Sunday Seminoles Summary: FSU Volleyball, Soccer, Golf, and other Noles sports news

Sep 11, 2022 - 10:00 AM

In case you missed last week’s ‘TN’s Triple-S’ coverage of Florida State Seminoles athletics, here is the recap: Sunday Seminoles Summary: FSU Soccer, Volleyball, Golf, Basketball, and other Noles sports news...{continued *FOR FREE}

The FSU women athletic teams dominated the little Seminole sports news that is not football related. Otherwise, things are still pretty quiet.

As we approach the fall sports, we will continue to keep you up to date on any Florida State sports information and media press releases we are sent from the FSU SID, or that we source ourselves.

Feel free to include any other FSU related news of any kind that we may have missed in the comment section.

Most of the summaries below are courtesy of FSU SID, Tomahawk Nation, and the Twitters.

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Look familiar? Who is this guy?

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FSU WOMEN’S SPORTS NEWS: Soccer, Softball, Basketball, Volleyball, & Others

Check out our dedicated Fanpost for FSU Women’s sports of any Women’s sports news you come across to help keep your community up to date on what is happening in FSU women’s athletics during the week...{continued *FOR FREE}

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Soccer

No. 10 FSU soccer pounds Florida - The Noles return to the pitch with a solid effort.

FSU got off to a strong start. In the 11th minute, Beata Olsson received the ball at the edge of the box from Ran Iwai. Olsson was challenged by a diving Madison Young. As Young went to the ground she was called for a hand ball. Jenna Nighswonger and LeiLanni Nesbeth stood over the ball. Nesbeth tapped the ball to Nighswonger and Jenna sent a left footed rocket for goal that went just wide left...{continued *FOR FREE}

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No. 8 FSU soccer dismantles Florida Gulf Coast - The Noles use a second half surge to fly past the Eagles

No. 8 Florida State (3-0-2) defeated Florida Gulf Coast (2-4) by a 5-0 score this evening at the Seminole Soccer Complex.

Both teams were feeling each other out early. However the Seminoles didn’t cash in on their goal scoring opportunities until the second half.

In the 48th minute, Sophia Nguyen dispossessed Erika Zschuppe knocking the ball away from her...{continued *FOR FREE}

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Volleyball

Noles Drop Five-Set Thriller to No. 17 Creighton

The Florida State Seminoles (7-2) fell to the No. 17 Creighton Bluejays (6-2) in five sets (19-25, 25-19, 27-29, 27-25, 12-15) on Friday night at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb.

“That was a disappointing loss. I loved our fight,” Head Coach Chris Poole said. “We proved that we can play with this caliber of a team, and we are going to move on and learn from this.”

It was back and forth to begin set one, but Creighton took the lead at the 9-8 mark and held their advantage for the rest of the set. The Noles kept the deficit at three to four points for most of the set but were unable to mount a comeback against the Bluejays, falling 25-19. Audrey Rothman led the offensive attack with four kills and Emery Dupes added six digs.

Florida State came out strong in the second set, taking an early 5-1 lead. Creighton would fight back though, tying things up at 13. The Noles responded with a crucial six-point run to set up their 25-19 set two victory. FSU posted a match-high .364 hitting percentage while holding the Bluejays to .143.

The third set started similarly to the second as the Noles got out to a 13-7 lead, but the pesky Bluejays wouldn’t go away, tying the set at 17. It was a nail-biter down the stretch as there were eight ties and three lead changes, but the Bluejays would prevail with a 29-27 win.

FSU had their backs against the wall in the fourth set as they found themselves down 24-25. The Noles rallied for three-straight points to take the set thanks in part to kills from Rothman and Sydney Conley in the closing points.

The fifth and final set was a close fight in the beginning as the teams were knotted up at six. The Bluejays found their stride though and went on a six-point run to take a 12-6 lead. Florida State made a comeback attempt with a four-point run to cut the deficit to two but fell short in the end, losing the set 12-15 and dropping the match 2-3.

Audrey Koenig led the Seminoles in kills with 17 and Emily Ryan tied her career mark with 12. Dupes and Rothman both posted career-highs in digs with 31 and 26.

The Noles travel to Gainesville on Tuesday to take on the #16 Florida Gators. First serve is set for 7 p.m. and ESPNU will have the coverage.

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Noles Increase Win Streak to Five; Draskovic Passes 1,000 Career Assists in Win Over Nebraska-Omaha

The Florida State volleyball team (7-1) took home its fifth-straight victory Thursday night with a 3-0 win (25-21, 25-21, 25-23) over Nebraska-Omaha (4-2) in the first game of the Omaha Invite at Baxter Arena. Andjelija Draskovic also surpassed 1,000 career assists in the first set of the match. On her 22nd birthday, Draskovic became the 20th Seminole to surpass the 1,000 mark in assists.

In the first set, the two teams battled back and forth with the Mavericks taking a 14-11 lead. Back-to-back kills from Khori Louis got the Noles within one then an Emma Clothier kill gave the Noles the 18-17 lead. The Noles would outscore the Mavs 7-4 to take the first match with a Sydney Conley kill putting the finishing touch on the set.

The Noles jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but the Mavericks climbed back to take an 8-7 lead. That would be the last time the Mavericks would have the lead for the rest of the set as the Noles scored four out of the final five points to take a 2-0 match lead.

The Noles had to claw back in the third set as they were kept at distance for the majority of the set. Down 19-17, the Noles rattled off five-straight points thanks to two aces by Audrey Koenig to take a 22-19 lead. The Mavericks tied the set up at 23, but a kill by Khori Louis and a block from Audrey Rothman ended the threat to give the Noles the sweep.

The Noles were able to spread the wealth with Rothman leading the team with nine kills while Louis and Emily Ryan each added eight kills. Koenig added three aces for the Noles while Clothier, Louis and Ryan each added four blocks.

