 hitting percentage as both student-athletes recorded double-doubles.
"Kate (Stepanova) stepped up big in game four," head coach Chris Poole said. "The team showed a lot of character to come back in game four down 21-18 and stepped up and made big plays at the end."
Djurdjevic suffered a deep heel bruise in the second set and was limited for the rest of the match after getting off to a great start.
"The momentum of the match really changed (following Djurdjevic's injury) and we struggled to get it back," Poole added.
FSU was in danger of being pushed to a fifth set after trailing for a majority of the fourth frame. Late in the set, an important block by Maryland extended its lead to 20-17, then later had a 21-18 advantage on an FSU service error. Facing a 23-20 deficit on three consecutive Maryland points, FSU reeled off five consecutive points to close out the match, which included three clutch kills by Stepanova.
Junior setter Duygu Duzceler had a team-high 28 assists and 11 digs to pick up her second double-double of the year. Freshman Sarah Wickstrom added 25 assists and six digs as FSU recorded a .297 hitting percentage for the match.
The strength of the Seminoles played a role once again in tonight's victory, as FSU totaled 11 team blocks while Maryland was also effective with nine. The Terrapins' nine blocks were the second-most by an FSU opponent this season in a four-set match. Sophomore Ashley Neff, tied for the national lead in blocks per set, recorded five blocks and added seven kills on a .412 hitting percentage. Junior middle blocker Sareea Freeman contributed with seven kills and two blocks.
Senior right-side hitter Rachael Morgan was also important for FSU's attack game, recording nine kills for the third-most on the team.
Aside from falling behind 1-0 on the first point of the match, FSU never trailed again in the first set and set the tone early with a 9-0 run. After being tied at 2-2, the Seminoles broke away to create an 11-2 advantage which included two kills and a block by Stepanova during the stretch. The Seminoles recorded nearly twice as many kills in the set, holding a 15-8 advantage, as Stepanova tallied five in the frame while Djurdjevic and Morgan added four apiece. Wickstrom aided the offense with seven assists.
Djurdjevic sparked FSU in a second set that was challenged better by Maryland. The Zitiste, Serbia, native recorded six kills in the frame, highlighted by her set point kill to give FSU a 2-0 overall lead. The Seminoles won four straight points midway through the set that helped swing the outcome, as two consecutive attack errors by Mary Cushman of Maryland followed by a service ace by Duzceler and a kill by Neff created a sizeable 15-8 lead. Later in the set, FSU won consecutive points on kills by Freeman and Djurdjevic to build a 23-16 lead and put the set out of reach.
Cushman led the Terrapins with 16 kills on a team-high 45 attacks, serving as the team's primary offensive option.
The victory over Maryland is FSU's seventh in the last eight meetings. Poole is now one win shy of 641 for his career, which would tie for 24th on the NCAA all-time wins list.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 9 3 29 0.207 0 1 2 1 2 0 1 1 0 10.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 18 2 38 0.421 0 0 2 2 10 1 2 0 0 20.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 10 2 19 0.421 2 2 0 0 11 2 1 0 0 14.5
14 Ashley Neff 4 7 2 12 0.417 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 0 0 11.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 1 0 4 0.250 28 1 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 2 2 2 6 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 4 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 2 4 3 13 0.077 0 0 1 2 4 0 0 0 0 4.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 0 0 2 0.000 25 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 0.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 3 4 1 9 0.333 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 7 3 16 0.250 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 8.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 62 18 148 0.297 59 4 6 5 57 7 8 2 0 77.0
Opp 4 55 22 146 0.226 51 5 8 4 59 6 6 3 1 69.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | ||||
| Maryland |
Morgan Fills Void in Win.
Senior right-side hitter posts strong performance as No. 19 FSU defeats Boston College in three sets without Visnja Djurdjevic.
CHESTNUT HILL, MA - Senior Rachael Morgan's team-high 13 kills and five blocks led the 19th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team past Boston College, 3-0 (26-24, 25-13, 25-19), on Sunday afternoon at Power Gym.
With FSU senior outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic missing her first full match of the season after bruising her foot in Friday's match at Maryland, Morgan stepped up mightily with one of her best offensive performances of the season. The Tauranga, New Zealand, native recorded a team-best .522 hitting percentage and added seven digs to elevate the Seminoles (17-4, 11-0) to another conference victory.
Morgan's kill total is a season high, as well as her attack percentage when she garners 10 or more attacks.
"Rachael stepped up big time today," head coach Chris Poole said. "Our block again was outstanding and our setters did a good job getting the ball to our hot hitters. We struggled a little the first set in serve and receive but we are used to Visnja being a big part of our serve-receive."
FSU put together 12 team blocks in what was another fine effort up front. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff was formidable with nine blocks and six kills, while Sareea Freeman added four kills and three blocks. Setter Duygu Duzceler had a good performance with 23 assists and six digs, while freshman Sarah Wickstrom added nine assists.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher led the team with 16 digs in three sets to boost FSU's passing.
The victory over the Golden Eagles (7-15, 3-8) ties Poole with former Northwestern coach Jerry Angle for 24th on the NCAA all-time wins list with 641.
Despite cruising through the second and third sets, FSU once again battled some adversity through an up-and-down first set. The Seminoles bolted to an early 5-0 lead, but later allowed Boston College to tie the set at 13-13 after an attack error. B.C. then took an 18-15 lead on a service ace by Kellie Barnum, and eventually had set point when another FSU attack error gave the Golden Eagles a 24-22 advantage.
Just as they did in the fourth set in their last match against Maryland, the Seminoles battled back as they nearly lost the set. Morgan recorded a kill and Alexandria Trobbe followed with an attack error to tie the set at 24-24. Sophomore right-side hitter Elise Walch then recorded a kill and Jekaterina Stepanova ended the set on a crucial kill, giving FSU four consecutive points.
Morgan was consistent again in set two, recording four kills and two blocks while Neff produced four blocks in the frame to help the Seminoles pull away early. In the third set, Morgan added four more kills and Duzceler led the setters with eight assists to help close out the match.
"We made some adjustments in the second and third sets and did much better," Poole added. "I'm proud of the girls in that they stepped up and took two more on the road."
The Seminoles hit .264 overall in the match, while B.C. registered a .098 hitting percentage. FSU has now held four opponents this season to below a .100 attack percentage.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 13 1 23 0.522 1 0 0 0 7 0 5 0 0 15.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 8 2 27 0.222 1 0 1 2 14 0 3 2 0 9.5
7 Fatma Yildirim 3 3 4 19 -0.053 1 0 0 2 5 0 3 0 0 4.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 6 2 13 0.308 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 1 0 10.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 0 0 2 0.000 23 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 0.0
23 Elise Walch 3 7 2 19 0.263 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 7.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 0 0.000 1 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 9 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 4 1 7 0.429 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 5.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 41 12 110 0.264 37 0 2 4 53 0 24 5 0 53.0
Opp 3 38 26 122 0.098 36 4 8 0 52 1 4 1 0 45.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||
| Boston College |
Volleyball Win Streak to 12.
Jekaterina Stepanova leads No. 19 FSU Volleyball to 3-0 victory over Virginia Tech; Seminoles reach 12-0 in the ACC.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - On a night where several Florida State volleyball players stepped up, senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova shined the brightest as her 15-kill performance guided the Seminoles (18-4, 12-0) past Virginia Tech, 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-12), in front of 1,231 fans on Friday evening at Tully Gym.
Playing before another packed gym, Stepanova had one of her most effective outputs of the season as she hit .500 to help get through a difficult Virginia Tech front line that recorded 14.5 blocks. Time and time again, the Riga, Latvia, native showed her explosiveness at the net as she found holes in the Hokies' (13-10, 6-6) defense.
With FSU facing its first repeat opponent of the season, Virginia Tech proved relentless at times and challenged the Seminoles in the first and second sets. FSU previously beat the Hokies earlier in the season on Sept. 24 in Blacksburg, Va., winning 3-0.
"We played well tonight," head coach Chris Poole said. "We didn't play as well as we wanted to. Visnja (Djurdjevic) and Rachael (Morgan) were limited a little bit in practice this week and started off slow but then gained steam. Kate (Stepanova) and Sareea (Freeman) played outstanding and really stepped it up for us today. The thing about this team is we have so many weapons that anyone can step up at any time."
Stepanova added nine digs in a near double-double effort. The Seminoles often looked to sophomore right-side hitter Elise Walch for some offense as well, as she recorded 10 kills and a .316 hitting percentage while being tested by Virginia Tech's front line on several attacks.
Junior middle blocker Sareea Freeman kept up her stellar season with eight kills on 10 attacks for an .800 hitting percentage. The Fresno, Calif., native tied Ashley Neff for the team lead with five blocks on the evening. Freeman, who has become a reliable offensive option, was responsible for arguably the biggest point of the match when she took a well-placed set from Sarah Wickstrom in the middle scored a kill along the right side to give FSU the second set by a close 25-23 margin.
