Things continue to be a struggle for Florida State on the recruiting trail. Florida State has lost it's second WR commit in as many weeks. Story to follow.

Login to view embedded media
https://floridastate.rivals.com/news/four-star-wr-daylan-mccutcheon-flips-to-texas-from-fsu

Falling in love with an inferior qb.

FSU sports information:

The No. 21 Florida State volleyball team (12-4, 4-2) delivered an impressive performance against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-6, 2-3), winning in four sets (25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 25-16) in front of a lively crowd at Tully Gym.

FSU came out strong in the first set, showcasing their energy and determination. The Noles trailed for the majority of the set but was able to tie the match at 20 and scored four out of the next five points to reach set point. Notre Dame fought off two set points, but a block from Khori Louis and Audrey Koenig ended the set.

The second set saw a shift in momentum. FSU started strong but couldn't maintain their lead as Notre Dame capitalized on errors. The Fighting Irish managed to pull ahead and took the set 25-22, tying the match at one set apiece

However, FSU quickly regained control in the third set. With a powerful offense and solid defense, the Seminoles dominated, winning 25-18. They continued their strong play into the fourth set, where they finished off Notre Dame decisively with a score of 25-16.

Koenig was the standout performer for the Seminoles, finishing with 16 kills and 13 digs. Taylor Head contributed significantly as well, adding 11 kills and a season-high 23 digs. Maddie Snider and Khori Louis also played pivotal roles, each registering seven kills and providing valuable support on both offense and defense.

The Seminoles will now have four consecutive matches on the road beginning next Friday at Boston College. First serve is set for 7 p.m. on ACCNX.

Some early thoughts on FSU baseball off today's exhibitions (a pair of seven-inning games).

I'll add some quotes from Link Jarrett later but added video in the story:

FSU sports information:

The No. 21 Florida State volleyball team (11-4, 3-2) gave the fourth-ranked Louisville Cardinals (13-2, 5-0) all they could handle in front of a capacity crowd at Tully Gym as the Seminoles came just short of the upset in a five-set loss (25-16, 21-25, 21-25, 25-21, 9-15) on Friday night.

FSU came out on fire and gave the home crowd a lot to cheer about as the Cardinals had no answers for the Noles as they hit .417 in the first set. Audrey Koenig and Khori Louis led the way with four kills each in the first set. FSU used a 5-0 run in the middle of the set to run out to a 19-12 lead and extended the lead all the way to 23-14 and closed it out 25-16. FSU was the first ACC team to take a set from Cardinals all season.

FSU kept the momentum going in the early portions of set two as they jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Louisville stormed back and used a 11-2 run to take a 16-10 lead. FSU cut the lead to two at 19-17 thanks to back-to-back aces from Koenig, but that was as close as it would come as Louisville tied the match.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 9-5 lead early in set three, but the Noles continued to fight their way back and only trailed by one at 17-16. Louisville used a quick 5-1 run to extend the lead to the four and rolled to take a 2-1 set lead.

FSU was not going to go home quietly, and the two teams battled back and forth for the majority of the set. With the set tied at 19, Louisville served one into the net, and Maddie Snider recorded a solo block to send Tully Gym into a frenzy to force a timeout by the Cardinals. Koenig extend the lead to 23-20 and a couple of errors from the Cardinals gave the set to FSU to force a fifth set.

The teams traded points to start the fifth set, but with the set tied at five, Louisville used a quick 3-0 run to separate itself. The Noles got back within two at 11-9 thanks to another kill by Koenig, but Louisville scored the final four points to take the match.

Koenig was phenomenal for the Noles all night long as she recorded 22 kills on 47 attempts for a .340 hitting percentage. Taylor Head tied her season high of 15 kills while also recording 12 digs. Louis was the third Nole in double figures as she recorded 10 kills for the Noles.

FSU will be back in action at Tully Gym on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Notre Dame. The game can be seen on ACCNX.

The current state of Florida State's roster has left many completely bewildered. Following a 13-1 season, the whiplash from a 1-5 start has left many fans rethinking everything about the development and acquisition of the roster.

We have looked at how the use of the portal has affected the program, both positively and negatively. But the portal is only one half of the equation. What of Florida State's high school recruiting?

In part one, Bob took a look at Florida State's 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes and how the results from those classes have shaped the current roster. Today, we will be looking at the early returns of Florida State's 2023 recruiting class and the future that presents itself in the recently signed 2024 class.

https://floridastate.rivals.com/new...ng-early-returns-with-fsu-s-2023-2024-classes

If we want any easy-button answer for why FSU is 1-5 to start the 2024 season, it’s the realization not just that Jordan Travis, Jared Verse and eight others were drafted by the NFL this spring. It’s that roughly half of the 2021 and 2022 high school signees have transferred and there's not been nearly enough quantity of productive starters or depth.

