Via FSU sports information:
After dropping the first set, the Florida State volleyball team (1-0) bounced back to take the final three sets to beat Illinois State (0-1) in four sets (21-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-14) Friday evening at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. This is just the second time since 2017 that the Noles have won their season-opening match.
“First matches of the season are always tough because you are just trying to get back in the swing of things, but I was really proud of the girls because we really got better as the match went on,” coach Chris Poole said. “We had a lot of people contribute which is great to see. We just need to find a way to be more consistent which we were able to do towards the end of the match.”
Down 1-0, the Noles found their backs against the wall in set two down 23-21, but two errors by the Redbirds and a pair of kills from senior middle-blocker Emma Clothier gave the Noles the final four points to even the match.
The Noles found themselves in another tight battle with the Redbirds in set three, as the two teams went back and forth. With the Noles down 19-18, a kill by Khori Louis sparked a 4-0 run for the Noles to put them in control where they would go on to take a 2-1 match lead.
The Noles jumped out to a 9-2 lead in set four and never looked back, leading by as much as 13 in a 25-14 match-clinching victory. In set four, the Noles held the Redbirds to a staggering -.125 hitting percent whereas the Noles were able to hit an impressive .474.
Audrey Koenig led all Seminoles with 12 kills, while freshman Audrey Rothman and Emily Ryan each added 11 and 10 kills in their debut for the Garnet and Gold. The Noles held the Redbirds to just a .136 hitting percentage throughout the match, while recording 11 blocks, five of which came from Ryan.
The Seminoles will return to the court tomorrow at noon where they will face Dayton.
After dropping the first set, the Florida State volleyball team (1-0) bounced back to take the final three sets to beat Illinois State (0-1) in four sets (21-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-14) Friday evening at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. This is just the second time since 2017 that the Noles have won their season-opening match.
“First matches of the season are always tough because you are just trying to get back in the swing of things, but I was really proud of the girls because we really got better as the match went on,” coach Chris Poole said. “We had a lot of people contribute which is great to see. We just need to find a way to be more consistent which we were able to do towards the end of the match.”
Down 1-0, the Noles found their backs against the wall in set two down 23-21, but two errors by the Redbirds and a pair of kills from senior middle-blocker Emma Clothier gave the Noles the final four points to even the match.
The Noles found themselves in another tight battle with the Redbirds in set three, as the two teams went back and forth. With the Noles down 19-18, a kill by Khori Louis sparked a 4-0 run for the Noles to put them in control where they would go on to take a 2-1 match lead.
The Noles jumped out to a 9-2 lead in set four and never looked back, leading by as much as 13 in a 25-14 match-clinching victory. In set four, the Noles held the Redbirds to a staggering -.125 hitting percent whereas the Noles were able to hit an impressive .474.
Audrey Koenig led all Seminoles with 12 kills, while freshman Audrey Rothman and Emily Ryan each added 11 and 10 kills in their debut for the Garnet and Gold. The Noles held the Redbirds to just a .136 hitting percentage throughout the match, while recording 11 blocks, five of which came from Ryan.
The Seminoles will return to the court tomorrow at noon where they will face Dayton.