In that second set, FSU held a somewhat comfortable 23-19 advantage following an attack error by Virginia Tech's Jennifer Wiker. But the Hokies stormed back with three consecutive points which was capped by a service ace from Cara Baarendse. Following a timeout, Stepanova earned a big point with a kill, but a subsequent kill by Victoria Hamsher made it a one-score set at 24-23 until Freeman's attack gave FSU a two-set lead.
Virginia Tech was also done in by three late service errors in the second set. FSU helped itself by giving away just one point tonight in its service game.
Senior outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic was important with her passing in the match, recording a team-high 18 digs. The total ties her season high, which she has accomplished in two other matches this season. Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher boosted her digs-per-set average with 17.
Virginia Tech's 14.5 blocks were the most recorded against the Seminoles this season. The Hokies recorded six in the first set but were hurt by a 9-0 run by the Seminoles that turned an FSU deficit of 7-4 into a 13-4 lead. Mosher sparked the run with good serving, while Djurdjevic, Stepanova and Freeman led the Seminoles throughout the set with four kills apiece.
Since joining the ACC in 1991, FSU has recorded a win streak of 12 or more matches on four occasions. Most recently was a winning stretch of 19 matches during its Elite Eight season in 2009, while 12-match win streaks highlighted the 1997 and 1992 seasons.
FSU now improves to 9-0 at home this season.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 3 6 16 -0.188 0 0 0 0 5 0 4 0 0 5.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 15 2 26 0.500 2 0 0 1 9 0 3 0 0 16.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 7 6 27 0.037 1 2 1 1 18 0 2 0 0 10.0
14 Ashley Neff 3 2 2 10 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 4.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 2 0 3 0.667 20 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 3 10 4 19 0.316 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 10.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 0 0.000 2 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 1 0.000 19 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 8 0 10 0.800 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 10.5
Team 1
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 47 20 112 0.241 44 2 1 3 58 0 20 2 0 59.0
Opp 3 31 16 110 0.136 29 3 5 2 41 1 27 2 2 48.5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech | |||
| Florida State |
Florida State Sweeps Virginia.
Seminoles move to 13-0 in the ACC while extending win streak to 13 matches.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The 19th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team had another fine performance at Tully Gym as it swept Virginia, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-14), on Sunday afternoon in its "Paint it Pink" match.
The victory puts the Seminoles (19-4, 13-0) at a 13-match winning streak while staying undefeated in conference play with a 13-0 record. FSU is also 10-0 at home, and has never gone undefeated in Tully Gym during the regular season since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991. It will have an opportunity to do so next weekend when it faces North Carolina State on Friday and North Carolina on Sunday in senior weekend.
"The team was able to play pretty well. We were a little sluggish but it's hard to stay on top of your game all the time and we understand that," head coach Chris Poole said. "We are trying to get them to really raise their level up throughout the match with each set and win each rally instead of getting those valleys and peaks that we have at times. Overall, I'm pretty proud of them and most of them played well today. We had a lot of contributions from a lot of people and that's very important for us because as we go further into the season, you never know when someone is going to have an off game."
FSU was able to take advantage of its consistent hitting as it posted a .371 attack percentage, its second-highest in conference play. FSU only hit better against Clemson in a three-set victory on Oct. 16, hitting .389. The Seminoles have also played nine-three set matches in conference play, winning them all.
The outside hitters were effective once again for FSU, as senior Jekaterina Stepanova produced 12 kills and a .409 hitting percentage. Fellow senior Visnja Djurdjevic had 11 kills in 17 attacks and posted a .529 attack percentage while adding seven digs.
FSU limited the Cavaliers (8-15, 2-11) to a .167 attack percentage, while holding one of the most versatile players in the ACC in Simone Asque to a .214 clip with six kills. The Seminoles took advantage of their size up front, out-blocking Virginia 10-2. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff, the nation's leading blocker, recorded eight blocks and added six kills.
Duygu Duzceler led FSU with 23 assists.
Sophomore right-side hitter Elise Walch aided FSU's offense with five kills in 10 attacks with just one error, equating to a .400 attack percentage. Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher led all players with 12 digs.
Neff started off well and sparked FSU in the first set, recording five kills in five attacks as the Seminoles hit .424 in the set. In the second frame, Virginia was much more consistent and hit .297 while trading points with the Seminoles early on. The turning point in the set came late as FSU clung to a 17-16 lead but used a 4-0 run that was highlighted by a service ace from Duzceler. Stepanova later produced a kill that ended the set.
Getting off to a good start was important for FSU after the intermission, as it burst to a 5-2 lead in the third set on a kill by Walch. Virginia fought back but the Seminoles responded with a 6-0 run midway through the set which included two blocks and two kills by Rachael Morgan.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 8 3 19 0.263 0 1 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 11.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 12 3 22 0.409 1 0 3 0 3 0 1 2 0 12.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 11 2 17 0.529 0 2 0 2 7 0 1 0 0 13.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 6 2 12 0.333 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0 0 10.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 1 0 4 0.250 23 2 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 3.0
23 Elise Walch 3 5 1 10 0.400 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 6.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 1 0.000 3 0 0 1 12 0 0 0 0 0.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 1 0 0 1 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 0 0.000 14 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 1 0 3 0.333 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 3 0 8 0.375 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 4.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 47 11 97 0.371 41 5 4 3 41 0 20 2 0 62.0
Opp 3 32 16 96 0.167 31 3 5 5 33 0 4 0 0 37.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | |||
| Florida State |
Senior Night Delight.
No. 18 FSU Volleyball gets past North Carolina State with 10th 3-0 win in conference play on.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The 18th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team kept its unbeaten conference record intact on "Senior Night" as it defeated North Carolina State, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-15), Friday evening in front of another packed crowd at Tully Gym.
A gathering of 1,118 in attendance came out to support FSU's four senior student-athletes in Rachael Morgan, Patricia Figueiredo, Visnja Djurdjevic and Jekaterina Stepanova prior to the match. Once the first serve occurred, the Seminole faithful witnessed another strong performance by the Garnet and Gold as it earned another sweep. The Seminoles (20-4, 14-0) move to 11-0 at home and have won by 3-0 scores in every home match except for a 3-1 victory against then-No. 23 Tulsa and a 3-2 win over Wake Forest.
With one more regular-season match at home on Sunday, FSU is looking to go unbeaten in Tully Gym for the entire season for the first time since joining the ACC in 1991. The victory over the Wolfpack (17-10, 5-9) is also FSU's 20th this season, making the 2011 Seminoles the fourth-fastest team in school history to reach 20 wins. FSU's 20 victories in just 24 matches played trails only the 1983, 1989 and 2009 squads that reached 20 wins in just 22 matches played.
"I thought we really played well in sets one and three. We really let down in set two and we've challenged them between those sets to come back alive and play," head coach Chris Poole said. "We made some uncharacteristic mistakes tonight but at the same time we did some good things. N.C. State's playing with a lot of confidence - they've got a new coach and a new system and he's got those kids believing in what they are doing. We knew they would come at us hard but our girls never quit."
FSU held N.C. State to a .092 hitting percentage, and has yet to allow an ACC opponent to hit greater than .226 this season. The Seminoles fared better on the offensive end, hitting .238 while being led by Stepanova's 12 kills and 10 digs. Stepanova's double-double was her team-leading 10th this season and her first since posting 18 kills and 10 digs at Maryland on Oct. 21.
Morgan had a strong all-around performance, garnering six kills and a .500 hitting percentage while adding three digs and three blocks. Djurdjevic contributed with eight kills on a .333 attacking percentage and added 13 digs.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher continues to pass well from the back row, leading FSU with 16 digs. Freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom recorded 15 assists, seven digs and three service aces.
Another bit of significance in Friday's win is that FSU is the first ACC team to start conference play with a 14-0 record since Clemson accomplished the same feat in 2007.
N.C. State played FSU tough in the first set, which mirrored the close battle both teams played when the Seminoles won 3-2 earlier in the season. The Wolfpack started fast with a 5-2 lead on a Dariyan Hopper kill, and 11 tied scores and five lead changes ensued in the first frame. Morgan's service ace midway through put FSU ahead at 17-14, but N.C. State was not ready to go away as it later tied the set at 18-18 on a Margaret Salata kill. From there, FSU countered with a 7-0 run that ended with a kill by Elise Walch to give the Seminoles the first set.
The second set was also close early on, but one FSU run was all that was needed to break away. Holding on to a 12-11 lead over N.C. State, the Seminoles went on another 7-0 run that included two kills and a block by Walch. FSU then closed out the set on a kill by Stepanova.
