This past season the Southwestern Athletic Conference crowned champions in 18 sports. In what was a remarkable athletic year, we look back at the teams that emerged as league champions. Our next flashback features the 2022 SWAC Women's Volleyball Champions, Florida A&M University.
Box Score
HOUSTON- In just their second season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the Florida A&M volleyball team became a two-time tournament champion after defeating No. 1 Alabama State on Sunday (Nov. 20). All three of the Rattlers' 2022 postseason matches resulted in straight-set victories.
FAMU will learn of its NCAA Tournament opponent and destination at the 2022 Division I selection show. The broadcast, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 27, at 6:30 p.m. CST, will be carried live on ESPNU.
First and second-round matches will take place Dec. 1-2 or 2-3.
Florida A&M, Alabama State (25-22, 25-19, 26-24)
There were 11 ties and six lead changes in the first set alone; the top two seeds put on quite a show inside H&PE Arena. Dominique Washington knotted the opening frame at 15-all, sparking a 6-2 FAMU run, and the Rattlers were the first to reach 20 points.
In fact, they were the first to reach that critical point in all three sets. FAMU distanced itself from ASU with the help of an 8-1 rally in the second -- maintaining a 14-9 lead by the end of the stretch --and later worked a 9-3 effort in the third.
The team held a four-point edge (17-13) at the end of the latter run but required extra points to claim its second SWAC championship. The scoreboard captured ties at 17, 18, 19, 23, and 24 before a Brooke Lynn Watts kill provided the Rattlers set point.
Washington, the two-time SWAC Player of the Year, secured the win on a service ace. For the second time in as many matches, Watts led FAMU's offense; this time, recording a team-high 17 kills. Aja Jones contributed nine and three total blocks.
The Rattlers enter the NCAA Tournament having won 18 of its last 19 outings. A complete listing of the 2022 SWAC Volleyball All-Tournament selections can be found below.
Coach of the Year
Gokhan Yilmaz- Florida A&M
Most Valuable Player
Dominique Washington, Florida A&M
All-Tournament Team
Alisha Callender, Bethune-Cookman
Alexis Williams, Jackson State
Kalysia Bates, Alabama State
Jada Rhodes, Alabama State
A’Nylah Cobb, Alabama State
Irem Ucar, Florida A&M
Brooke Lynn Watts, Florida A&M
Brooke Hudson, Florida A&M
Dominique Washington, Florida A&M
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, and Tennis.
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Volleyball.
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at
www.swac.org.