“This is going to be a key class that’s going to help push our program to where we’re wanting to go,” Norvell said on the early signing day of the 2021 class.

“Very talented individuals,” Norvell said on signing day of the 2022 class. “Some elite level game-changers for our program.”

As good as Norvell’s batting average was for years in the transfer portal, there weren’t enough quality at-bats with high school recruiting in the 2021 and 2022 classes. In the first part of a two-part series examining Florida State’s last four signing classes, we focus on FSU’s classes in 2021 and ’22.

Senior Maddy Huggins broke a school record to help the Florida State swimming and diving team defeat ACC foe Georgia Tech on Saturday at the Morcom Aquatics Center.



The Seminole women won nine of 16 events and beat the Yellow Jackets 162-138 to improve to 3-0 on the young season. FSU posted one 1-2-3-4 finish and two 1-2 finishes. In the men’s team competition, Georgia Tech edged out Florida State, 174.5-125.5, as FSU won five events while making its season debut.



Huggins was joined by fifth-year Yordan Yanchev and seniors Edith Jernstedt and Kayleigh Clark as Seminoles with multiple individual wins on Saturday.



“I am really excited that the women overturned last year’s defeat to earn the win today,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “We talked about how that felt, and we came out and executed. We had some newcomers step up and that was great for us.



“Obviously as a head coach when you lose one and win the other it’s tough. The men slipped up in a couple spots. Georgia Tech swam great today, and I thought we were really good too. The results show that both teams swam really fast, and in the end, we just didn’t get it done on the men’s side. It’s kind of a strange feeling to be super happy about one and really disappointed about the other, but congrats to Georgia Tech.”



Huggins’ school record in the 200-yard breaststroke was part of her day that featured two individual wins and a relay victory. The senior won the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:07.98, 0.59 seconds faster than the previous record holder, Nina Kucheran’s 2:08.57 set in 2021.



The senior’s day began with a 100 breaststroke win in 59.51, a victory by more than 1.50 seconds. Huggins also was second in the 200 individual medley and helped FSU to a 200 medley relay win.



Jernstedt won the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:57.64 and the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:59.71. Her 200 butterfly victory was by more than two seconds.



Juniors Julia Brzozowski and Sarah Evans also were important pieces of the Seminoles’ win today with individual wins. Brzozowski took a convincing win in the 1000 freestyle, victorious by almost ten seconds with a time of 10:03.85. Evans also posted a first-place showing in the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.01.



The divers came out with impressive performances in both the 1- and 3-meter events. Clark and freshman Evelyn Hall finished first and second in the 1-meter with scores of 306.00 and 264.45, respectively. Things only got better when the women moved on to the 3-meter, as they swept top four places against the Yellow Jackets. Once again, Clark took the lead with a score of 306.45.



FSU’s women began the day with a 200 medley relay win in 1:37.31. A win by almost two seconds was achieved by Evans, Huggins, graduate student Jenny Halden and senior Gloria Muzito.



The Seminole men displayed several notable performances, particularly in the relays. To begin their day, fifth-year Mason Herbet, juniors Tommaso Baravelli and Sam Bork and senior Jokubas Keblys won the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:26.17. The foursome edged Georgia Tech by 0.56 seconds. Bork, Herbet, fifth-year Max Wilson and Keblys closed the day as they begun it, with a victory in the 200 freestyle of 1:19.30. That came by a 0.47-second margin.



Yanchev earned two victories in his season debut, in the 100 and 200 freestyle. The fifth-year won the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:35.93, and the 100 freestyle with a personal best time of 43.89.



Freshman Logan Robinson picked up his first collegiate win in the 100 butterfly with a time of 47.17. He was a close runner up in the 200 butterfly as well, with a time of 1:47.07 that was just 0.17 seconds behind the first finisher.



The Seminoles are back at the Morcom Aquatics Center next weekend when they face No. 8/13 Georgia on Saturday, October 19.

Login to view embedded media
Here at Manchester high school in Georgia, and Florida State defense line coach Odell Haggans is in the Fieldhouse watching five star defense tackle Justus, Terry lift weights and practice this morning

Florida State is one of three schools in the mix for Terry, who is on the clock between now and December. Alabama and Georgia have been the two teams starring up the most buzz since the end of the summer with the ladder circled as the team to beat.

I feel like his OL coaching duties fell off around the time he was given OC duties. He came here well regarded.