Following the 10-minute intermission, FSU was dominant in the third set as Djurdjevic's five kills led an offense that hit .323 and held the Wolfpack to a .081 clip. Stepanova added four kills and two digs while the match ended on a block by Sareea Freeman and Djurdjevic to give FSU a victory on "Senior Night."
The Seminoles now hold a three-match lead in the latest conference standings as North Carolina fell at Miami on Friday evening, 3-1. UNC and Miami are both three matches behind the Seminoles for second in the conference, showing 11-3 conference records.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 6 0 12 0.500 2 2 1 0 3 0 3 0 0 9.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 12 5 30 0.233 1 1 0 2 10 0 0 0 0 13.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 8 1 21 0.333 1 0 0 0 13 0 2 0 0 9.0
14 Ashley Neff 3 3 4 11 -0.091 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 5.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 2 0 4 0.500 17 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 3 7 4 13 0.231 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 8.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 0 0.000 3 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 1 0.000 15 3 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 3.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 3 2 13 0.077 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 5.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 41 16 105 0.238 39 6 2 2 54 1 14 1 0 55.0
Opp 3 32 21 120 0.092 30 2 5 6 38 3 13 2 0 43.5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State | |||
| Florida State |
Undefeated at Tully.
18th-ranked Seminoles fight back to defeat North Carolina in four sets; finish 12-0 at Tully Gym in the regular season.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Facing one of the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the 18th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team responded to the challenge with a 3-1 (25-16, 12-25, 25-21, 25-21) victory over North Carolina on Sunday afternoon to finish 12-0 at home during the regular season.
"I know the girls were feeling a tremendous amount of pressure," head coach Chris Poole said. "Obviously, it means a lot to win every home game. The crowd was great again today. Volleyball is a sport where the momentum can shift back and forth and you need your crowd to help you.
"North Carolina was motivated after getting upset by Miami on Friday night. This was a big match for them and they needed it," Poole added. "They played like they needed it; they played hard the whole time. Sometimes we didn't have answers for them, particularly in game two. Overall, our girls settled down and played well throughout the match."
The Seminoles (21-4, 15-0) overcome a bit of adversity against the Tar Heels (19-7, 11-4) as both teams were knotted at 1-1 overall following UNC's dominant second-set victory. Coming out of the 10-minute intermission, it was important for FSU to get off to a good start as momentum swung UNC's way. FSU dug itself into a small hole when it faced an immediate 4-0 deficit in the third frame.
From there, FSU settled down and strung off seven consecutive points that brought the crowd of 1,010 to its feet in what was another tremendous turnout at Tully Gym. In that run were two service aces by senior outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic, who set a season high with six services aces in the match. Djurdjevic finished with nine kills and nine digs.
Another 5-0 run by FSU in the third set created a 14-7 advantage against a relentless UNC squad that kept battling back. The Seminoles later held a 19-13 lead on a kill by Rachael Morgan, but UNC used three FSU attack errors, a service ace by Kaylie Gibson and a kill by Chaniel Nelson to cut the Seminole lead to 19-18. Both teams began to trade points until junior middle blocker Sareea Freeman played a hand in two of FSU's three consecutive points to give the Seminoles a 24-20 advantage. Freeman fittingly ended the important third set with a kill to create an overall 2-1 cushion.
Freeman finished with nine kills and five blocks. Jekaterina Stepanova and Elise Walch provided an offensive boost with 10 kills apiece, while Stepanova added 12 digs for her second straight double-double and her 11th of the year. Walch also played a vital role with five blocks.
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff also was important in Sunday's victory, garnering seven kills and just one error in 14 attacks for a .429 hitting percentage. The Kennesaw, Ga., native added five blocks.
What FSU attempted to do in the third set, it had accomplished in the fourth set in starting off strong. This time the Seminoles held the quick 4-0 advantage that included two more service aces from Djurdjevic. A kill by Walch raced FSU out to a 9-1 advantage, as she picked up four big kills in the frame. Eventually, UNC began to catch up as a kill by Erica Behm brought the Seminole lead to just 20-16. However, the teams began to trade points over the next six rallies, and a block by Walch and Freeman sealed the match.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher guided FSU from the back row with 21 digs, totaling 409 for the season. The Fort Myers, Fla., native is on pace to crack the single-season Top 10 digs list at FSU, with former Seminole Holly Schneider having 421 digs in 1998 for 10th-place. The school single-season record is held by Summer Weissing, who holds an attainable mark of 513 that she set in 2005.
FSU's victory also marks its 15th consecutive win, tying the 1983 team's streak for fourth-longest in school history. The 1989 squad is third with 17 consecutive wins, while the second-longest is 19 straight victories in 2009. The school record for the longest win streak is 21 matches in 1981.
Since joining the ACC in 1991, FSU had never gone undefeated at home during the regular season. With two more victories over the weekend, the Seminoles hold a three-match lead over Miami after the Hurricanes defeated N.C. State, 3-0, this afternoon. FSU also defeated Miami in its first head-to-head matchup of the season on Sept. 14. The Hurricanes have a 12-3 record in ACC play.
The Seminoles now face the challenge of finishing the regular season on a five-match road trip, starting next weekend with a 7 p.m. match at Wake Forest on Friday followed by a 1 p.m. match at Duke on Sunday.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 6 1 26 0.192 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 0 0 8.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 10 9 27 0.037 0 0 0 1 12 0 1 0 0 10.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 9 7 34 0.059 2 6 0 1 9 0 1 0 1 15.5
14 Ashley Neff 4 7 1 14 0.429 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 1 0 9.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 2 0 2 1.000 21 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 4 10 5 23 0.217 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 12.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 0 21 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 0 0 3 0.000 19 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 9 4 19 0.263 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 0 11.5
Team 1
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 53 27 148 0.176 43 7 1 3 57 0 20 1 1 70.0
Opp 4 50 17 141 0.234 49 3 8 7 64 2 18 3 0 64.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | ||||
| Florida State |
FSU Survives in Five.
17th-ranked Florida State duels in another five-setter with Wake Forest and comes up with big victory on the road.
WINSTON SALEM, NC - For the second time this season the 17th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team received all it could handle from Wake Forest, yet FSU maintained its poise down the stretch and came out with a 3-2 victory (23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 16-14) over the Demon Deacons on Friday evening at Reynolds Gym in Winston Salem, N.C.
"What an incredible effort tonight," head coach Chris Poole said following his 96th victory as a member of the Garnet and Gold. "Wake Forest played very inspired. We struggled to find our rhythm offensively but played with tremendous heart defensively. The pressure is mounting with each match. It's not easy to go through a long conference season undefeated and we are asking this team to play at a high level every game."
The Seminoles (22-4, 16-0) were saved by their talented middle blocking tandem of Ashley Neff and Sareea Freeman. Neff, a sophomore from Kennesaw, Ga., continued her All-America caliber season with 13 kills for a .370 hitting percentage and 10 blocks in what should strengthen her national lead in blocks per set. Neff is now averaging 1.70 blocks per set in 2011.
Equally as impressive was Freeman, who put on one of the best offensive performances of her career when FSU needed it the most. The Fresno, Calif., native amassed a career-high 14 kills and had an outstanding .520 attack percentage while adding four blocks. Freeman ended tonight's tight battle with a solo block off an attack by Wake Forest's Kristin Grissom in the fifth set.
FSU continues to add more milestones to its 2011 season, especially within ACC play. The team's 16-0 conference record makes it the first ACC team to go 16-0 in conference play since Georgia Tech finished with the same ACC record in 2004 in what was then a 16-match regular season. The 1996 and 1997 Maryland Terrapins were the only other ACC squads to go 16-0 as they finished the conference season undefeated.
A victory at Duke on Sunday afternoon would make the Seminoles the first ACC team to ever show a 17-0 record within the conference, partly because they now play a 20-match regular-season schedule.
FSU's magic number to clinch the ACC championship is two with the assumption that second-place Miami (22-3, 13-3) finishes its last four matches undefeated. Should the Hurricanes lose at all down the stretch, FSU's magic number is reduced.
The Seminoles were unable to get an efficient hitting attack in place for most of the evening, showing a .196 percentage. Like it has in previous matches, FSU covered its mild offensive woes with great play at the net, tallying 14 team blocks while Wake Forest mustered seven. Neff's 10 blocks was her fourth double-digit blocking performance of the season.
Senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova led FSU with 15 kills and 13 digs for her 12th double-double of the year. Visnja Djurdjevic added 12 kills and 13 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Junior setter Duygu Duzceler recorded 32 assists in the match, her second-most this season. The Istanbul, Turkey, native's career-high was set this year against Wake Forest when she registered 37. Duzceler had her third double-double of the season and even produced four kills. Freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom was also effective, showing 27 assists in the five-set affair and adding 11 digs. FSU had five performers with double-digit digs, highlighted by redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher's 26. Mosher now has 435 digs this season, moving into 10th-place on FSU single-season list. She is just six digs shy of passing former player Kristine Cousins (1990) for ninth place.
