FAMU Rattlers looking for more NCAA success

Florida A&M volleyball coach Tony Trifonov doesn't want his team to be plagued by little mistakes any more than the one that prevented it from advancing in the NCAA Tournament last season. Thus the top-heavy schedule his team will begin playing tonight.

The Rattlers were up 2-1 against Jacksonville State in their opening-round playoff match when two unforced errors and a bad break ended their season with a five-set loss.

"It is so difficult making it to the tournament and we've made it nine times in a row," Trifonov said Thursday, as he prepared for his 14th season. "That's an achievement in itself. But then again you get tired of getting knocked out in the first round. You want to continue. You want to go to a different site. You want to go to the Sweet 16, so that's our goal."

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

UMES Cohesion will set them apart‎

PRINCESS ANNE, MD -- For the past three years, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball team has been dominant in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Over that time, the Hawks have won 20 or more games each season and the MEAC North title thrice, sporting a 30-0 mark against divisional competition. During the streak, UMES has lost only one set.

Because of that success, the Hawks again have been named the preseason favorite in the division, but in order to reach the top, they will have overcome a large turnover on their roster.

"People have set expectations for us," UMES coach Don Metil said. "Our expectations are really just to get all these new girls to gel on the courts and to go into our first MEAC tournament as a very cohesive unit."

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.