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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In the team’s fifth conference sweep of the season, Florida State (14-8, 10-2 ACC) shut out Virginia Tech (13-11, 4-8 ACC) on Sunday to remain undefeated against the Hokies in Tallahassee.
“Every match we play is crucial at this point in the season,” said head coach Chris Poole. “We have let matches slip away from us this season and we are trying to learn to be more focused and disciplined as a team.”
With FSU’s win against the Hokies and a pair of losses for No. 5 Pitt and No. 22 Louisville, the Seminoles move into a tie for second in the conference with the Cardinals – a team FSU will meet on the road next weekend.
“It was good to win in three today, and we need to play up to our fullest potential this coming weekend to get a win on the road,” Poole said.
Florida State saw double-digit blocks for the fifth consecutive match, led by Taryn Knuth’s nine assisted blocks. Ashley Murray picked up the Seminoles’ lone solo block in the match, all while recording the best hitting percentage on the team (.615) with eight kills on 13 attacks without a single error.
Two other offensive players saw errorless performances at the net, as Christina Ambrose and Tiana Jackson added to the Seminoles’ 40 kills in the match.
The Seminoles held the Hokies to just .097 hitting on Sunday afternoon; it is the lowest percentage FSU has held a conference team to this season, and the second lowest it has held any team to since VCU hit .096 (9/7).
Florida State now heads to Notre Dame and Louisville for a challenging weekend of conference play. After this weekend, FSU will only have two home matches remaining as the Seminoles host Notre Dame on Sunday, Nov. 11 and Pitt on Friday, Nov. 16 for Senior Day.
Set 1 – FSU 25, VT 20
The Seminoles controlled of the first three points of a 5-0 run that started off the set, with a kill and an ace from Christina Ambrose and a block from Knuth and Brim. From there, FSU was able to maintain the lead by reducing unforced errors to counteract a tough Hokies offense.
After the Seminoles reached 20, Virginia Tech went on a 3-0 run to slow down FSU’s run, but a consistent offensive presence and a final block from Ell and Murray finished it off to give FSU a 1-0 lead in the match.
Set 2 – FSU 25, VT 17
The second set started off differently than the first, with the Hokies controlling most of the first eight points in the set with a number of kills and unforced errors to hold the lead. A kill from Murray on a slide helped FSU’s offense kick in, and the Seminoles were able to outhit the Hokies in the set for the second time.
A kill from Knuth helped FSU tie it up at 10-all, and a solo block from Murray and an ace from Taylor Roberts helped the Seminoles secure the lead for the first time in the set. A 6-2 run helped FSU reach 20, but a number of unforced errors slowed the Seminoles down from closing out the set. A tougher defensive presence helped FSU’s offense push harder to get points and finish the set.
Set 3 – FSU 25, VT 23
The Hokies once again took an early lead in the set coming out of intermission, holding that lead throughout the first half of the set. The Seminoles stayed close and tied up the set nine times, until a kill from Murray tied it up at 16-all, and back-to-back blocks from Knuth, Ambrose and Jackson gave the Seminoles a lead they were able to hold until the end.
The Seminoles saw only one unforced attacking error and two service errors in the set, helping them hit above .300 for the third straight set. With five blocks and 19 digs, the Seminoles were able to hold the Hokies to under .200 hitting for the third time.
Around the ACC
No. 22 Louisville lost to Syracuse at home in five sets, while No. 5 Pitt lost its first match of the season to Duke, snapping a 23-match win streak. With a 10-2 ACC record, both the Seminoles and the Cardinals are tied for second in the conference behind the one-loss Panthers.
Match Notes
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