FSU sports information:

The No. 22 Florida State soccer team (8-2-2, 3-2-1 ACC) used a clinical second-half goal from Jordynn Dudley to take a 1-0 road victory over Boston College (10-4-1, 2-3-1 ACC). FSU extends its scoring streak to 46 straight games, the longest in program history.

Both sides had good chances to start as Heather Gilchrist blocked a charging Boston College shot early before Kameron Simmonds nearly snuck the game’s first goal in off a corner kick.

FSU nearly took the lead just before the break as Wrianna Hudson had tucked a shot away at the front post before being called for offsides. Taylor Huff’s shot off a free kick was tantalizingly close to the opener as it drifted just wide.

After the several close chances, Huff charged toward the open midfield space and found Dudley off the flank, allowing the reigning national freshman of the year to drive into the box and squeeze a powerful low shot across goal and into the bottom left corner. Dudley scored her third goal in just her fourth start this season.

Hudson and Dudley continued to pressure and stress the Eagles defense but the Boston College keeper made some timely stops to keep the game at one score.

Dudley has scored in back-to-back games for the first time since lifting the program’s fourth national championship against Stanford and has scored two goals and two assists in the past four matches.

Florida State will return home after three straight road games and will host No. 25 Virginia on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and available to watch on ESPNU.

The Florida State baseball team begins their fall season against Auburn in Pensacola on Saturday.

First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET / noon CT at Blue Wahoos Stadium, and the game is sold out. The contest is hosted by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

Login to view embedded media

Florida State bounces back immediately on the recruiting trail and adds to it's offensive line class.
https://floridastate.rivals.com/news/four-star-ol-mario-nash-jr-commits-to-florida-state

Login to view embedded media

The FSU baseball team played a pair of exhibition games on Saturday in Pensacola against Auburn, losing 4-1 and 9-5

Login to view embedded media

Below is a list of players who signed elsewhere that may be of interest. I believe FSU needs to sign 2 High School quarterbacks in 2025. If Brock Glenn leaves after this year or one of the other quarterbacks transfers out, FSU could have only 2 on ship. With a potential of 105 ships...You need to bring in two quarterbacks every year. Even if one of the quarterbacks is a transfer-backup.

QB
Nicholas Vattiato (Middle Tennessee State) (JR) 107-163 (65.6%) 1285 Yards - 5 (TD) 4 (INT) (TRU Prep-Miami)
Anthony Clonadrea (Virginia) (SO) 99-149 (66.4%) 1211 YARDS - 8(TD) 4(INT)
Tucker Gleason (Toledo) (JR) 92-146 (63.0%) 1180 Yards 13 (TD) 4 (Int) (Tampa Plant)
Fernando Mendoza (Cal) (SO) 94-145 (64.8%) 1177 Yards 7 (TD) 3 (Int) (Columbus)
Rocco Becht (Iowa State) (SO) 87-132 (65.9%) 1173 Yards 9 (TD) 3 (Int) (Wiregrass)
Keyone Jenkins (FIU) (SO) 91-145 (62.8%) 1104 Yards 9 (TD) 4 (Int) (Miami Central)

RB
Richard Young - (Alabama) (FR) 9-24 (4.5) Average (Lehigh Acres)
Anthony Hankerson (Oregon State) (JR) 101-485 (9 TD) 4.80 AVG (Saint Thomas Aquinas)
Kaytron Allen (Penn State) (JR) 74-367 (2 TD) 4.96 AVG (IMG Academy)
Isaac Brown (Louisville) (FR) 39-362 (1 TD) 9.28 AVG (Homestead HS)
CJ Donaldson (West Virginia) (JR) 71-361 Yards (5 TD) 5.08 AVG (Homestead/Southridge)
Zuberi Mobley (FAU) (JR) 55-307 Yards-(4 TD) 5.58 AVG (Northwestern)
Anthony Carrie (Georgia Tech) (FR) 13-83 (1 TD) 6.38 (Carrollwood Day)
Jaziun Patterson (Iowa) (so) 30-144 (4.80 1 TD) (Deerfield Beach)
Davion Gause (North Carolina) (FR) 33 -197 YARDS-2 TD (Chaminade)


WR/TE
Chamon Metayer (Arizona State) (JR) 12 Receptions - 132 Yards- 2 Touchdowns (North Miami)
Oronde Gadsden (Syracuse) (JR) 26-359 -3 TD (American Heritage Plantation)
Eugene Wilson (Florida) (SO) 13 -19 1TD (Tampa Gaither)
Malik Rutherford (Georgia Tech (JR) 37-474 -2 TD (Champagnat Catholic)
Elijah Canion (Liberty) 6'4-220 (JR) 7-130 1 TD (Chamiande)