A tense fifth set saw FSU face an 8-3 deficit after Wake Forest's Carlin Salmon and Kristin Grissom earned a block on a Stepanova attack. FSU fought back with three consecutive points which included kills by Stepanova and Freeman, then later won three consecutive points again when it was aided by Wake Forest miscues.
Trailing 12-11, Neff and Morgan combined for a match-tying block, then Neff recorded a solo block on an attack from Salmon. After a kill by Megan Carnell, she followed with a service error to give FSU match point at 14-13. Kadija Fornah, who had 20 kills on the night, tied the match once again at 14-14 before Neff's kill and Freeman's clutch solo block ended the match.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 5 7 4 31 0.097 0 0 1 0 2 0 4 0 0 9.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 5 15 7 45 0.178 2 0 1 2 13 0 4 0 0 17.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 5 12 9 34 0.088 2 2 0 0 13 0 2 0 0 15.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 0 2 4 -0.500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
14 Ashley Neff 5 13 3 27 0.370 0 0 0 0 1 2 8 1 0 19.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 5 4 1 9 0.333 32 1 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 5.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 5 0 0 0 0.000 3 0 1 0 26 0 0 0 0 0.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 1 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 5 0 0 0 0.000 27 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 5 14 1 25 0.520 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 16.5
23 Elise Walch 5 4 5 14 -0.071 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 4.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 5 69 32 189 0.196 66 3 5 2 83 3 22 1 0 86.0
Opp 5 65 29 193 0.187 61 2 6 3 77 1 12 7 4 74.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Wake Forest |
FSU Win Streak Snapped.
No. 17 Seminole volleyball loses first ACC match of the season in five sets at Duke.
DURHAM, NC - The 17th-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team's unprecedented winning streak in conference play came to an end on Sunday afternoon as it fell at Duke, 3-2 (20-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-22, 7-15), at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
FSU entered the contest with a 16-0 record in ACC play and attempted to become the first squad in conference history to show a 17-0 mark. However, the Blue Devils (18-8, 12-5) limited the Seminoles (22-5, 16-1) to a .191 hitting percentage and rode the hot hitting of Christiana Gray and her 20 kills to snap FSU's streak.
Sophomore right-side hitter Elise Walch led FSU offensively, garnering 15 kills and a .333 hitting percentage while adding four blocks. The Stuart, Fla., native recorded her second-most kills while at FSU since totaling 16 versus Northern Iowa on Sept. 2.
Jekaterina Stepanova led the Seminoles with 16 kills and added six digs and four blocks. Senior Visnja Djurdjevic added 12 kills and nine digs.
Setter Sarah Wickstrom posted 26 assists in the match, while Duygu Duzceler had 25. Libero Katie Mosher had 23 digs to reach 458 for the season and move into eighth-place on the FSU single-season list, moving past Luiza Ramos (1992).
FSU now has a two-match lead over second-place Miami with three matches remaining in the regular season. The Hurricanes show a 14-3 conference record and also fell to FSU, 3-0, on Sept. 14 in Tallahassee. If Miami goes undefeated in its last three matches, the Seminoles would need to win two of their last three matches, which include road matchups at Clemson and Georgia Tech next weekend.
Known as one of the top defensive units in the nation, FSU out-blocked the Blue Devils by a 13-11 margin. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff recorded a team-high eight blocks, while junior Sareea Freeman added five.
With the first four sets split, Duke happened to make the big plays in the decisive fifth set. The Blue Devils, which hit .250 for the match, raised their level of play in the final frame with a .316 hitting percentage. FSU could not find its rhythm and faced a quick 8-2 deficit following a kill by Gray.
Walch responded with a kill, but FSU could never mount any sort of run to get back into the set. The match ended on a kill by Sophia Dunworth, who contributed with 18 kills and 12 digs.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 5 4 2 24 0.083 0 0 0 0 5 0 4 0 0 6.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 5 16 8 45 0.178 0 1 2 0 6 0 4 1 0 19.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 5 12 3 39 0.231 1 1 1 0 9 0 0 0 0 13.0
14 Ashley Neff 5 4 3 17 0.059 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 0 8.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 5 1 1 3 0.000 25 1 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 5 15 4 33 0.333 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 17.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 5 0 0 0 0.000 4 0 0 1 23 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 5 0 0 0 0.000 26 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 2 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 5 7 4 17 0.176 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 9.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 5 59 25 178 0.191 56 3 3 1 66 1 24 1 2 75.0
Opp 5 70 26 176 0.250 68 1 7 3 88 0 22 1 2 82.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Duke |
Closer to the Title.
Jekaterina Stepanova's 20 kills help 21st-ranked volleyball team to 3-1 victory at Clemson.
CLEMSON, SC - Behind an excellent offensive performance from Jekaterina Stepanova, the 21st-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team fought off a boisterous atmosphere at Jervey Gym and defeated Clemson, 3-1 (22-25, 25-15, 25-20, 26-24), on Friday evening in what was an ESPN3.com broadcast.
The win allows FSU at least a share of the ACC championship. The team will be looking for an outright title tomorrow evening at Georgia Tech.
Stepanova's kill total was one shy of tying her season high of 21 set at Dayton earlier this season on Sept. 9. The senior outside hitter from Riga, Latvia, had a .514 hitting percentage to mark her second-highest this season. Coming into the match against a Top 20 blocking unit in Clemson, Stepanova was able to hit through their block consistently in one of her best outings of her career.
"Kate had an outstanding game for us tonight," head coach Chris Poole said following his 97th win at FSU. "She had one of her better offensive performances this season, especially to have the pressure we had on us tonight."
It is the fourth time in her two-year career at FSU that Stepanova has reached the 20-kill plateau. As a junior she put forth 20-kill performances in victories over Kansas State and Duke. On Friday, she started off strong and kept the Seminoles (23-5, 17-1) in the first set with six kills, followed by four in the second frame and five apiece in the last two sets. She also added 12 digs to reach 13 double-doubles this year.
FSU heightened its offensive play in front of a crowd of 1,726, recording a .299 hitting percentage to mark its highest clip since hitting .371 versus Virginia on Oct. 30. The Seminoles ramped up their hitting following a 1-1 tie at the intermission, hitting .324 in the third set and .357 in the fourth.
Freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom aided the Seminoles' attack with a career-high 29 assists, including nine in the fourth set. Duygu Duzceler added 24 assists and was important in the serving game, recording a critical ace in the fourth set that created match point at 25-24. It was Visnja Djurdjevic's kill along the net that followed for the match-winning point, as she recorded 11 kills and 18 digs for her 11th double-double of the year.
In that fourth set, FSU held a 21-17 lead following a mishit by Clemson's Sandra Adeleye, but the Tigers (18-11, 10-8) got their crowd back into the match with a 4-0 run that was capped by Karis Watson's block. FSU even faced match point against them trailing 24-23, but staved off a fifth set on a key block from Sareea Freeman and Rachael Morgan. "I told the girls after tonight's match that we didn't play perfect but we played with a lot of heart," Poole added. Finding a way to win and not giving away that fourth set was encouraging. Clemson can be a difficult place to play and we've had some bad matches here, so tonight's victory was certainly big for us."
Freeman had another strong game for FSU, recording eight kills and six blocks. With FSU trailing for a majority of the third set, Freeman helped turn the match around by teaming with Elise Walch for a big block that tied the set at 18-18. From there, FSU never trailed again in the frame as Stepanova followed with a service ace and Freeman added another kill to make it 20-18. Five of the next seven points went to the Seminoles as Neff and Morgan recorded the set-ending block. Overall, FSU out-blocked Clemson, 12-9.
Morgan added five kills, a .308 hitting percentage, six digs and five blocks for FSU. Walch strung together 10 kills and two blocks. Libero Katie Mosher's 14 digs moved her up four spots on the school's season digs list with 472, which is fifth on the list.
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff added six kills and five blocks in the match as she tries to keep pace with her nation-leading 1.64 blocks per set. Clemson's Serenat Yaz finished with a match-high 23 kills, the most by an FSU opponent this season.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 5 1 13 0.308 0 0 0 0 6 0 5 0 0 7.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 20 1 37 0.514 2 1 2 0 12 0 0 1 0 21.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 11 4 37 0.189 0 0 1 1 18 1 2 0 0 13.0
14 Ashley Neff 4 6 2 14 0.286 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 8.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 2 0 4 0.500 24 2 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 4.0
23 Elise Walch 4 10 5 28 0.179 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 11.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 2 1 1 3 14 0 0 0 0 1.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 0 0 1 0.000 29 1 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 1.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 0 0 1 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 8 3 19 0.263 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 12.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 62 16 154 0.299 57 5 4 4 67 3 18 2 0 79.0
Opp 4 59 24 156 0.224 56 4 5 5 64 4 10 3 1 72.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | ||||
| Clemson |
ACC Champions!
