They entered the tournament seeded seventh, a number that suggests an uphill battle, a team just happy to be there. But the FAMU Rattlers are not just any team. They are the defending champions, and they are playing like it.
In a display of resilience and championship poise, the Rattlers volleyball team shook off a nail-biting first-set loss to storm back and defeat the Alabama A&M Bulldogs 3-1 (25-27, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17) in the SWAC Tournament semifinals Saturday at the Al Lawson Center in Tallahassee. The victory, powered by monumental double-double performances from stars LaDonna Trantham and Sydney Whitfield, books the Rattlers a surprise ticket to the championship match against another underdog, the sixth-seeded Southern University Jaguars, Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
This is the grit of a champion, refusing to relinquish its crown without a fight.
“It’s not about how you start; it’s about how you finish,” Head Coach Gokhan Yilmaz said, a bead of sweat still tracing his temple long after the final point. “This team has the heart of a lion. We got punched in the mouth early, and they looked at each other and said, ‘Not today.’ That’s a testament to their character.”
The punch was a grueling 27-25 first-set loss, a frame that could have shattered a lesser team’s spirit. Instead, it ignited the Rattlers. The response was a masterclass in composure, a three-set dismantling of the Bulldogs that showcased the two-headed monster of Trantham and Whitfield.
Trantham, a force at the net, was everywhere, racking up a team-high in kills while also anchoring the defense with a stunning dig total. Not to be outdone, Whitfield orchestrated the offense with precision setting and contributed crucial points of her own, her leadership on the court serving as the steadying hand FAMU needed.
“We knew we had to leave it all out there. This is what we worked for all season,” said Trantham, cradling the game ball after the win. “Sydney and I just connected. We knew we had to be the spark, and the whole team fed off that energy.”
The victory sets up a championship showdown that few outside the two locker rooms saw coming. It will be a battle of the bracket-busters, the seventh-seeded defending champs versus the hungry sixth-seeded Jaguars, ensuring a new unlikely king will be crowned from the SWAC’s postseason gauntlet.
For FAMU, the path to repeating was never going to be easy. But after a statement win in the semifinals, they have proven one thing definitively: you can’t measure heart with a seed number. The crown is still within their grasp.
The Rattlers vs Jaguars SWAC Championship game will be broadcast live at 2:30 ET on the SWAC-TV digital network.