OL
Knijeah Harris (Florida) (S0) 6'3-330 (OG/OT) (IMG Academy) (Starter)
Jake Slaughter (Florida) (JR) 6'4-300 (Trinity Catholic) (Starter) (Committed at one time to FSU)
Rod Kearney (Florida) (FR) 6'4-330 (Mandarin) (Committed at one time to FSU)
Jimothy Lewis (Mississippi State) FR-6'6-310

DE
Mason Thomas (Oklahoma) (JR) 6'2-240 (5.5 Sacks) (Cardinal Gibbons HS)
Gabe Jacas (Illinois) (JR) 6'3-250 (3.O Sacks) (Fort Pierce Central HS)
Cade Denhoff (Clemson) (JR) 6'5-255 (5 Tackles) (Lakeland Christian)
Tyreak Sapp (Florida) (JR) 6'3-255 (2.5 Sacks) (Saint Thomas Aquinas)
Jack Pyburn (Florida) (JR) 6'3-250 (20 Tackles) (Jacksonville Bolles

DT
D.Antre Robinson (Florida) (FR) 6'3-310 (4 Tackles) (Orlando Jones)
Henry Bryant (Georgia State) JR 6'0-275 (2 Sacks) (Delray Atlantic)
Zane Durant (Penn State) JR 6'2-190 (2 Sacks) (Lake Nona)

LB
Keanu Koht (Alabama) (JR) 6'4-220 (5 Tackles -1 Sack) (Vero Beach)
Xavian Sorey -(Arkansas) (JR) 6'3-225 (40 Tackles, 1 Sack, 4 TFL)
Travion Banres (FIU) (JR 6'0-225 (54 Tackles) (Apopka HS)
Caden Fordham (NC State) JR-6'2-220 (48 Tackles) (Ponta Vedra HS)
Wade Woodaz (Clemson) JR-6'3-230 (36 Tackles) (Tampa Plant)
Langston Hardy (UCONN) SO-6'4-250 (21 Tackles, 1 int-4 TFL) (Sandalwood)
Grayson Howard (Florida) (SO) 6'4-240 (24 Tackles) (Terry Parker)
Joseph Carter (Liberty) JR) 6'0-230 (26 Tackles, 4 TFL, 1 SACK) (University Christian)
Stanquan Clark (Louisville) (SO) 6'3-230 (31 Tackles) (Killian)
TJ Capers (Louisville) (FR) 6'2 220 (I Int) (Columbus)

S
Jaheim Singletary (Arkansas) (SO) 1 Int, 11 Tackles (Riverside)
Emmanuel McNeil Warren (Toledo (JR) 43 Tackles- 1int-1.5 TFL (Lakewood)
Jordan Castel (Florida) (SO) 1 Sack (West Orange)
Phillip Dunnam (FAU) (JR) 15 Tackles (North Miami Beach)
Amare Ferrell (Indiana) (SO) 2 Interceptions-24 tackles, 1 sack, 4 TFL (Lake City)

CB
Matthew McDoom (Coastal Carolina) (JR) 1 Interception-9 Tackles (West Orange)
Sharif Denson (Florida) (SO) 1 sack) (Bartram Trail)
Xavier Scott (Illinois) (JR) 1 TD- 3 Interceptions (Dwyer HS)
Torrie Cox (Illinois) JR) 2 Interceptions - 9 tackles (Miami Northwestern)
D'Angelo Ponds (Indiana) (SO) 28 Tackles (Chaminade)

The four-star LB was offered in June after an impressive display at one of FSU's summer camps. He was back in Tallahassee this past weekend.
https://floridastate.rivals.com/new...vell-have-fsu-in-top-mix-for-duyon-forkpa-jr-

FSU sports information:

The Florida State swimming and diving team began the 2024-25 season with victories in the All Florida Invite on Friday afternoon at the Morcom Aquatics Center.

The Seminole women downed North Florida 239-54 and bested West Florida 226-73. West Florida beat North Florida 214-79. The FSU men did not compete, and will make their season debut when the men and women host ACC foe Georgia Tech on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

On a warm and sun-soaked Friday afternoon, Florida State won 15 of 16 events. The Seminoles posted four 1-2-3-4 finishes, one additional 1-2-3 finish and five more 1-2 finishes. Four of the team’s wins were recorded by freshmen.

Senior Maddy Huggins led the team with two individual victories, in the 200-yard freestyle and the 400-yard individual medley. Juniors Mabry Bishop and Julia Mansson both picked up individual and relay wins, while freshmen Maryn McDade and Alice Velden swam on both of Florida State’s winning relay teams.