No. 21 Florida State Volleyball wins third ACC title with 3-1 victory at Georgia Tech.
ATLANTA, GA - Another huge performance by outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova helped the 21st-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team win its third Atlantic Coast Conference title, including its second in the last three seasons, in a 3-1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-20, 25-15) victory at Georgia Tech on Saturday night at O'Keefe Gym.
Another rowdy crowd tried to deter the Seminoles (24-5, 18-1) from clinching another conference crown, but FSU fought off the noisy atmosphere by relying on its potent attack. Stepanova stepped up once again to the tune of 18 kills and a .410 attack percentage and used a .298 team hitting clip to get past the Yellow Jackets (15-15, 8-11).
"I think this season so far has been a carry-over of the second round last year in NCAAs when we played so well," head coach Chris Poole said. "Nationally, teams saw what type of team we had although the injuries really limited our potential. We had a good group coming back this season and that experience really helped us get another ACC title."
Picked to finish second in the preseason conference poll, FSU has relied on its blocking throughout the year and it came through once again on Saturday. The Seminoles totaled 12 team blocks while Georgia Tech recorded five as junior middle blocker Sareea Freeman was a force at the net again with a team-leading eight blocks. Senior right-side hitter Rachael Morgan finished with five, while Ashley Neff added four blocks.
Sophomore right-side hitter Elise Walch added to FSU's offense with six kills and a .417 hitting percentage. Visnja Djurdjevic nearly recorded another double-double with nine kills and a team-high 15 digs.
FSU was helped by Georgia Tech's 12 service errors in the match. The Seminoles allowed 15 kills by Georgia Tech's Monique Mead, one of the nation's leading hitters, but forced her into a .167 attack percentage.
Setter Duygu Duzceler led FSU with 23 assists while Sarah Wickstrom added 16.
FSU's attack dictated play in the first set as it registered 15 kills and a .464 hitting percentage. The Seminoles trailed 4-0 in the early going but got on track with the help of Stepanova's five kills in the set. FSU took its first lead at 9-8 on a block by Freeman and Morgan and never relinquished it. A two-point swing later in the set on consecutive points from Djurdjevic and Morgan created a 20-16 advantage, and a block by Stepanova and Freeman on Mead's attack ended the first set.
"Our offense had been a little off the past couple of weeks and did much better this weekend," Poole added. "We played with a lot of confidence in front of big crowds this weekend and I think the Duke loss really got everyone's attention and helped us get back to business."
Georgia Tech came back with a .379 hitting percentage in the second set, and was helped by some unsteady passing from the Seminoles. Morgan led FSU with three kills and one block in the set, but FSU was only able to put together a .071 attack percentage and the Yellow Jackets used an important 6-0 run late in the set to pull away.
The third set was played closely by both teams, trading points through a large portion of the frame. With the set tied at 16-16, FSU strung together three consecutive points which included a Freeman kill and a block by Morgan and Freeman to create a 19-16 lead. Six of the next 10 points went in FSU's favor as Neff and Stepanova blocked an attack by Mead to take a 2-1 overall lead.
The final set was tight in the beginning, but a 9-9 tie was broken wide open by FSU as Walch and Stepanova picked up momentum-changing kills to take an 11-9 lead. Shortly after, FSU won three consecutive points again to take a 14-11 lead. Following a couple more runs, Stepanova fittingly ended the match and clinched FSU's conference crown off a nice set from Duzceler that she put down, resulting in a mild celebration from the Garnet and Gold.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 6 3 16 0.188 0 1 1 0 3 0 5 0 0 9.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 18 2 39 0.410 3 0 0 3 8 0 2 0 0 19.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 9 3 26 0.231 3 0 0 1 15 0 1 0 0 9.5
14 Ashley Neff 4 3 4 10 -0.100 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 0 0 5.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 2 1 4 0.250 23 0 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 4 6 1 12 0.417 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 7.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 2 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 1 0 1 1.000 16 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 8 3 13 0.385 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 0 12.5
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 53 17 121 0.298 47 1 2 5 46 2 20 0 1 66.0
Opp 4 55 24 134 0.231 53 5 12 1 49 2 6 2 2 65.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | ||||
| Georgia Tech |
FSU Falls at Miami.
25th-ranked Miami hands No. 21 Florida State Volleyball second ACC loss.
CORAL GABLES, FL - The 21st-ranked Florida State University indoor volleyball team fell to rival and 25th-ranked Miami, 3-1 (16-25, 31-33, 25-21, 25-22), on Saturday evening in its final regular-season match at the James L. Knight Sports Complex.
The Seminoles (24-6, 18-2) endured just their second loss in the Atlantic Coast Conference, tying a season-low with four blocks while the Hurricanes (25-4, 16-4) were ignited by a .303 hitting percentage. Miami is the first ACC opponent of the season to hit above .300 against FSU, with the previous high being .250 in the Seminoles' other conference loss at Duke on Nov. 13.
Senior Visnja Djurdjevic led FSU, which recorded a .277 hitting percentage in the contest. Djurdjevic produced her 12th double-double of the year, amassing 16 kills, a .375 hitting percentage and 18 digs. She has recorded five 18-dig performances in her senior year.
Fellow senior Jekaterina Stepanova had her 14th double-double of the year, recording a season-high 20 digs and adding 10 kills.
Senior right-side hitter Rachael Morgan also had a strong performance, tying her season-high with 13 kills and hitting .333. Junior middle blocker Sareea Freeman continues to excel offensively, finishing with 14 kills and a .565 hitting percentage. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff added 10 kills and a .348 hitting percentage for FSU.
"A match like tonight will help us prepare for the post season," head coach Chris Poole said. "We showed a lot of character in what was a very hostile environment."
Freshman libero Katie Mosher contributed with 21 digs, moving up the school's single-season digs list as she now shows 498 for the year and sits in fourth place. She needs just two digs to also become the fourth Seminole to reach 500 digs in one season, and is 16 digs shy of breaking the school record.
Setters Duygu Duzceler and Sarah Wickstrom recorded 29 assists apiece.
Miami's Lane Carico, the ACC Player of the Year, doomed FSU all night with 29 kills and 17 digs. Carico's kill total is the highest of any FSU opponent this season. Miami also put together 11 blocks.
FSU played behind the entire first set as it fell to Miami to open the match. A quick 9-4 deficit prevented the Seminoles from getting within striking distance as the Hurricanes distanced their opening set lead throughout. Miami registered 16 kills in the set and committed just two attack errors, led by Carico's five kills.
The second set was extremely competitive, as Miami won in extra time by a 33-31 count. FSU recorded 27 kills and only four attack errors in the set, while Wickstrom paced the Seminoles in the frame with 13 assists. FSU got behind once again in the early going, trailing 8-2, but used a couple runs to keep the set close and even took the lead at 19-18 on a kill from Elise Walch. Both teams began to go back and forth with points until the Seminoles reached a 24-22 advantage on a kill from Morgan. Both teams had a bevy of set points lined up but could not close out the set until Carico recorded a kill following Miami's 32-31 advantage.
Freeman and Djurdjevic picked up five kills apiece to give FSU a win in the third set. FSU picked up its play offensively and kept a consistent lead until Carico's kill and service ace put Miami ahead at 16-14. However, FSU did not relent and kept pace with Miami, winning the set after stringing together four consecutive points which included a kill by Djurdjevic, a block by Morgan and Neff and a Miami attack error on Emani Sims. The Seminoles, however, were unable to capitalize in the fourth frame.
As the automatic qualifier out of the ACC, FSU will await its postseason tournament seeding as the NCAA Volleyball Selection Show airs on Sunday, Nov. 27, at 6 p.m. on ESPNU. Because of its successful regular season and its high-rated RPI at No. 8, FSU may have an opportunity to earn a national seed and host the first two rounds of the NCAA Championship.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 13 4 27 0.333 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 13.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 10 6 40 0.100 1 0 2 1 20 0 0 0 0 10.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 16 1 40 0.375 0 0 0 0 18 1 0 0 1 17.0
14 Ashley Neff 4 10 2 23 0.348 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 11.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 0 2 5 -0.400 29 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 0.0
23 Elise Walch 4 9 5 24 0.167 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 9.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 0 0 0 0.000 5 0 1 1 21 0 0 0 0 0.0
7 Fatma Yildirim 2 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 0 0 1 0.000 29 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 0.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 0 0 1 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 14 1 23 0.565 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 15.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 72 21 184 0.277 66 0 5 2 80 3 2 1 1 76.0
Opp 4 74 18 185 0.303 68 2 4 0 78 1 20 4 0 87.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | ||||
| Miami |
Seminoles Moving On.
