The Hurricane volleyball squad (6-3) will strive to secure a win in their ACC opener, as they march into Tallahassee, Fla. to face arch nemesis Florida State (3-5) on Friday.
After losing three of their first five games, the ‘Canes didn’t leave anything to chance and swept their last four opponents.
Miami’s marquee victory came against the then undefeated Delaware Blue Hens.
Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch believes her team’s record could be deceiving.
“We’re a 6-3 team but I know we were not far away from being 9-0,” she said. “It’s all about what you do with those losses, how it motivates you and how you work in practice. You want to make sure you’re not in those situations again.”
In the past three matches, junior Bridget Bomhack has 34 kills, sophomore Genny Mayhew has 29 kills and freshmen Katie Gallagher has 117 assists. Defensively, senior Ciara Michel racked up 14 total blocks and sophomore Cassie Loessberg contributed an average of nearly 17 digs.
The ‘Canes will need to carry this momentum in order to claim their first conference win and bragging rights against rival FSU.
Last year in Tallahassee, Fla., the Hurricanes came out and were completely outplayed in the first two games. But after the intermission the Hurricanes were rejuvenated, and they went on to take three straight games and shocked the Seminoles.
“Motivation will be easy to play FSU,” Lantagne Welch said.
The ‘Canes, who are 1-2 on road trips this season, will play a Florida State team that is 2-0 at home.
The Hurricanes will need to take advantage of the Seminoles’ errors, as Florida State has 109 serving errors this season compared to Miami’s 64.
Miami will be looking to contain FSU outside hitters Makini Thompson and Taylor Wilson. The Seminoles average almost 14 kills per game, but they have been struggling lately. The Seminoles were dominated in their last two games and allowed their opponents to sweep.
Lelan LeDoux may be contacted at l.ledoux@umiami.edu.