Miami volleyball fell victim once again to the Florida State University Seminoles in its straight-set loss at the Knight Sports Complex Sunday afternoon. Fans dressed for the white-out game and packed the stadium to capacity to watch the rivals compete in hopes of a Miami win.
FSU set the tone for the matchup just days prior when it pulled out a close win in Tallahassee, but even with the electric crowd and home court advantage, the ’Canes (9-4, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) were unable to secure a win of their own.
While both teams were neck and neck for the entirety of the first set, Miami’s performance was always one step behind Florida State’s. The Seminoles (10-2, 2-0 ACC) dominated the court with their blocking power and created a boundary that Miami was unable to cross.
Even through the loss, Flormarie Heredia Colon dazzled the crowd once again with 16 kills, eight digs and 17.5 points in just three sets. She also tallied a hitting percentage of 0.343, making her an asset for the team’s success both in this game and throughout the season.
After a messy second set, a comeback seemed unlikely, and the hope of the fans began to deflate. The Hurricanes rallied for the lead late in the third set, but FSU remained calm and claimed its victory with a final set score of 27-25.
There was major intensity on both sides of the court, making the game interesting and highly competitive, but Miami was once again bested by the Seminoles. If the Hurricanes are going to be successful in ACC play, they’ll need to bounce back from these two losses to their in-state rival.
The ’Canes head to the road next to face Virginia Tech on Oct. 4.