High-flying senior outside hitter sparks strong offensive performance as FSU defeats Albany in three sets of first round of the NCAA Championship.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Another entertaining performance by Florida State volleyball player Jekaterina Stepanova highlighted FSU's 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-23) victory over Albany in the first round of the NCAA women's volleyball championship on Friday evening at Tully Gym.
Stepanova's 16 kills and nine digs highlighted FSU's hitting percentage of .333 as it won its sixth NCAA Tournament match in school history. The Seminoles (25-6) have won three first-round matchups in the last three seasons as they continue to emerge as one of the nation's fastest-rising volleyball programs.
"Certainly we're very excited for the win," head coach Chris Poole said. "We knew that this was a team that was dangerous and wouldn't quit and didn't have anything to lose. They'd keep working and they're a well-coached team who has a good record - that certainly tells you they're going to keep coming at you each time. We didn't play as well as we wanted to coming out of the break there (in the third set), but at the same time the girls picked it up at the end and came out with a win."
The victory for FSU means it will face Cincinnati on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. at Tully Gym in the second round. The Bearcats (27-9) won their opening round match versus Samford in five sets. The victor of Saturday's match will earn a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16 in Minneapolis, Minn.
The Seminoles have now won 10 of their 13 matches in Tully Gym by 3-0 sweeps this season. FSU now advances to the second round for just the fourth time in school history.
Whenever needed, Stepanova rose to the occasion on Friday evening with acrobatic kills that ignited the crowd. The Latvia native finished with a .467 hitting percentage, and was set up nicely by setters Sarah Wickstrom (21 assists) and Duygu Duzceler (16 assists). Stepanova continues to play a vital role in FSU's receiving game, managing nine digs.
Redshirt freshman Katie Mosher made history in FSU's first-round match when she broke the school's single-season digs record. Mosher produced 17 digs to reach 515 for the season, passing previous leader's Summer Weissing's total of 513 in 2005.
Senior outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic was the other Seminole to reach double-digit kills, recording 11 put-downs as well as 11 digs. Djurdjevic's 13 double-doubles trail only Stepanova's 14 this season.
Four-year senior Rachael Morgan also was efficient against the Great Danes (21-9), tallying five kills and a .364 hitting percentage in what was her seventh postseason match as a Seminole.
FSU has now defeated Albany twice in 2011 after winning by a 3-0 count in the season-opening FSU Invitational in late August.
The Seminoles hit .387 in the first set as Stepanova made good on five of her 10 attacks. FSU burst to a 6-0 lead and reached a double-digit advantage at 16-6 on an Albany service error. Duzceler ended the set when she dumped the ball from a setter position to give FSU an early 1-0 overall lead.
FSU won by double digits again in frame two, getting five more kills from Stepanova while Albany amassed more errors than kills. FSU started with a 5-0 lead and never looked back, winning 25-11 in the set after Albany's Casey Wright forced an attack error.
The Great Danes kept it close in the third set, holding a 7-4 lead as FSU was forced to call a timeout. Following the break, the Seminoles won five consecutive points and never trailed again in the set as Stepanova ended the match on another sharp kill.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 5 1 11 0.364 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 6.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 16 2 30 0.467 1 0 0 1 9 0 1 0 0 16.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 11 4 30 0.233 1 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 11.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 0 3 0.000 21 1 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 3 5 2 13 0.231 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 6.0
23 Elise Walch 3 3 2 11 0.091 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 3.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 0 0 0 0.000 3 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 3 4 1 6 0.500 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4.0
14 Ashley Neff 1 0 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 4 0 4 1.000 16 2 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 6.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 48 12 108 0.333 44 4 1 1 53 0 4 2 0 54.0
Opp 3 35 21 116 0.121 35 1 1 4 46 1 6 0 0 40.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | |||
| Florida State |
How Sweet It Is!
Florida State wins thrilling five-setter over Cincinnati to reach the round of 16 for the second time in school history.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - With their backs against the wall late in the match, the 12th-seeded Florida State University indoor volleyball team managed to overcome a five-set struggle with Cincinnati and win a highly entertaining bout, 3-2 (25-23, 16-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-13), to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 on Saturday night at Tully Gym.
The exciting victory is another significant milestone for a program that has achieved so much not just in 2011 but since the arrival of head coach Chris Poole and his staff in 2008. FSU advances to the NCAA Regional Semifinals for the second time in the last three seasons, and has won six of their seven NCAA postseason matches under the guidance of Poole.
Opposite the Seminoles (26-6) on Saturday evening was an athletic, relentless Bearcats (27-10) squad that set their tempo for nearly the entire match and jeopardized FSU's undefeated streak in Tully Gym. FSU, which finishes with a 14-0 mark this season at its historic facility, overcame several deficits throughout the match before emerging victorious.
"That's the great thing about the game of volleyball, it's that you can play very bad at times and you can have very bad sets but you've got to win three," Poole said following the match. "We certainly didn't play as well as we would've liked to, some of that is a credit to Cincinnati. They played hard, kept digging the ball and they forced us to have to rally and our girls kept fighting and we're very proud of that fight because it put us back into the Sweet 16, which was a goal we had coming into this season."
The fifth set was a wild affair that included several runs that swayed momentum noticeably. An attack error by Cincinnati outside hitter Jordanne Scott gave FSU an early 4-1 lead in the final frame, but following a timeout the Bearcats stormed back with three consecutive points before being stalled by a service error from Missy Harpenau. However, Cincinnati won the next two points to build a 6-5 lead before Elise Walch's kill tied the set once again.
The contest turned quickly into Cincinnati's favor when it won four of the next five points, capped by a kill from Megan Turner, to take a 10-7 lead. However, FSU bounced right back with the crowd fiercely behind it by winning four consecutive points, as a critical block by Sareea Freeman and Rachael Morgan gave the Seminoles an 11-10 lead. FSU built a 13-11 advantage on a clutch kill by Visnja Djurdjevic, but Cincinnati struck back with two straight points.
The match would then be decided over the next two rallies as Djurdjevic put down a kill to make it 14-13. Jekaterina Stepanova, who has shouldered much of the offensive burden down the stretch, ended the match after another long rally resulted in a short kill from the Latvia native at the net, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The Seminoles hit .226 as a unit compared to Cincinnati's .277, but one of the key points going into the match was how well it could block. FSU exploited its size at the net and came away with 16 team blocks compared to Cincinnati's six, as sophomore Ashley Neff led the way with 10 to mark her fifth double-digit blocking performance of the season. The Kennesaw, Ga., native is second nationally in blocks and shows a 1.61 per set average.
Walch was a major contributor throughout the evening, adding 11 kills and a .370 hitting percentage for the Seminoles. Stepanova finished with 11 kills and 12 digs for her 15th double-double of the year, while Djurdjevic came through with some critical points and added 12 kills and 12 digs for her 14th double-double. Stepanova and Djurdjevic each recorded five blocks apiece.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher padded her single-season digs record with 21 on Saturday night, helping tame a Bearcats group that was aggressive at the service line and mobile through each rally. Mosher now has 536 digs this season.
Duygu Duzceler recorded 28 assists, while Sarah Wickstrom chipped in with 21. Each setter aided FSU with two service aces apiece.
While the victory is another significant step for Seminole volleyball, it also added another individual accolade for Poole. The 25-year head coach won his 650th career match as well as his 100th match at FSU.
A tight battle in the first set foreshadowed how the rest of the match would be played as FSU squeaked away with a 25-23 win. The Seminoles tried to pull away through the middle of the frame after leading 14-7, but Cincinnati would not quit and evened the set at 19-19 on a kill from Missy Harpenau. FSU used a 3-0 run to get its lead to 23-20, and a kill by Stepanova ended a close set.
Cincinnati took control of the second set, and seemingly forced the tempo for much of the third frame until FSU bounced back with a large run. Turner's kill for the Bearcats created a 13-7 lead, but FSU won seven of the next eight points which included one of Morgan's six kills. The Seminoles began to break away late, winning the final four rallies to go up 2-1 in the match. Although Cincinnati responded well by taking a hard-fought fourth set, it wasn't enough to stop FSU from ending its season prematurely.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 5 6 1 21 0.238 0 0 0 0 6 0 4 0 0 8.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 5 11 4 48 0.146 2 1 0 0 12 1 4 1 0 15.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 5 12 3 43 0.209 2 0 0 2 12 0 5 0 0 14.5
14 Ashley Neff 5 6 4 19 0.105 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 0 0 12.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 5 2 0 3 0.667 28 2 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 4.0
23 Elise Walch 5 11 1 27 0.370 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 5 1 0 1 1.000 2 1 0 0 21 0 0 0 0 2.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 5 1 0 2 0.500 20 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 3.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 1 0 0 2 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Sareea Freeman 5 8 3 20 0.250 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 0 10.5
Team 1
=========================================================
6 FSU 5 58 16 186 0.226 54 6 0 3 64 3 26 1 0 80.0
Opp 5 84 30 195 0.277 81 3 2 6 92 1 10 3 2 93.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | |||||
| Florida State |
Back in the Elite Eight!
