What time does the team leave today for Dublin?

FSU sports information:

The No. 15 Florida State volleyball team (3-0) hopes to continue its momentum from opening weekend as they travel to Auburn, Ala., to face Cal Poly (2-1) and Auburn (4-0) this weekend. FSU will face the Mustangs on Friday at 5 p.m. There will be no live stream for the matchup but fans can follow along on Statbroadcast.com. The Noles will face Auburn on Sunday at 1 p.m. on SECN+.

Noles Cruise Through Opening Weekend

• For the first time since 2011, the Florida State volleyball opened up its season inside of Tully Gym, and they delivered with three wins in the Seminole Invitational last weekend.
• FSU swept USF and UC Santa Barbara while taking down No. 25 Georgia in four sets. Both Georgia and UC Santa Barbara qualified for the 2023 NCAA Tournament while USF finished 22-12 last season.
• The win against No. 25 Georgia was FSU's 41st all-time win against a Top 25 opponent and its first ranked win against a non conference opponent since 2021.
• Out of the 10 sets the Seminoles' played last weekend, FSU only allowed 20 points in four of the sets.

Spreading the Wealth

• FSU spread the wealth offensively last weekend at the Seminole Invitational.
• FSU had three different kill leaders in each of the games. Kyleene Filimaua led the way against UCSB, Taylor Head led the way against USF and Audrey Koenig led the way against No. 25 Georgia.
• Four different players earned 40 or more attacks on the weekend.

Climbing the Ranks

• FSU was ranked No. 15 in this week's AVCA/TARAFLEX Coaches Poll which is 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.

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 earned 28 kills on opening weekend including a team-high 15 kills against No. 25 Georgia.
• Koenig also earned 2023 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors for the first time in her career.
• Koenig led the Noles in 2023 with 374 kills on 900 total attacks while hitting .300.
• Koenig was also great defensively as she was second on the team with 306 digs.
• Koenig's 13 double-doubles last season were the 13th-most in FSU history.
• Koenig has recorded 985 kills during her career with the Garnet and Gold. That mark is tied for seventh all-time in program history in the rally scoring era. Koenig will look to become just the sixth Seminole in the rally scoring era to surpass 1,000 kills. Koenig also ranks fourth all-time in the rally scoring era with 2,703 attacks.

Louis Coming Off Her Best Season as a Nole

• 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 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 picked up right where she left off on opening weekend as she hit .533 with 27 kills.
• Louis holds a career hitting percentage of .366 which is fourth all-time in FSU history. Brianna Barry holds the program record for career hitting percentage as she hit .371 in her career from 2006-09.
• Louis was second on the team with 271 kills and 93 blocks.
• In her career, Louis has recorded 784 kills which is tied for 14th in program history in the rally scoring era. Louis needs just 73 kills to crack the top 10 list.
• 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 led the way for the Noles on the weekend with 33 kills while also having a team-high 29 digs.
• 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 Ready To Get Back on the Court

• 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 played in all 10 sets for the Noles on opening weekend and recorded nine digs and had a perfect service reception percentage on 36 attempts.
• 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 3.37 digs per set in her career which ranks seventh all-time in FSU history.
• Dupes has also been terrific behind the service line recording 44 aces in two 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 Shines on Opening Weekend

• After redshirting at Iowa State last season, Perry shined on opening weekend for the Noles.
• Perry totaled 14 total blocks on opening weekend including 1.40 blocks per set.
• Perry had seven total blocks against No. 25 Georgia which was just one block off her career high.
• Also recorded seven kills on 14 attacks without any hitting errors.

Filimaua: A True Swiss Army Knife

• Kyleene Filimaua is a true do-it-all for Florida State volleyball.
• Returning to her main position as an outside hitter after playing libero last season, Filimaua was FSU's kill leader in the season opener against USF with 10 kills while also adding 11 kills against UC Santa Barbara. Filimaua had just one double-digit kill game last season.
• To go along with her 28 kills on opening weekend, Filimaua also had 23 digs, 13 assists, five aces and two blocks for the Noles.

