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Dec. 4, 1997

Seminoles to Make First NCAA Tournament Appearance since 1993

NCAA Tournament, Central Region, Opening Rounds

FSU vs. South Florida *                  Friday, December 5 at 7:00 pm
With a win Friday, FSU at Florida *      Saturday, December 6 at 2:00 pm
* O'Connell Center (12,000)
Season Records
Record: 25-8.
Conference: 11-5, 2nd.
Current Streak: Lost 1.
NCAA Tournament: The Lady Seminoles are just 1-8 in their 8 previous appearances in
the NCAA Tournament.  Florida State's only victory came in 1993 when it defeated DePaul
3-1 in Tallahassee.
Lately...
3-2 Win Over Virginia (ACC Tournament)
FSU tallied a season-high 97 kills and 100 digs in its win in the opening
round of the ACC Tournament in Raleigh.  Fiona Bolten broke her own FSU program record 
with 81 assists in the match.  Holly Schneider and Susan Hawks tallied 22 kills each.
Bolten and Christy Minko led the defense with career-bests 24 and 17 digs, respectively.
1-3 Loss vs. Georgia Tech (ACC Tournament)
Georgia Tech took advantage of the Lady Seminoles' struggles to take an
early lead and then held on to defeat FSU 3-1 and eliminate the Noles from the ACC
Tournament in the semifinals.  Holly Schneider (14k, 14d) and Jennifer Werrick (13k, 15d)
each tallied double-doubles in the loss.
The Opponents
South Florida Bulls
Record: 25-8.
Conference: 15-1 in Conference USA.
Streak: Won 1.
Coach: Perri Hankins, 7th year at USF.
Series History: FSU leads 31-2.  The Noles' 31 wins over USF are the most over any
FSU opponent. USF won the last meeting, 3-1, in Tampa in 1995.
Florida Gators
Record: 31-3.
Conference: 14-0 in the SEC.
Streak: Lost 1.
Coach: Mary Wise, 7th season at UF.
Series History: FSU leads the series 21-20 (since 1976).  Florida has won 11 of the 14
meetings in the 1990s in both this year. 

Nole Notes

Postseason Inexperience

Head coach Cecile Reynaud and assistant Sherry Clouet are the only members of the 1997 team with experience in the NCAA Tournament. Reynaud has coached 8 squads to the Tournament. Clouet was a member of the 1992 team which participated in first round action held, ironically, in Gainesville.

Bullish Opponent

Florida State will meet South Florida for the first time since 1995 this Friday night. The Lady Seminoles and the Bulls have a storied past, mainly in favor of Florida State. FSU's 31 wins over USF are the most over any opponent in program history. USF, however, is making its 4th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the past 5 years this weekend. FSU and USF met on the court just 5 years ago in Gainesville. The Lady Seminoles swept the Bulls in the season-opening Gator Invitational enroute to a 26-8 record in 1992 and an NCAA Tournament bid to face the Gators in Gainesville.

First In Five

A 3-2 victory at Duke to end the regular season and a 3-2 win over Virginia in the first round of the ACC Tournament were the first five-game matches for the Lady Seminoles this season. In general, Florida State has made quick work of its opponents game-wise with 14 sweeps and nine 3-1 victories. FSU has, however, played several marathon matches. 11 of FSU's 16 regular season ACC matches lasted over 2 hours including a 2:40 battle with UNC. Florida State's quickest match was a 53-minute rout of Georgia Southern in September.

Defense Down One

FSU's back row will be without the help of sophomore defensive specialist Courtney Dipert this weekend. Dipert injured her knee during practice prior to the ACC Tournament. Surgery to repair the damage was performed this week.

Rookie Awards Pile Up

Florida State's freshman class wowed the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. Outside hitters Kate Hemlepp and Jennifer Werrick garnered 6 of the 12 ACC Rookie of the Week awards this year. Both were named to the conference's All-Freshman team and Hemlepp got the nod as the ACC Rookie of the Year.

A Look At The Poll

The Lady Seminoles dropped out of the latest AVCA/USA Today Volleyball Coaches Poll released Tuesday. FSU has received votes in nine of the fourteen weeks this season, peaking at #30 prior to its match with Florida in late September. Maryland was the only ACC team in the Top 25 this week at #19. Both Florida and South Florida received votes in the latest poll. At 31-3, the Gators are currently ranked #8.

Topping Twenty

With its victory over North Carolina on Halloween night, Florida State earned its twentieth win of the season. It marked the first time since 1993 that the Lady Seminoles had reached the 20-win plateau. In her 22 years, Cecile Reynaud has recorded 18 20-win seasons and is 564-238 overall as FSU's head coach.