Florida State puts together another program-defining victory with an NCAA Sweet 16 win over fifth-seeded Purdue.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Behind an enormous defensive effort both in the blocking and digging game, the 12th-seeded Florida State University indoor volleyball team defeated fifth-seeded Purdue, 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 25-19), on Friday evening at the Sports Pavilion to advance to yet another Elite Eight round in Minneapolis.
Two seasons ago, the Seminoles (27-6) emerged victorious in a five-set win over Kentucky to reach the Elite Eight and put themselves on the national radar. On Friday evening, with the help of 15 team blocks and a season-high 104 digs, FSU controlled the pace of the matchup against one of the Big Ten's best programs in Purdue and proved that the 2009 year was not a fluke for the program. The Boilermakers (29-5) carried one of the nation's better hitters in Ariel Turner, but the Seminoles found a way to contain her as she amassed 16 kills and a .105 hitting percentage.
"I'm proud of the girls," head coach Chris Poole said. "They've worked hard all season. We've talked about the motivation we've had, we were within one point of knocking out Florida in Gainesville last year (in the second round), and that's something Purdue did a week later It was after that match where we had the motivation to try to do even better this season. The girls have fought through much adversity the last couple years and even the last few weeks, and they continue to impress me. We did what we needed to do tonight against a very good Purdue team."
Throughout the match, FSU showed off its athleticism by extending rallies and getting to balls quickly. Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher came up with one of the best performances of her short career, racking up 28 digs while Visnja Djurdjevic and Jekaterina Stepanova recorded career highs of 26 and 22 digs, respectively.
A key edge held by the Seminoles was the battle of the middle blockers. Sophomore Ashley Neff registered 11 kills and four blocks, while junior Sareea Freeman nearly had a double-double with 10 kills and a season-high tying nine blocks.
Neff now has 189 blocks for FSU this season, by far the most in school history since the rally scoring era began in NCAA volleyball in 2001. It is the most blocks by a Seminole since Gabrielle Reece also recorded 189 in 1990.
Friday's victory is momentous for several reasons - FSU has reached its farthest point in school history for the second time in three years and is bidding for the school's first-ever berth in the Final Four on Saturday evening. Poole, in his fourth year at FSU, has guided the Seminoles to a postseason record of 7-2.
The Seminoles' win also adds more intrigue to the Atlantic Coast Conference - for the third consecutive season, the ACC has had a team reach the Elite Eight round. FSU's early-season nonconference schedule has also paid dividends, as it now shows a 12-6 record versus 13 different NCAA participants throughout the course of the season.
Also, FSU's victory over fifth-seeded and eighth-ranked Purdue ties for the program's best win over a nationally-ranked opponent since Poole arrived in 2008. In 2009, the Seminoles defeated No. 8 Illinois by a 3-0 score on Sept. 4 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. FSU has defeated seven ranked opponents during that span.
On Friday, the Seminoles held Purdue's attack to a .129 clip, while FSU recorded a .215 hitting percentage. With both teams tied at 1-1 going into the intermission, FSU answered the challenge in the third set by recording a .424 hitting percentage on 16 kills. The frame featured seven tied scores but one lead change, as a 16-16 score in the set was broken open by kills from Elise Walch and Freeman while Purdue was forced into some difficult attacks.
Walch was a reliable offensive force for the Seminoles on Friday, recording 11 kills and adding two blocks. Stepanova (11) and Djurdjevic (10) also added double-figure kill totals. Sarah Wickstrom recorded 19 assists and two service aces, while Duygu Duzceler contributed with 20 assists.
Late in the third set, FSU took a 22-18 lead on an important kill from Djurdjevic, then got a couple attack errors from Turner before Walch's big kill ended the set and gave FSU a 2-1 overall advantage.
The fourth set was tight once again, but FSU found momentum late to ride past Purdue. Neff, Stepanova and Djurdjevic each recorded four kills apiece while Mosher and Djurdjevic added 10 digs in the set alone to propel the Seminoles to another big victory.
The turning point in the fourth set came during FSU's final timeout when it found itself down 19-17 on a kill by Purdue's Tiffany Fisher. Following the break, FSU reeled off eight consecutive points to end the match, which included three blocks by Freeman. The match ended on a kill from Stepanova.
FSU mounted a large comeback in the opening set, trailing by as much as 21-13 against the Boilermakers. The Seminoles came back with a 6-0 run to cut their deficit to 21-19, then used a 5-0 run to end the set. Tied at 23-23, FSU got an attack error from Purdue's Kierra Jones, then received a short kill from Stepanova to win the set. The difference came in the blocking game, where FSU garnered five blocks in the set while the Boilermakers were unable to muster any.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 4 2 4 19 -0.105 0 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 0 4.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 4 11 4 47 0.149 3 0 0 2 22 0 1 1 0 11.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 4 10 3 43 0.163 1 0 2 3 26 1 3 0 0 12.5
14 Ashley Neff 4 11 2 17 0.529 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 13.0
20 Duygu Duzceler 4 2 0 4 0.500 20 0 1 0 10 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 4 11 5 37 0.162 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 0 0 13.0
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 4 2 0 2 1.000 7 0 1 1 28 0 0 0 0 2.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 4 2 0 3 0.667 19 2 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 4.0
22 Sareea Freeman 4 10 2 19 0.421 0 0 0 0 1 3 6 0 0 16.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 4 61 20 191 0.215 50 2 5 7 104 5 20 1 0 78.0
Opp 4 55 29 202 0.129 51 7 4 2 100 1 8 4 0 67.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | ||||
| Purdue |
Florida State Volleyball pulls off a five-set victory over Iowa State to advance to the school's first ever NCAA Final Four.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - In what has been a season of enormous feats, the Florida State University indoor volleyball team has nearly reached the pinnacle as it defeated 4th-seeded Iowa State, 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-11), on Saturday evening in Minneapolis to advance to its first-ever NCAA Final Four.
Never have the hard-working Seminoles (28-6) shown more resilience than Saturday evening when they faced a fifth set in which the Cyclones (25-6) were gaining tremendous momentum. FSU trailed in set No. 5 by a 4-1 margin before head coach Chris Poole called a timeout to settle his team down. From there, FSU reeled off three consecutive points, but later faced a deficit of 8-6. A four-point run, however, guided FSU to a 10-8 lead as Iowa State's Carly Jenson recorded an attack error to help FSU maintain its ambition of moving to the next round.
"The girls just kept hanging in there, kept playing hard," Poole said. "I think the sets that we won, our block did pretty well. Our sets that we lost, our block didn't do as well. So that was kind of the story of it, which we felt like coming up here that would make a difference if we could get our block going. You just have to give credit to our team first for the way they kept fighting, and certainly Iowa State didn't back down and kept fighting to try to make us have to work even harder. I'm very proud of the girls for the work that they've put in over the past year to get to this point."
FSU allowed the Cyclones to stay within striking distance after Victoria Hurtt recorded an important kill, but a 3-0 run ended the match as senior outside Visnja Djurdjevic recorded a kill and finished the match on the biggest play in school history - a service ace that sent FSU into euphoria as it celebrated the biggest win in program history.
With several student-athletes stepping up in what was an enormous atmosphere; perhaps the biggest performance came from junior middle blocker Sareea Freeman. The Fresno, Calif., native recorded a double-double with 12 kills, a .500 hitting percentage and 10 blocks. In the final 15-point set, Freeman dominated defensively with three blocks, including her final one that gave FSU a 12-10 advantage. She was named to the all-tournament team.
FSU relied on its blocking again, and it came through with a 16-8 edge over the Cyclones.
Joining Freeman with an incredible performance was Minneapolis Region All-Tournament MVP Jekaterina Stepanova, who nearly reached her career high with 20 kills while recording a .378 hitting percentage and nine digs. All evening, Stepanova was crafty on her attacks as she switched the tempo with an array of shots. She recorded her 24th double-digit kill match of the season, and had 19 blocks in her two NCAA Regional matches.
Djurdjevic added 14 kills and was once again efficient in her receiving game with 19 digs. She amassed her 16th double-double of the season and fourth in the NCAA Tournament. The Zitiste, Serbia, native also was named to the all-tournament team.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher excelled through FSU's two matches in the Minneapolis Region, recording 24 digs against Iowa State. Mosher was a steady defensive presence yet again as she kept several rallies alive by with a bevy of acrobatic digs. Junior setter Duygu Duzceler also came through with 35 assists and 14 digs for a double-double, and freshman setter Sarah Wickstrom also added a double-double with 18 assists and 10 digs.
Mosher's performance gives her 30 matches this season in which she has recorded 10-plus digs.
The victory on Saturday makes FSU the first-ever ACC team to reach the NCAA Final Four. FSU is now 9-13 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, with three of them coming at the Sports Pavilion.