Phelan Shows Off Lethal Serve

• Kenna Phelan showed off her nasty serve this past weekend, and it became a game-changer for FSU.
• In 10 sets, Phelan recorded 10 aces from the service line. Her 10 aces were the eighth-most in the entire country on opening weekend.
• Phelan was also great as a setter in FSU's 6-2 system as she recorded 47 assists.

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.

Getting Challenged Early and Often

• The Seminoles will get tested early and often in the 2024 season.
• In 10 non conference games, four of those games will come 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.
• The Seminoles ACC schedule is no cupcake either as the Seminoles will play Elite Eight participants Louisville, Pitt and Stanford as well as NCAA Tournament qualifiers Georgia Tech, Miami (2x) and SMU (2x).

shouldn’t we have some kind of non conf refs involved in our conf games given the ongoing lawsuit? How can we expect to get a fair shake?

Announced today, FSU's Week 4 home game vs. Cal on September 21st will be played at 7 p.m. and broadcast on either ESPN or ESPN2.

FSU sports information:

MacKenzie Plaskey, a proven winner with program-building experience, has been hired as Florida State lacrosse’s associate head coach, FSU head coach Sara Tisdale announced Friday.

“Mac is a proven leader, coach, mentor and recruiter,” Tisdale said. “Mac’s ability to identify student-athletes that fit our athletic and academic standards will have an immediate impact on our program. As a head coach, Mac has won numerous conference titles and led her team to the NCAA Final Four. I know those experiences will help us put Florida State lacrosse on the biggest and brightest stages. Mac and I are driven by the same goals and values, and I am very excited to welcome her to Tallahassee.”

Plaskey spent the last six seasons as the head coach at Grand Valley State, compiling an overall record of 81-16 with a 38-1 mark in conference play and sweeping four consecutive GLIAC regular season and tournament championships from 2021-24. Prior to her time at GVSU, she was the first assistant hired by Tisdale at Central Michigan. In their final season together, the Chippewas won the program’s first conference championship.

Plaskey coached 10 All-Americans, 31 all-region players and 55 all-conference selections during her time at the helm of Grand Valley State. She guided GVSU to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Midwest Regional title and run to the national semifinal in 2023. The Lakers were in all 68 national top-25 rankings during her six years, with 32 top-10 rankings, and finished the season in the top 10 four times.

“I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to help build women’s lacrosse at Florida State University,” Plaskey said. “It is an honor to work under the leadership of (Vice President and Director of Athletics) Michael Alford, (Deputy Athletics Director/SWA) Cindy Hartmann and Sara Tisdale. I loved my four years working alongside Sara at Central Michigan University and cherish the memories of accomplishing many of the program’s first milestone goals. Building a program from the ground up is a unique challenge, but I’m excited to be part of that process at Florida State and I look forward to getting started. FSU is a special place with its competitive excellence in athletics, top academics on campus, and rich traditions. I am thrilled to have the privilege to coach and develop some of the finest student-athletes in the country in such a welcoming and supportive community.”

Her 2024 team posted a 17-2 record, including a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play, to once again sweep the regular season and tournament conference titles. The Lakers led the country in scoring defense, allowing only 4.94 goals per game, and ranked 10th in the final national rankings after climbing as high as No. 5 during the season.

In 2023, Plaskey authored the deepest NCAA Tournament run in Grand Valley State history after another undefeated conference regular season and run through the conference tournament. The Lakers knocked off the region’s No. 1 seed in the first round before taking down the No. 2 seed to reach the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament. They were No. 5 in the final rankings, setting a new program standard.

The 2022 season featured a program-record 19 wins, another perfect conference mark, and a then-program-best No. 8 final ranking. Plaskey led GVSU to 17 consecutive wins before falling to the region’s No. 1 seed in the regional final round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2021, the Lakers posted a perfect 8-0 GLIAC record to start their streak of four consecutive regular-season and conference tournament sweeps.

The 2020 season started with a 3-1 mark, including a win over No. 3-ranked Lindenwood, before the season was shut down due to the global pandemic. In her first season at the helm, Plaskey led Grand Valley State to a 14-4 mark and 10-1 record in conference play. The Lakers advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament and led the GLIAC with an average of 16.83 goals per game and 7.14 goals allowed per game.

