FSU sports information:
The No. 20 Florida State volleyball team (3-0) rose to the occasion on Sunday afternoon as they took down No. 25 Georgia (2-1) in four sets (25-17, 25-14, 17-25, 25-19) in front of a sold-out crowd at Tully Gym on Sunday afternoon. Sunday marked the Seminoles' 43rd win over a ranked opponent in school history and was the Seminoles' first non-conference ranked win since beating No. 14 Florida on Sept. 15, 2021.
The Seminoles set the tone early with Kyleene Filimaua and Khori Louis delivering powerful kills that left the Bulldogs on its heels. FSU's relentless defense, highlighted by Emery Dupes' impressive saves, forced Georgia into an early timeout with FSU leading 8-3. Despite their efforts, Georgia trailed for most of the set, struggling to close a persistent five-point deficit. A late surge from the Bulldogs fell short, and Florida State secured the first set with a commanding 25-17 victory.
Georgia claimed the first point of the second set, but the Seminoles quickly retaliated, sending the Bulldogs into yet another timeout with a solid 7-3 lead. FSU maintained a steady five-to-seven-point advantage throughout the set. Although Georgia briefly disrupted the Seminoles' momentum with a successful challenge on an attack error by Filimaua, it wasn't enough. Florida State responded with a timeout of their own at 20-13, regrouped, and rallied to close out the set 25-14.
Georgia found their rhythm in the third set, jumping to an early lead of 5-2. Despite their best efforts, FSU couldn't close the gap and trailed throughout the set. A late push saw the Seminoles reach 17 points, but Georgia's early dominance carried them to a 25-17 win to extend the match to a fourth set.
The fourth set saw a back-and-forth battle with both teams locked at six early on in the fourth set. The two teams were neck and neck at the halfway point and continued to trade points, but with FSU leading 18-17, the Seminoles score seven out of the final nine points to shut the door and seal the victory.
For the third consecutive match, FSU had a different kill leader. Audrey Koenig led the way with 15 kills on 37 attacks. Taylor Head added nine kills to go along with 15 digs. Kelsey Perry made her presence known at the net as she led the Noles with seven blocks, including four in the first set. Kenna Phelan and Loren Robertson each dished out 18 and 16 assists, respectively.
After a quick break, the Seminoles will return to action next weekend at the Auburn Invitational. FSU will take on Cal Poly on Friday at 4 p.m. before taking on Auburn at 1 p.m. on Sunday.