TALLAHASSEE, Fl. — Celebrating Senior Day with its most-dominant ACC win since 2009, Florida State (18-9, 11-6 ACC) swept Duke (12-18, 5-12 ACC) by the score of 25-22, 25-7, 25-10 on Sunday afternoon.
The 39 total points allowed is the fewest in a match since surrendering 38 in a victory at Boston College on October 18, 2009 (25-14, 25-15, 25-9), and is the fewest allowed in any match since August 31, 2012 in a win against FIU (25-11, 25-12, 25-16). The seven points allowed in the second set against the Blue Devils is the fewest since giving up just two points in the first set against Stetson on August 30, 2008.
The Seminoles recorded 10 service aces in the match, the most since 2009 against Notre Dame, as seven different players recorded an ace with one each from Morgan Chacon, Lily Tessier, Madison Sullivan and Alyssa Collins, and two from Emma Clothier, Adrian Ell and Taylor Roberts.
Shining on Senior Day, Payton Caffrey led the team with a .652 hitting percentage on 15 kills and zero errors, while fellow senior Madison Sullivan recorded four digs and a service ace. Taryn Knuth set a milestone on Sunday, as her four blocks gave her 500 for her career. The junior middle blocker is the sixth player in FSU history to record 500 career blocks.
“After the first set, that was as good of volleyball as we have played all year,” said FSU head coach Chris Poole. “Our offense was really clean, we got some good passes and our setters did a good job of putting us in hittable positions. Everyone played well and contributed today, which was good to see. Good to finish at home that way for the seniors as we try to gain some confidence for the final weeks of the season.”
Duke opened the first set with a pair of points, but the Noles used a 5-1 run with kills from Jasmyn Martin and Knuth, as well as a block from Knuth and Jessica Nunge, to take a 5-3 lead. Duke managed to tie the match at 11-11, but the Seminoles opened up a four-point lead with kills from Caffrey and Martin to make it 18-14. The Blue Devils scored four in a row to tie it up at 18-18, but a pair of aces by Clothier helped the Noles close out the first set, 25-22.
Kills from Martin and Clothier gave FSU a 5-1 lead to begin the second set and after a Duke kill got the Blue Devils within five at 11-6, the Noles closed out the set with a 14-1 run on a pair of aces by Roberts, kills from Caffrey, Nunge and Chacon, and a block by Martin and Clothier to post the 25-7 victory.
The Seminoles carried that momentum into the third set, staking a 14-3 lead after kills from Chacon, Caffrey and Martin, along with an ace from Ell. Chacon, Collins and Sullivan added aces down the stretch and Knuth ended the match with a block for the 25-10 win.
The Seminoles will close out the regular season on Wednesday, November 27 with a road match at Miami (10-13, 6-9 ACC). The match between FSU and UM will begin at 3:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. Links for the stream and live stats will be available on the volleyball schedule page on Seminoles.com.