“Today was a good start to the season for our women’s team,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “This is a nice meet to start off, as our freshmen got their first taste of collegiate competition and our returners got their seasons off to nice starts. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone compete tomorrow and build on today’s performance.”

In the third event of the day, Huggins won the 200 freestyle in 1:49.17. She was victorious by more than 3.50 seconds to begin her senior season and lead a 1-2-3-4 finish for the Seminoles. Huggins also won the penultimate race of the afternoon, the 400 individual medley. Her time of 4:16.94 helped FSU place first, second and third in the event, and Huggins won by almost 10 seconds.

The day started and ended with Florida State wins in relay events. First up was the 200 medley relay, where Velden, Mansson, Bishop and McDade won in 1:42.25 to edge out their Seminole teammates in second place. The day ended like it began, with an FSU victory in the 200 freestyle relay to fuel a 1-2 Florida State finish. Senior Gloria Muzito, McDade, graduate student Jenny Halden and Velden touched the wall first in 1:34.34.

Bishop and Mansson opened their seasons with relay wins and also were victorious as individuals. Mansson won the 200 breaststroke by almost five seconds, with a time of 2;18.79, as FSU went 1-2. Two events later, Bishop won the 100 butterfly in 55.91. She bested West Florida’s runner-up finisher by just under a second.

As Mansson and Bishop were posting their wins, junior Kayleigh Clark won the 3-meter diving event to cap a strong day for Florida State’s divers. Bishop’s 3-meter score of 298.88 helped the Seminoles sweep the top four spots in the event.

Earlier in the afternoon, freshman diver Evelyn Hall made her collegiate debut and won the 1-meter. Her score of 277.65 fueled a 1-2 FSU finish, as Clark was the runner-up.

Two more 1-2-3-4 finishes took place in the pool as the 1-meter diving competition was being held. First was the 50 freestyle, where junior Sarah Evans won in 23.73. That race was a tight finish at the top, as all four Seminoles finished within 0.48 seconds of each other.

The next event saw senior Edith Jernstedt open her final season with a 100 freestyle win. Her time of 51.13 helped Florida State sweep the top four places, all coming in within less than 1.50 seconds. Jernstedt also was part of the FSU 200 freestyle relay that was second to wrap up the day.

Freshman Isabelle Barger opened her career with a win in the 100 backstroke in the fourth event of the afternoon. Her time of 57.60 was part of a 1-2 finish for FSU and was victorious by 0.54 seconds.

The very next event saw another freshman win, this time by Evlin Riederer in the 100 breaststroke. Riederer won in 1:05.36 and touched the wall just 0.06 seconds ahead of the second-place swimmer from UNF.

Senior Jenny Bird won the next race, the 200 butterfly. She finished in 2:06.82 and won by more than a second. Bird began her day by helping her team to a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay.

Another freshman victory was earned by Karlee Marusik in the 200 backstroke. A time of 2:05.30 gave her the win by 1.60 seconds.

The 500 freestyle was decided by just 0.66 seconds, and it was junior Julia Brzozowski who came away with the win. She finished in 5:03.08.

The season continues tomorrow, when Florida State welcomes ACC foe Georgia Tech to the Morcom Aquatics Center. The men’s and women’s teams from the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets will square off at 11 a.m. ET. Admission is free for all fans. Saturday is the team’s annual Paint it Pink Meet. There will be a pink ribbon and koozie giveaway for early arriving fans.

2010 -8-5
2011 - 8-5
2012 - 12-0
2013 -9-4
2014 -8-5
2015- 10-3
2016 -4-8

I know many don't like Kelly. I feel he is a very good coach. I think if LSU is patient his 2015 class will get them over the top. Kelly did very well early on at ND. In 2016 he had a terrible season 4-8 - this is probably the most recent example of a comparison between fsu and another program.

Kelly fired seven coaches off that staff. He hired a new strength coach. He hired a new Oc and Dc as well. It ended up working out for Kelly.

FSU head coach Mike Norvell will be in Gainesville, Georgia tonight to watch 2025 Seminoles WR commit CJ Wiley play against Gainesville High School. Wiley took an unofficial visit to UGA last weekend to watch the Bulldogs take on Auburn.

This is a big visit for Norvell after FSU lost the commitment of commit Daylan McCutcheon to Texas yesterday. Wiley is currently the only wide receiver committed to FSU for 2025.

Class of 2027 WR Grant Haviland, who has an FSU offer, also plays for Milton.

Florida State has offered several players at Gainesville High including 2025 OT Alex Payne who is committed to North Carolina. They have also shown interest in 2027 OL Tyler Ford.

