![Florida Gators outside hitter Kennedy Martin (18) spikes the ball through the hands of Florida St. outside hitter Kyleene Filimaua (12) and Florida St. middle blocker Khori Louis (8) in the first set at Exactech Arena at The Stephen C O'Connell Center in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 against the Florida State Seminoles. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2566,h_1443/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/270/01m2ejq0ya0eh80n5mb3.jpg "Florida Gators outside hitter Kennedy Martin (18) spikes the ball through the hands of Florida St. outside hitter Kyleene Filimaua (12) and Florida St. middle blocker Khori Louis (8) in the first set at Exactech Arena at The Stephen C O'Connell Center in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 against the Florida State Seminoles. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
Florida State volleyball was back in action this afternoon, hosting Florida International in the Tully Gymnasium for one of the final non-conference games on the schedule. The Seminoles fought hard, but the Panthers ultimately walked away with a quick three-set win. A 4-4 start is not how the Seminoles wanted to begin the 2026 season, and unfortunately, the road will only continue to get tougher moving forward.
Florida State is back in action tomorrow against North Alabama, and the team will need to fix a few key parts of its game to walk away with the win. A few important players helped push the team during the loss, while others struggled to find their footing against the Panthers.
Winners:
2. Nene Kpea - MB, Sophomore
Frankly, there were not a ton of bright spots in a three-set non-conference loss where the Seminoles had an attack percentage of .164. However, sophomore middle blocker Nene Kpea was one of the top players in the loss, hitting .250 while adding nine kills, four block assists, and one dig. Kpea has 73 total kills and 31 block assists on the season as she aims to return to her exceptional freshman form.
1. Delaney Ewing - MB, Junior
One middle blocker made the list, and junior middle blocker Delaney Ewing also deserved positive recognition for her performance against FIU. Ewing hit a team-high .389 against the Panthers, which was good enough for eight kills, while also adding four block assists.
Ewing was a key part of the 2025 Florida State team, and her return alongside Kpea is massive for the 2026 team. The season has gotten off to a difficult start for Ewing, but the Seminoles are currently 3-1 when the middle blocker records double-digit kills. If Florida State hopes to turn things around this season, Ewing is going to have to be a big part of the plan.
Losers:
3. Lindsay Allman - Coach
Allman received a promotion from associate to head coach in February, and with the hiring came expectations of bringing in more wins after a slow 2025 season. Florida State delivered early with the upset over No. 16 Kansas, but losses to Lipscomb and FIU are not necessarily the most promising results. The Panthers did win 20 matches a season ago, but with Kansas, BYU, Auburn, and Florida on the schedule, FIU was supposed to be one of the easier matches.
Florida State has some improving to do before facing top teams in the ACC like Louisville, Pittsburgh, SMU, and Stanford. Service is the most glaring problem through eight games for Allman and the Seminoles, as the team has 108 service errors on the season, over 40 more than opponents have committed. If Florida State can clean up the errors even just a little bit, the team would be in a much different position at the moment.
2. Sofia Moss - OH, Freshman
The 2026 season has been a difficult one for freshman outside hitter Sofia Moss, as her hitting percentage on the year dropped to .192 after the loss to FIU. Moss is currently the lowest-rated hitter among all Seminoles' athletes who have played all eight sets. Additionally, Moss is second on the team with 25 service errors this season, which has been a serious issue for the team.
Moss hit .091 against the Panthers, with four kills and three errors in the attack, and one service error. The freshman has been in a great position most of the season to make an impact for Florida State, but the performances the Seminoles truly need have not quite been there yet. Moss will need to improve against ACC competition to keep the Seminoles' attack strong.
1. Kyleene Filimaua - OH, Senior
Senior outside hitter Kyleene Filimaua is the heart and soul of the Florida State volleyball team, and when her performance is not stellar, the outcome of the match is typically far different. Filimaua has been a star at times during the 2026 season, with 23 kills and 16 digs in the upset win over Kansas, and at other times, the senior has struggled. Filimaua has hit below .200 four times this season, and the Seminoles lost three of those matches.
In the loss to FIU, Filimaua hit .079 with seven attack errors and two service errors, accumulating a season-low 11 points. Florida State has multiple other problems outside of the difficult performances of Filimaua, but some of her performances are exacerbating issues the Seminoles have. Filimaua has 27 service errors through eight games, and setting a new career-high (37) in that department during the 2026 season is almost certain at this point.
Florida State has a chance to regroup against North Alabama and produce a much-needed win in front of a home crowd. Filimaua will also receive a chance to put together a strong performance and return to her best form.
Add us as a preferred source on Google