"I think we panicked a little two years ago," Poole added. "It was our first experience. We went from being in an NCAA Tournament one time in 10 years to suddenly finding ourselves in the Elite Eight. It happened so fast that I think they panicked when they got there. We were fighting everything. I think the returning players learned from that. They learned not to panic."
FSU's big win is also important for lone four-year senior Rachael Morgan, who had four kills and six blocks. Morgan teamed with Freeman to form a tremendous defensive duo in the fifth set as she recorded three blocks of her own while competing in her team-leading 10th NCAA postseason match in the Garnet and Gold.
The Seminoles' win over Iowa State, which was ranked 14th in the latest AVCA poll, is their fifth over a nationally-ranked team this season. FSU is now 13-6 this season against 15 different NCAA Tournament opponents.
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neff added seven kills, a .357 hitting percentage and three blocks. Neff now has 192 blocks this year, the most by a Seminole since Gabrielle Reece had 212 in 1989.
FSU started the match clicking on all cylinders in the first set, putting together a .457 hitting percentage on 18 kills versus the Cyclones. The Seminoles were efficient at hitting over ISU's block, as Djurdjevic led the Seminoles with five kills. Freeman also made a difference in the set with three kills and two blocks. Neff, who recorded three kills in the frame, put FSU ahead at 23-19 on a kill from the middle, followed by another kill two rallies later. The set ended on an attack error from ISU's Tenisha Matlock.
The Seminoles had their chances in the second set but were unable to steal a comfortable lead. Stepanova paced FSU in the set with six kills and one block, as both teams traded points through a majority of the frame. FSU cooled off in its attack game, hitting .185, and succumbed to a 19-16 deficit late in the set after an incredibly long rally was finished off by an Iowa State kill from Matlock. FSU, however, rebounded by winning four of the next six points following Poole's timeout. The teams then went back and forth again, as Freeman's kill cut FSU's deficit to 24-23, but Iowa State went back to Matlock for a kill that knotted up the match.
FSU rebounded in the third set, proving much better offensively as it carried a .310 attack percentage. Duzceler recorded 10 assists in the set while Freeman expanded her all-around game with three kills and three blocks. FSU faced a 12-8 deficit after a kill by Iowa State's Kelsey Petersen, but eventually tied the set at 14-14 on a service ace by Morgan. Once again, both teams went back and forth until FSU won two consecutive points on a block from Morgan and Freeman and a kill from Djurdjevic. FSU won four of the next five points, ending the set on an attack error from Iowa State's Jamie Straube.
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 5 4 2 29 0.069 0 1 0 0 5 2 4 0 0 9.0
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 5 20 3 45 0.378 2 0 1 3 9 0 2 0 0 21.0
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 5 14 3 49 0.224 1 1 2 1 19 1 0 0 0 16.0
14 Ashley Neff 5 7 2 14 0.357 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 0 8.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 5 0 0 3 0.000 35 2 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 5 7 4 28 0.107 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 9.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 5 0 0 2 0.000 4 1 0 1 24 0 0 0 0 1.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 5 1 1 6 0.000 18 0 1 0 10 0 0 0 0 1.0
22 Sareea Freeman 5 12 2 20 0.500 0 0 0 0 5 2 8 0 0 18.0
=========================================================
6 FSU 5 65 17 196 0.245 60 5 5 5 88 5 22 2 0 86.0
Opp 5 75 31 216 0.204 73 5 5 5 100 0 16 3 1 88.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Iowa State |
Magical Season Ends.
Seminoles fall to UCLA in three sets in the NCAA National Semifinals.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - After enjoying its most successful season in the program's 44-year history, the 12th-seeded Florida State University indoor volleyball team had its magical run end on Thursday evening as it fell to ninth-seeded UCLA, 3-0, at the NCAA National Semifinal in the Alamodome.
The loss caps a riveting year for FSU that not only solidified its spot atop the Atlantic Coast Conference, but also across the nation. The Seminoles (28-7) end their 2011 campaign at the hands of a Bruins (29-6) team that found ways to hit through FSU's blocks and run an efficient offense that was set up by sound passing. Outside hitter Rachael Kidder exploited FSU with 21 kills, a .462 hitting percentage and 12 digs, as UCLA compiled a .328 team hitting percentage in the match.
"Obviously the match itself wasn't as we had hoped and was a disappointing loss," head coach Chris Poole said. "At the same time, we had a lot of wins this year and had a great season overall."
The Seminoles tried to stay within striking distance in each set, putting forth their best effort in the final set when they held an early 7-5 lead. However, UCLA was prone for big runs and was able to mount points consecutively. FSU was also unable to work its passing game well enough throughout the match to give the Bruins some easy points.
Senior outside hitter Jekaterina Stepanova led FSU with 11 kills, ending a two-year career in which she became the second non-honorable mention All-American in school history. Stepanova finishes her final year with 421 kills, the most by a Seminole since Mira Djuric had 438 kills in 2007.
"I'm certainly disappointed for the seniors, but it's like I told them in the dressing room afterwards, I'm proud of the fight that they put up," Poole added. "And to think this has just been four years of trying to build a program there, I'm certainly proud of the work that they've put in to try to get to this point."
A positive note was that FSU out-blocked UCLA, 9-8. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Neffled the Seminoles with five blocks, giving her 197 for the season. The Kennesaw, Ga., native ends a remarkable season with the most total blocks by a member of the Garnet and Gold since Gabrielle Reece had 212 in 1989. Neff averaged 1.55 blocks per set in 2011. She also contributed with seven kills on 15 attacks and a .400 hitting percentage.
Visnja Djurdjevic also finishes a tremendous two-year career at FSU, posting eight kills and 16 digs in Thursday's match. Lone four-year senior Rachael Morgan, who has been a part of the entire resurrection of the FSU volleyball program, added four blocks. The New Zealand native entered the Seminole program in 2008 at the same time Poole, AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year Holly Watts and assistant coach Gokhan Yilmaz arrived in Tallahassee.
Redshirt freshman libero Katie Mosher ends her season with a 16-dig effort versus UCLA. It was Mosher's incredible play in the Minneapolis Regional that guided the Seminoles to their unprecedented run, as she finishes the season with a school-record 604 digs.
UCLA's ability to hit through FSU's block gave the Bruins an early 1-0 overall advantage. The Seminoles relied on Stepanova offensively, as the senior delivered four kills in the opening set while FSU put together a .182 hitting percentage. UCLA responded with a .400 clip, as Tabi Love paced the Bruins with six kills. The Seminoles faced somewhat sizeable deficits throughout the opening frame, trailing by scores of 6-2, 15-8 and later 21-12 before the set ended on a Bruins block.
Midway through the second set the Seminoles held tough, trailing just 13-12 following a kill by Stepanova. UCLA responded by winning eight of the next nine points, which included four kills by Kidder in that span. Stepanova led FSU again with four kills in the set, while Neff added two kills and one block in the second set. Some strong UCLA serving kept FSU's defense off-balanced, allowing the Bruins to get favorable opportunities that were repeatedly exploited. FSU once again struggled with its attack, totaling a .114 hitting percentage in the frame.
Although the season comes to a close, the 2011 year could be indicative of more success in the future. Despite the departure of several talented student-athletes, FSU will look to reload next season as it tries to maintain its spot as one of the nation's most impressive programs.
"Somebody's got to lose at the end unless you win the whole thing," Poole said. "And I think the experience certainly that we gained this year, the experience we gained going through the tournament is going to help us in the future."
-----ATTACK----- SET SERVE SRV DEF BLOCK GEN
NO NAME SP K E TA PCT A SA SE RE DIG BS BA BE BHE PTS
== ========================= == == == === ====== === == == === === == == === === =====
1 Rachael Morgan 3 0 1 9 -0.111 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 2.5
3 Jekaterina Stepanova 3 11 5 32 0.188 2 0 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 11.5
9 Visnja Djurdjevic 3 8 4 30 0.133 0 0 1 0 16 0 1 0 0 8.5
14 Ashley Neff 3 7 1 15 0.400 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 0 10.5
20 Duygu Duzceler 3 1 0 3 0.333 15 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 2.0
23 Elise Walch 2 1 1 4 0.000 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 1.5
---Substitutes---
2 Katie Mosher 3 1 0 2 0.500 3 1 0 2 16 0 0 0 0 2.0
10 Sarah Wickstrom 3 0 1 1 -1.000 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0.0
12 Marija Milosavljevic 2 1 0 5 0.200 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1.5
22 Sareea Freeman 3 4 2 9 0.222 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 5.0
Team 2
=========================================================
6 FSU 3 34 15 110 0.173 33 2 1 5 44 3 12 3 1 45.0
Opp 3 53 14 119 0.328 52 5 4 2 54 2 12 1 0 66.0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||
| UCLA |