FSU sports information:

The No. 21 Florida State volleyball team (11-3, 3-1) returns home to welcome No. 4 Louisville (12-2, 4-0) on Friday night and Notre Dame (9-4, 2-2) on Sunday. Friday's match will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Sunday's match beginning at 1 p.m. Both games can be seen on ACCNX.

What's At Stake Against the Cardinals

• On Friday night, the Seminoles will be looking for their first win over Louisville since 2019.
• A win on Friday night would be the Seminoles second-highest ranked win in program history and would be their highest ranked win at home in school history.
• FSU will be looking for just its second win over a ranked Louisville team. FSU defeated No. 24 Louisville in 2018.
• FSU will be looking for its 18th consecutive win at Tully Gym which would be the Seminoles' longest home win streak since 2014.

Noles Start on the Right Foot in ACC Play....Again

• FSU has consistently started off ACC play in the win column in the last decade.
• Excluding the 2021 spring season where there were no non-conference matches, FSU has won its last 10 ACC openers.
• FSU has started 2-0 in the ACC in eight out of the last 10 seasons.
• FSU has never finished worse than 5th in the ACC under Head Coach Chris Poole.

Noles Off to Hot Start

• FSU is off and running so far in 2024 as they look to defend its ACC Championship.
• FSU got off to its best start since 2016 with a 10-2 record.
• FSU has picked up three ranked wins this season already with wins over No. 25 Georgia and No. 25 Miami. This is the first time since 2014 that FSU has had multiple ranked wins before Oct. 1.
• FSU started 4-0 for the first time since 2017 including a win over No. 25 Georgia for their first ranked non-conference win since 2021.
• FSU opened up the season at home for the first time since 2011 and went 3-0 against USF, UC Santa Barbara and No. 25 Georgia.

Not Slowing Down on Offense

• FSU has proven to be one of the top offenses in the ACC and the country so far this season.
• As a team, FSU ranks 15th in the country and fourth in the ACC with a .284 hitting percentage and also ranks 27th in the country and fourth in the ACC with 13.68 kills per set. FSU ranks 46th in the country and fifth in the ACC with 12.52 assists per set.
• The Seminoles have been spreading the wealth as they have three players who have recorded 100 or more kills this season and four players who have recorded 65 or more kills this season.

Climbing the Ranks

• FSU was ranked No. 21 in this week's AVCA/TARAFLEX Coaches Poll. The Noles were ranked 15th in week one which was the program's highest ranking since 2017.
• FSU opened the season ranked 20th in the preseason poll. It was the first time FSU was ranked to start the season since 2017.
• FSU picked up a ranked win against No. 25 Georgia. It was FSU's 41st ranked win in program history and was the first time FSU beat a ranked non conference opponent since defeating No. 14 Florida in 2021.
• FSU has picked up three ranked wins this season already with wins over No. 25 Georgia and No. 25 Miami. This is the first time since 2014 that FSU has had multiple ranked wins before Oct. 1.

SHE'S BAAAACCCKKKKK

• The reigning 2023 ACC Co-Player of the Year Audrey Koenig is back for one last season with the Seminoles and will look to solidify herself as one of the top players in FSU history.
• Koenig was just the fourth Seminole to win the ACC Player of the Year award and was the first Nole to accomplish the feat since Payton Caffrey in 2018.
• Koenig leads the team with 168 kills in 13 matches and is third on the team with 115 digs.
• Koenig currently ranks as the ninth-best passer in the country based off EPA (Expected Points Added). Koenig ranks third in the country among outside hitters in EPA.
• Koenig has recorded 10 or more kills in her last 11 matches.
• Koenig was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 30 after tallying 36 kills in two wins over Miami.
• Koenig also earned 2023 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors for the first time in her career.
• Koenig's 13 double-doubles last season were the 13th-most in FSU history.
• Koenig has recorded 1,104 kills during her career with the Garnet and Gold. Koenig became just the sixth player in FSU history to surpass 1,000 career kills in the rally scoring era. Her 1,125 kills is the fourth-best mark in school history. Koenig needs 3 kills to move into third. Koenig also ranks second all-time in the rally scoring era with 3.056 attacks.

