The Florida Atlantic Owls women’s volleyball team offered fans a preview of its 2025-26 season and defeated Miami Dade College in two games Saturday night. 

The Owls swept the first match in three sets, 28-26, 25-18, and 25-19, before taking the second game 25-23. Head Coach Fernanda Nelson expressed how she thought the team played better throughout the game and admired the contribution of the new players in the second game. 

“I felt that we did a great job handling the first set. It’s the first time playing against someone, and I thought we were a little frantic during the game, and we were able to stay in the sets,” said Nelson, who is entering her 14th season as the Owls’ head coach.

Sophomore outside hitter Olivia Hart led the team with 12 kills, 29 total attempts, 14 digs, and 13.5 points. Senior outside hitter Kayla Richardson added seven kills and 7.5 points. 

The Owls have eight new players, including graduate outside hitter, Maryland transfer Erin Morrissey, and junior setter Anna Hartman. Hartman, a Rutgers transfer, tallied 10 kills and 11 points. 

Miami Dade opened the first set on a four-point streak for an early 6-4 lead. FAU rallied late, but the Sharks continued to retaliate and maintained their lead. The Owls obtained the lead at 21-19 before another timeout was called. 

While Miami Dade crept their way back to a 22-21 lead, Richardson retaliated and tied the set at 24 apiece. Sharks sophomore outside hitter Luyeisy Marquez-Moreno tied the set against two Owls blockers at 26. 

The Sharks retook an early lead, but the Owls bounced back and scored four straight to lead. An error by senior middle blocker Madison Dyer ended the Owls’ short-lived two-point hot streak. 

The Sharks fought back against the Owls and tied the set at 13 before Hartman reclaimed the lead for the Owls, which snowballed into a three-point lead, 16-13. The Owls stretched their lead to five, 20-15. Hart scored her 10th kill and put the Owls in set point; Hartman won the set for the Owls. 

The Owls opened the third set with a 3-1 advantage. The duo of Hartman and Hart brought the Owls back into the game after being down by two. Dyer tied the set for the Owls at 11, before Morrissey gave the Owls the lead at 12-11. However, the Sharks again tied the set. Morrissey brought the Owls back into the game with a 15-13 point lead. 

The Sharks came back to tie it at 18. The Owls stormed back to a three-point lead, 21-18. Richardson then had a great run following the timeout, helping the Owls get to set point, and scored two points. 

The Owls then played a second additional “game” against the Sharks to give extra playing time for the newer players on the team. 

Junior middle blocker Libby Ashline, an Eastern Florida transfer, recorded four kills on four attempts and scored 4.5 points in the second game. After losing their early 5-4 lead, the Owls rallied back a couple of times with the help of Hartman, but watched as the Sharks’ lead grew to 15-10. The Owls clawed back to the Sharks, closing the deficit to two, 16-14. 

Richardson and Ashlin helped tie the set at 19. Richardson gave the Owls the lead at 20-19. Freshman outside hitter Kierstin Bevelle recorded the set point, 24-21, with two kills. The Sharks answered and scored back-to-back points. Dyer sealed the win with a spike over the net.

FAU finished last season with a loss to the Wichita State Shockers in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship, 3-0. Nelson said her team is using last season as motivation for this upcoming one.

“We just want to get better,” Nelson said. “We know what it will take to be a great team. If we can get better every week, then I think we’ll be dangerous.”

The Owls open the regular season next Friday, Aug. 29, at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, hosting the Florida Atlantic Invitational against Kent State University at noon and Texas Tech University at 7 p.m.

Maddox Greenberg is a Contributing Writer at the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories, email him at greenbergm2022@fau.edu or DM him through Instagram @maddoxblade04 or Twitter (X) @MaddoxGreenberg.