Before being hired as the head coach at Grand Valley State, Plaskey was Tisdale’s first assistant coach hired to help start the program at Central Michigan. Plaskey was the program’s offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator while also overseeing camps and film. In 2018, only the program’s third season of NCAA competition, the Chippewas won the SoCon championship and posted the nation’s 10th-highest shooting percentage.

Plaskey also built one of the premier youth lacrosse programs in Michigan, founding Michigan Elite in 2011 and operating as its director for more than 10 years. The program grew to include 10 coaches and more than 150 athletes across seven competitive teams.

The former MacKenzie Lawler was a three-year starter at Robert Morris, where she recorded 35 goals, 21 assists, 38 ground balls, 27 draw controls and 21 turnovers caused. She earned her bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Robert Morris in 2014 and completed her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Central Michigan in 2018. Plaskey and her husband, Peter, married in 2024.

MacKenzie Plaskey Coaching History
August 2024- Florida State Associate Head Coach
2019-24 Grand Valley State Head Coach
2015-18 Central Michigan Assistant Coach

Three questions - one each on DJ Lagway, DJ Pickett and Ladarian Clardy

When you watched FSU vs. Georgia Tech on Saturday, and perhaps a second time on Sunday, it’s likely you frequently asked two questions: Is FSU this bad? And is Georgia Tech this good?

If you’re like us, there’s curiosity about what’s ahead. Where can players develop and improve? Where can aspects of the offense or defense take the next step? And, yes, you’re probably saying “everywhere.”

We’ll take a closer look below at two areas where you should find some optimism, followed by two areas of realism and pessimism as we turn the focus to FSU’s home opener vs. Boston College.

FSU sports information:

The No. 20 Florida State Seminoles (1-0) used a balanced offensive attack to take down the South Florida Bulls (0-1) after a three-set sweep (25-22, 25-14,25-15) on opening night in front of 866 fans in Tully Gym. The Seminoles have now won four consecutive season openers dating back to 2021 and have now won five straight against the Bulls to improve its all-time record to 42-6 against USF.

The Noles had a hard-fought battle to kick off their first set against the Bulls, the lead of the match falling into the hands of both teams throughout the set, but the Seminoles used a 7-2 run to jump out to a 16-12 lead. USF climbed back to tie the set at 21, but the Seminoles scored four out of the final five points to take set one.

The Seminoles showed off their offensive power in the second set as they would take an early lead and never look back in an impressive 25-14 win in the second set. The Noles hit over .500 with Taylor Head and Kyleene Filimaua leading the way with five kills each in the set.

USF jumped out to a 7-3 lead in set three, but the Noles did not stay down for long as they used an 8-1 run in the middle of the set to cruise to a 25-15 win which was sealed with a beautiful block from freshman Johanna Sova.

Kyleene Filimaua led the offensive attack with an impressive 10 kills while Taylor Head and Khori Louis each added nine kills. The Seminole block was in full force with 10 total blocks led by Kelsey Perry with four and Maddie Snider with three. The Seminoles finished with a .367 hitting percentage while keeping the Bulls at a .138 percentage.

The Seminoles will continue the Seminole Invitational against UC Santa Barbara at 4 p.m. Saturday on ACCNX. The Noles will then have a date with No. 25 Georgia on Sunday at 3 p.m. on the ACC Network.

Catching up on some of the highlights from some of the FSU commits from the first few weeks of HS football. DT commit Kevin Wynn has had a really nice start to the season so far.

14 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in two games.

Here is some of the HUDL film that he has posted.

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Mike Norvell isn't focused on FSU's 0-2 start, just like he wasn't focused on the Seminoles' 19-game winning streak over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

He's focused on his team learning lessons from its early 2024 struggles and on day-over-day improvement.

FSU plays host to Florida, travels to LSU and continues the tradition of playing in the Orange Bowl Classic:

Only 2 games but this is a very disturbing trend. Both the players and coaches need to make major changes or we will give up 200 more to BC. Castellanos and former nole Tre Ward in the backfield is a scary proposition right now.