Louis Continuing to Stay Hot for the Noles

• FSU senior and Tallahassee native Khori Louis put together her best season as a Seminole in 2023 as she earned First Team All-ACC honors and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention for the first time in her career.
• Louis hit a career-high .432 in 2023 which ranked fourth in the nation and was the fifth-best mark in school history and the best mark since Sareea Freeman in 2012.
• Louis has picked up right where she left off as she is hitting .480 with 158 kills which is second to Koenig's 168 kills. Louis also leads the team with 59 blocks.
• Louis's .480 hitting percentage ranks third in the entire country and is first in the ACC.
• Louis holds a career hitting percentage of .383 which is currently the best mark in FSU history. The previous record is .371 which is held by Brianna Barry.
• Louis was second on the team with 271 kills and 93 blocks in 2023.
• In her career, Louis has recorded 915 kills which is 9th in program history in the rally scoring era. She needs just 43 kills to move into 8th all-time.
• Louis also ranks top 15 in program history in the rally scoring era in solo blocks, assisted blocks and total blocks.

Noles Make Transfer Splash with Taylor Head

• The Seminoles made one of the biggest transfer moves in college volleyball last season as they picked up transfer Taylor Head from Arkansas. Head will have one season with the Seminoles after three seasons with Arkansas.
• Head was one of the best hitters not only in the SEC but the entire country last season as she picked up AVCA Third Team All-America honors after recording 494 kills with a .231 hitting percentage for a Razorback team that qualified for the Elite Eight.
• Head leads the team with 134 digs and is third on the team with 116 kills.
• Head has recorded double-digit digs in four of the last five matches.
• Head was one of the best all-around players in the country last season as she was third in the entire nation with 22 double-doubles.
• Head ranked in the top 10 in the SEC in total kills, kills per set, total attacks, attacks per set, double-doubles, points and total digs.
• Last season, Head would've led the ACC in total kills, points, double doubles and total attacks. Head also would've ranked in the top five in kills per set, attacks per set and points per set.
• Head spent her spring with the Florida State beach volleyball team where she finished the season with a 8-2 record.

Dupes is Back and Making an Impact

• After a knee injury kept her off the court in 2023, libero Emery Dupes is ready to become a force for the Seminoles' defense once again.
• Dupes has played in 49 out of the 50 sets this season with 54 digs.
• Prior to injury, Dupes led the team with 287 digs in 2022 while playing in 94 sets.
• As a freshman, Dupes earned All-ACC honors and became the first freshman libero in FSU history to earn All-ACC honors.
• Broke the school freshman record with 3.88 digs per set and was also just the 12th player in FSU history to record over 400 digs.
• Dupes is currently averaging 3.18 digs per set in her career which ranks ninth all-time in FSU history.
• Dupes has also been terrific behind the service line recording 60 aces in three seasons. In 2021, Dupes recorded six service aces in a single match which is tied for the third-most ever by a Seminole in a single match.

Perry becoming a Force in the Middle for the Noles

• After redshirting at Iowa State last season, Perry has become a force in the middle for the Seminoles.
• Perry is currently second on the team with 45 blocks and 1.05 blocks per set.
• Perry had a season-high 5 kills in the win over Miami on Sept. 25.
• Perry had seven total blocks against No. 25 Georgia which was just one block off her career high.
• Perry also has recorded 29 kills on 71 attempts.

Filimaua: A True Swiss Army Knife

• Kyleene Filimaua is a true do-it-all for Florida State volleyball.
• Filimaua has played in 48 out of the 50 sets for the Noles and has played all over the court including starting at libero in her last three matches.
• Filimaua has recorded 75 kills this season and has recorded four double-digit kill matches after recording just one double-digit kill match last year.
• To go along with her 69 kills this season, Filimaua has also recorded 121 digs, 31 assists, 17 aces and 12 blocks.

Phelan Becoming a Force on the Service Line and on Defense

• Kenna Phelan has shown off her nasty serve this season, and it became a game-changer for FSU.
• In 10 sets on opening weekend, Phelan recorded 10 aces from the service line. Her 10 aces were the eighth-most in the entire country on opening weekend.
• Phelan has recorded 18 service aces in 14 matches so far this season.
• Phelan recorded 19 digs against Auburn and 15 digs against North Florida. It was the first time in her career that Phelan has had back-to-back matches with 10 or more digs.
• Phelan has also been great as a setter in FSU's 6-2 system as she has recorded 251 assists.

Henke Off to Strong Start for the Garnet and Gold

• After missing opening weekend, Iane Henke has come right in and been a very valuable asset for the Seminoles.
• In her debut, Henke tallied 10 kills and six blocks against Cal Poly.
• In total, Henke has had 62 kills, 31 digs, 29 blocks and five aces in 11 matches for the Noles.

You Can't Teach Height

• The 2024 squad will be one of Head Coach Chris Poole's tallest teams as the head coach at FSU.
• The Seminoles have eight players at 6-2 or taller. The only year the Seminoles had more players taller than 6-2 was 2019 when the Seminoles had nine players 6-2 or taller.
• FSU also has one of the tallest teams in the entire ACC. No one has more players 6-2 or taller than FSU. Pitt and Virginia also have eight players that are 6-2 or taller.