Bolten Breaks Record Again

Fiona Bolten broke her own FSU program record for assists in a match when she recorded 81 against Virginia in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. Bolten had broken the Florida State record earlier this season with 75 against North Carolina on October 31st. Jennifer McCall held the previous record of 74 against South Florida in 1993. Bolten also registered the only triple-double by a Lady Seminole this season with then career-highs in assists (65), kills (10), and digs (20) along with 2 blocks and 2 service aces in FSU's 3-1 victory at Clemson on October 26th.

Schneider Takes Charge

Junior Holly Schneider has taken charge on both offense and defense for the Lady Seminoles lately. Schneider has posted double-doubles in 11 of her last 12 ACC matches including a season-best 22-kill performance against Virginia in the ACC Tournament. During the 12-match stretch, she is averaging 14.8 kills and 15.8 digs per contest.

Climbing The Charts

Several Lady Seminoles have entered the FSU individual season record charts with their impressive performances this year. Holly Schneider is #2 in service aces with 55 and is 10th in both digs and kill attempts. Fiona Bolten's 1183 assists is the 5th best assist total in FSU history. Aisha Thornton & Susan Hawks look to hold to the #3 and #5 spots, respectively, with hitting percentages of .358 and .351 in '97.

At The Net

After an uncharacteristic blocking performance in its last outing in Gainesville, FSU has averaged almost 10 team blocks including a 13.5 block assist per match mark over its last six matches. Throughout the 1997 season, the Lady Seminoles have come up big at the net in victories registering more block assists than their opponent in 22 of their 25 wins this year. Overall, Florida State leads opponents 400-275 in block assists through 33 matches.

Seminole Support

Florida State topped the 1,000 mark in attendance twice this season. 2,782 fans braved a standing room only crowd for FSU's match with Florida in September setting a new attendance record for the Lady Seminoles in Tully Gym. 1,127 fans returned to watch Florida State defeat Clemson 10 days later.. UF won the only NCAA meeting between the 2 schools, 3-0 in Gainesville in 1992.

Eleven Makes Two

Florida State swept four conference opponents this year enroute to its most ACC wins (11) in its 7th season in the conference and its second place regular season finish. The Lady Seminoles completed regular season sweeps of Clemson, NC State, Virginia, and Wake Forest in 1997. FSU also finished second in the ACC in the 1992 with a 6-1 regular season conference mark.

Consistent Contributors

Only two players have competed in every game of every match for the Lady Seminoles this season. Senior Christy Minko has tallied 271 digs, third-best on the team, during her 116 games of action. Junior Holly Schneider leads the team with 390 kills, 55 service aces, and 386 digs during her 116-game run. Dating back to 1996, Schneider has now played in 204 consecutive FSU games.

No Mercy

Florida State has had little mercy for its opponents in 1997. The Lady Seminoles have outscored their foes 1329-963 thus far this season.

A Dozen To Start

Florida State rolled to victory in its first 12 matches of 1997 marking the best start in program history. FSU also nabbed tournament championships in its own FSU Classic, the All-Sport Michigan Challenge, and the Florida Atlantic Tournament. The Lady Seminoles' previous best start came in the 1982 season when FSU opened up 8-0.

Super September

FSU's 1997 September record is quite a turnaround from a year ago. The Lady Seminoles finished at 10-2 last month. In 1996, Florida State was a lowly 1-10 in the month of September.

Game After Game

In winning 36 of their first 37 games this season, the Lady Seminoles compiled an impressive 27-game winning streak. The 27-game streak is the second longest in school history. FSU won 36 games during a 21-match winning streak in 1981.

Honors & Awards

All-ACC 2nd Team Fiona Bolten, Susan Hawks, and Holly Schneider ACC Rookie Of The Year Kate Hemlepp All-ACC Freshman Team Kate Hemlepp and Jennifer Werrick Florida State Classic Susan Hawks, Most Valuable Player Fiona Bolten & LaToya Presberry, All Tournament Team All-Sport(R)/Michigan Challenge LaToya Presberry, Most Valuable Player Fiona Bolten & Kate Hemlepp, All-Tournament Team Atlantic Coast Conference week of September 1-7 LaToya Presberry, Player of the Week Kate Hemlepp, Rookie of the Week
week of September 8-14 Aisha Thornton, Co-Player of the Week Kate Hemlepp, Rookie of the Week
week of September 29 - Oct. 5 Kate Hemlepp, Rookie of the Week
week of October 13-19 Jennifer Werrick, Rookie of the Week
week of October 27 - Nov. 2 Jennifer Werrick, Rookie of the Week
week of November 3-9 Jennifer Werrick, Rookie of the Week ACC Tournament Holly Schneider, All-Tournament Team

