TALLAHASSEE – The Florida State volleyball team begins its 2025 season this weekend as the Seminoles take on UIC at 3 p.m. on Friday and UNF at 6 p.m. on Saturday at UNF Arena in Jacksonville. Friday’s match will not be streamed while Saturday’s match against the Ospreys will be streamed on ESPN+. 

Noles Begin 2025 Season at UNF Against the Ospreys and Flames

• For the 13th time in the last 14 seasons, FSU will begin the season on the road as it heads to Jacksonville to take on UNF and UIC. 
• FSU is 33-8 on opening weekend under Head Coach Chris Poole. 
• UIC finished the 2024 season with a 23-10 record and was one win away from the NCAA Tournament as it fell to Northern Iowa in four sets in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. 
• UNF finished 2024 13-19 and 9-7 in ASUN play. 

                                                    
Series History

• Friday will be just the second all time meeting with Florida State and UIC. The two teams last met in 1987 in Chicago where the Seminoles swept UIC in three sets. 
• The Seminoles and Ospreys have met in three out of the past four seasons. The teams have met four times with FSU winning all four. UNF has won just two sets in the previous four matches. 

                                                    
New Faces 

• 14 new players will be wearing the Garnet and Gold this season as the Noles brought nine freshmen and five transfers for 2025.
• The 14 new players is the most ever under Coach Poole at Florida State. 
• FSU’s freshman class of nine players is the largest freshman class in program history. 

                                                    
Filimaua Leads Group of Key Returners

• Kyleene Filimaua will lead a group of five returners for the 2025 squad. 
• Filimaua is FSU’s most experienced and productive returner as she enters as a two-year starter in her junior season. 
• In 2024, Filimaua did a little bit of everything as she recorded 173 kills, 66 assists, 27 aces, 267 digs and 23 blocks. Filimaua filled in at libero during the middle of the season last year but will return to her main position as an outside hitter in 2025. 

                                                    
Henke Hoping to Build Off Solid First Season with the Garnet and Gold

• In her first season with Florida State, Iane Henke had a solid season for the Noles but will look to take another step in 2025. 
• Henke ended her season with 143 kills and a .229 hitting percentage. 
• Henke also added 74 blocks in her junior campaign. 
• Henke was the 2022 Division II AVCA National Freshman of the Year at Cal State LA. 

                                                    
Perry Looks to Continue to Be a Force Defensively

• Kelsey Perry had a great season defensively for the Noles in her first season at Florida State. 
• Perry was second on the team with 109 blocks and 1.07 blocks per set. 
• Perry finished the 2024 season with 59 kills and hit .307.

                                                    
Noles Bring On Former Sun Belt Libero of the Year in Mio Yamamoto

• The Noles made a big splash in the transfer portal in picking up 2023 Sun Belt Libero of the Year Mio Yamamoto from Louisiana. 
• Yamamoto was a two-time All-Sun Belt First Team selection in her two seasons in Lafayette. 
• Yamamoto ranked in the top 25 in the country in digs per set and recorded 13 matches with 20 or more digs in 2024. 
• Yamamoto has the most career digs of anyone on FSU’s roster.

                                                    
NIcholson and Stevenson Set to Lead FSU’s Offense

• FSU brought in a couple of transfers from the portal to lead the offense for the 2025 season. 
• Lily Nicholson comes from TCU where she played in 112 out of the 113 sets for the Horned Frogs last season. 
• Nicholson became just the eighth player in TCU history to record 1,000 assists with her 1,108 assists in her sophomore campaign. 
• She averaged 9.89 assists per set which ranked fifth in the Big 12 and 60th nationally. 
• She helped the Horned Frogs record a .252 hitting percentage over the course of the season which was tied for the second-best mark in school history. 
• Stevenson comes from Montana State where she started two seasons for the Bobcats. 
• Stevenson recorded over 1,000 assists in 2023 and added 664 assists in 2024. 
• Stevenson tallied 68 service aces in her two seasons in Bozeman.

                                                  
Ewing, Sova and Kpea Give Noles Depth in the Middle 

• The Noles will have great competition at the middle blocker position with Kelsey Perry, Delaney Ewing, Johanna Sova and Nenu Kpea all battling for playing time at the position. 
• Ewing comes from the University of San Francisco where she recorded 155 kills and 83 blocks in her freshman season. 
• Sova played in 24 sets last season and tallied 12 kills and 23 blocks.  
• Kpea comes in as a freshman from Melissa, Texas. Kpea was the 2024 District 13 Blocker of the Year at the 5A level. 

                                                            
Noles Bring On One of the Best Young Coaches In Jon Wong

• Jon Wong joined the Florida State coaching staff as an assistant coach in February. 
• Wong brings over 10 years of coaching experience with some of the top programs in college volleyball. Wong most recently spent a year as an assistant coach at Rice where the Owls finished 19-8 and made the semifinals of the AAC Tournament. 
• At Rice, Wong primarily worked with the pin hitters where the Owls had one of the best offenses in the AAC. Rice ranked first in the conference in kills per set (14.02) and second in the conference in hitting percentage (.236).
• Prior to Rice, Wong was an assistant to the head coach for the National Champion Texas Longhorns in 2023. 
• Wong provided the coaching staff with statistical analysis, opponent scouting, & undertake projects to address various needs/areas of improvement for the Texas volleyball program. 
• He also helped the Longhorns earn two First Team All-America honors in Asjia O’Neal and Madisen Skinner.
• Before making the move to Austin, Wong spent three years as the assistant coach at Texas Tech. 
• Wong helped the Red Raiders make their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 20 years in 2021.

                                                                
On the Road Again

• The Noles will be on the road early and often to start the 2025 season. 
• The Noles will not play at home until September 14 which is the program’s latest home opener since 2001. FSU will have just two home games prior to October 10. 

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