No Better Teacher Than Experience

• Nothing can ever replace experience and the Seminoles have a lot of experience on the 2024 squad.
• 10 out of FSU's 16 players have played in 25 or more matches.
• FSU has five players (Dupes, Head, Koenig, Louis, Robertson) who have played in 50 or more matches.
• FSU also added Iane Henke who played 66 matches for Cal State LA, a DII program.

Noles Going Through Gauntlet of a Schedule

• The Seminoles will get tested early and often in the 2024 season.
• In 10 non conference games, four of those games came against teams that made the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• Nine out of the 10 teams that FSU will play in the non conference had a winning record in 2023.
• FSU is still slated to play the No. 1, No. 4, No. 5, No. 15 and No. 20 teams in the country.
• FSU has already played No. 16 Florida and No. 25 Miami and also played Georgia and Auburn who each received votes in this week's poll.

It's the QB's third time back on Florida State's campus in as many months. Holtzclaw is a prospect that FSU is monitoring for the distant 2027 class.

https://floridastate.rivals.com/new...-enjoys-the-culture-in-place-at-florida-state

FSU sports information:

The No.27/RV Florida State Cross Country teams hosted the FSU XC Invitational on Friday at Apalachee Regional Park as the men’s team collected its second win of the season.

"I’m really pleased with how well the guys executed the race as a team today,” said FSU assistant coach Ian Frazier. “Going into this race our main goal was to control our home course and have a good experience at ARP. Each one of these guys put themselves in a good position at the 2K and stayed patient over the early middle portions of the race.”

Lucas Bouquot led the Noles to their second team win in the 8k, crossing the finish line in sixth with a career best of 24:43.0. Patrick Donnelly followed in seventh with a lifetime best of 24.44.9. Wynne Thomas was the third Nole to cross the line with a personal best time of 24:48.3. Tanner Simonds placed 13th at 24:55.5. Michael Toppi was the fifth FSU scorer in 15th with a career time of 25:04.1.

“As a team we set the goal of moving hard at the 7K which we knew would put us in the position to win the team title,” added Frazier. “Thankfully, the plan worked, and the guys were rewarded with the course PB and lifetime PB also. This group is in a great spot and I’m proud of them. Special Kudos to Tanner Simonds who in his first outing at the distance was able to break 25 minutes and finish right with our pack.”

Nicole Dinan turned in the top time for the Seminoles in the women’s 5k, placing fourth at 17:19.7. Emily Brown followed in ninth at 17:42.7. Jane Eiselstein placed 10th with a lifetime best of 17:44.1. Suus Altorf crossed the line in 12th stamping a time of 17:49.9. Avery Cahoon rounded out the scoring in 22nd at 18:10.6.

"The women competed really well today,” said FSU women’s head coach Cody Halsey. “Any day we have the opportunity to race hard at home is a massive win. The community out there today was electric. Nicole had a fantastic day. She was running right with some world class and national level athletes and held her own. That was a lot of fun to see. I’m so excited for the start of her career here."

The Noles will close the regular season at the Wisconsin Pre-National meet on Oct. 19 in Madison at the Thomas Zimmer Cross Country Championship course.

It's natural to be disappointed in your defense when it gives up 500 yards and loses but a coach's job is to identify not only the problems but the areas of success, he can build from.

I came out of the Clemson game thinking FSU had enjoyed a modicum of success in the redzone, so I took a deeper dive into the play by play to verify what my eyes had seen, and the results might surprise you.

The Tigers averaged 6.85 yards per-play over the course of the game but held the Tigers to 15 yards on 17 plays (.8823 yards per play) in the redzone.

Surprised?

The Seminoles are tied for 132nd among 134 FBS schools in terms of the number of times opponents have reached the redzone 28 times — an ignoble statistic — but ranked No. 25 nationally in limiting opponents to 21 scores (.750). Eight of those 21 scores were field goals.

So while it’s bad that teams are reaching the red zone so often, limiting the scores in the redzone is evidence the defense isn't quitting when their backs are against the wall, or while the offense to struggles to maintain drives or score points.

On Clemson's eight drives inside the 25 yard line, FSU’s defense managed seven third-down stops, gave up one touchdown and forced seven field goals, two of which were blocked.

In this story we also break down those 73 defensive plays, of which Clemson gained right at half (248 yards) of their 500 yards on just 8 plays and ask Adam Fuller about the redzone success and what he's doing to try to expand that to the whole field.


Amidst defensive struggles, a glimmer of light

I think Glenn shows promise. He made some really good throws