By The Numbers
FSU Double-Doubles
Laura Arnold
    @ Virginia           10 kills    12 digs
    Duke                 11 kills    20 digs

Fiona Bolten
    Mississippi State    42 assists  10 digs
    vs. Eastern Michigan 49 assists  16 digs
    Florida Atlantic     31 assists  13 digs
    Georgia State        41 assists  11 digs
    @ Florida Atlantic   44 assists  10 digs
    Florida              40 assists  11 digs
    @ North Carolina     36 assists  10 digs
    @ Georgia Tech       48 assists  14 digs
    @ Clemson  10 kills, 65 assists, 20 digs
    North Carolina       75 assists  15 digs
    North Carolina State 50 assists  14 digs
    @ Duke               64 assists  14 digs
    vs. Virginia         81 assists  24 digs
    vs. Georgia Tech     39 assists  13 digs
Susan Hawks
    North Carolina State 13 kills    11 digs
    @ Duke               21 kills    10 digs
Kate Hemlepp
    Clemson              14 kills    10 digs
    @ Clemson            14 kills    19 digs
    North Carolina       11 kills    10 digs
    vs. Virginia         15 kills    10 digs
Latoya Presberry
    Purdue               11 kills    10 digs
    @ Michigan           15 kills    12 digs
    vs. Eastern Michigan 18 kills    22 digs
    Georgia State        10 kills    11 digs
    Florida              12 kills    10 digs
    @ North Carolina     15 kills    13 digs
Holly Schneider
    @ Michigan           10 kills    18 digs
    vs. Eastern Michigan 11 kills    12 digs
    Clemson              12 kills    14 digs
    Georgia Tech         12 kills    21 digs
    Wake Forest          18 kills    11 digs
    @ Georgia Tech       19 kills    21 digs
    @ Clemson            18 kills    22 digs
    North Carolina       20 kills    21 digs
    North Carolina State 16 kills    22 digs
    Maryland             14 kills    20 digs
    Virginia             11 kills    11 digs
    @ Duke               19 kills    16 digs
    vs. Virginia         22 kills    19 digs
    vs. Georgia Tech     14 kills    14 digs
Jennifer Werrick
    @ Clemson            13 kills    16 digs
    North Carolina       20 kills    18 digs
    North Carolina State 17 kills    10 digs
    Maryland             15 kills    12 digs
    Virginia             13 kills    14 digs
    @ Duke               14 kills    18 digs
    vs. Virginia         13 kills    16 digs
    vs. Georgia Tech     13 kills    15 digs
FSU In The NCAAS
Year    Opponent    Site  Result
1983    Tennessee    H   L 15-12, 15-12, 1-15, 10-15, 8-15
1985    Georgia      A   L  6-15, 1-15, 11-15
1987    Texas        A   L  6-15, 11-15, 9-15
1988    Colorado St. H   L  3-15, 5-15, 15-9, 7-15
1989    California   H   L 15-11, 11-15, 13-15, 13-15
1990    Kentucky     A   L 12-15, 10-15, 15-10, 10-15
1992    Florida      A   L  9-15, 3-15, 10-15
1993    DePaul       H   W  15-8, 7-15, 15-10, 15-13
        Pacific      H   L  6-15, 17-15, 6-15, 9-15
FSU and the ACC
Individual Overall
Hitting Percentage
1   Aisha Thornton  .366
3   Susan Hawks     .350    
Kills per Game  
8   Holly Schneider 3.31
9   Aisha Thornton  3.23
Assists per Game
1   Fiona Bolten   12.96
Digs per Game
6   Holly Schneider 3.30
Service Aces per Game
1   Holly Schneider 0.50
Blocks per Game
4   Susan Hawks     1.17
8   Aisha Thornton  1.07
    
Team Overall
Hitting Percentage
1   Florida State        .270
Kills per Game
3   Florida State       15.78
Assists per Game    
5   Florida State       13.62
Service Aces per Game
3   Florida State        1.87
Blocks per Game
5   Florida State        2.25
ACC Standings
FINAL Regular Season Standings
    School          Conf    Overall  Games
1   Maryland        16-0     26-1    80-23
2   Florida State   11-5     25-8    80-34
3   Georgia Tech    10-6    19-15    70-57
4   Clemson         10-6     26-6    87-39
5   Duke             9-7    15-16    61-53
6   North Carolina  6-10    14-17    60-59
7   Virginia        6-10    18-16    62-59
8   NC State        3-13    12-23    51-82
9   Wake Forest     1-15     8-24    39-79