“I was happy to get the win here tonight. It wasn’t as clean as I had hoped. We have a big challenge tomorrow night, and we will need to be better,” Head Coach Chris Poole said.

The Noles will have a big test tomorrow night when they face the 17th-ranked Creighton Bluejays right back in Baxter Arena. First serve is set for 5 p.m.

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Noles Hot Start Continues With Victory Over Austin Peay

In the first-ever matchup between these two teams, the Florida State Seminoles (6-1) defeated the Austin Peay Governors (2-3) in four sets (25-12, 23-25, 25-17, 25-18) on Saturday evening at Tully Gym. The Noles’ 6-1 record to begin the year is their best since 2017 and their fourth straight win at home. Audrey Koenig, Khori Louis and Emily Ryan were each named to the Seminole Volleyball Invitational All-Tournament Team.

“It was a great weekend. I’m extremely proud of our entire team but especially for Audrey, Khori and Emily who led the way with their performances. It was a great team effort, but now we have to take it on the road to Omaha,” Associate Head Coach Jeff Hulsmeyer said.

The Noles took zero time to get things going as they started the first set with five straight points, forcing the Governors to take an early timeout. Florida State wouldn’t look back, leading by as many as thirteen points and taking the set 25-12. The depth of the Seminoles was on display as eight different players recorded kills en route to a monstrous .520 hitting percentage. The Noles’ defense was equally stellar, holding the Governors to a minuscule -.115 hitting percentage.

The second set was a different story as Austin Peay jumped out to an 8-4 advantage due in part to FSU’s three consecutive attack errors. The Noles’ first lead of the set didn’t come until 15-14 and they couldn’t pull away as both teams went back and forth. The Governors fought back as they claimed a 19-18 lead and wouldn’t relinquish it, winning the set 25-23.

The Noles rebounded in the third set, taking an early 13-6 lead. Austin Peay got the deficit down to three on a few occasions, but the Seminoles kept the pressure on and emerged with a 25-17 victory. FSU’s hitting attack was on point once again as they posted a .433 hitting percentage for the set.

Austin Peay held the lead early in the fourth set, but FSU mounted a comeback thanks to a 5-0 run that gave them a 9-6 advantage. The Governors refused to go away once again, tying things up at 15. The Noles maintained their composure though, winning the set 25-18 and the match 3-1.

The quartet of Emma Clothier, Audrey Koenig, Audrey Rothman, and Emily Ryan accounted for 42 of FSU’s 56 kills, led by Koenig and Ryan who had 11 each. The Noles recorded a solid .369 hitting percentage while holding the Governors to .152. Lauryn Burrows led the team with 12 digs while Rothman added ten as well.

Florida State has a few well-deserved days off before heading to Nebraska on Thursday for the Omaha Invite. They will take on Nebraska-Omaha at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday followed by their first ranked matchup of the year against the #18 Creighton Bluejays at 6 p.m on Friday.

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Women’s Golf

Women’s Golf: Highest Preseason Ranking In School History

On the heels of its greatest NCAA Championships finish in school history, the Florida State Women’s Golf team is ranked No. 6 in the preseason polls by the WGCA and the Golf Channel. The Seminoles’ rankings to begin the 2022-23 season are the highest preseason rankings in school history.

Florida State begins the upcoming season as one of four ACC teams in the preseason top 25 – and just one of two ranked among the top six nationally. The Seminoles are ranked behind only Wake Forest (No. 2) and ahead of Virginia (No. 10) and Duke (tied for 20th).

“Rankings are great, and it’s an honor that the coaches think highly of our team,” said Head Coach Amy Bond. “I, too, think highly of our team, but we have to focus on getting better each day and putting the work in on the course.”

Florida State, which earned a program-best fifth place finish in the 2022 NCAA Championship Finals, returns one of the top lineups in all of college golf including senior Amelia Williamson and junior Charlotte Heath. Both Williamson and Heath have been named to the preseason ANNIKA Award Watch list as National Player of the Year candidates.

Florida State begins its four-match fall season at the Cougar Classic at the Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston (S.C.) Sept. 12-13.

Williamson, who is ranked eighth in school history with a 72.82 stroke average, begins the season as a preseason Third-Team All-American by Golfweek. She earned All-America Second-Team honors by the WGCA along with All-ACC honors following the 2022 season. Williamson led the Seminoles with a career-low and team-leading 72.04 stroke average as Florida State won three team championships.

Heath, who earned All-American Honorable Mention honors as a sophomore in 2022, enters her third season as a Seminole ranked fourth in school history with a 72.76 career stroke average. She earned four top-10 finishes including a tied for 10th place finish at the ACC Championships.

Florida State’s high-powered lineup includes senior Cecilie Finne-Ipsen and junior Alice Hodge who helped lead the Seminoles to a championship of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional in 2022. The Seminoles enter the season as the only team in the nation that has won consecutive NCAA Regional Championships (Louisville in 2021 and Tallahassee in 2022).

In addition to its high-powered group of returning players, Bond and her coaching staff recruited one of the nation’s top ranked classes into its program. The group includes freshmen Lottie Woad, Jacqueline Putrino and Katherine Cook. Woad arrives at Florida State as the individual champion of the 2022 British Girls Amateur.

Division I Mizuno WGCA Coaches Poll

Rank, Team (FPV), Points

1.-Stanford (22), 550

2.-Wake Forest, 487

3.-Oregon, 477

4.-South Carolina, 456

5.-UCLA, 421

6.-FLORIDA STATE, 377

Division I Golf Channel Poll

Rank, Team

1.-Stanford

2.-Wake Forest

3.-South Carolina

4.-Southern Cal

5.-LSU

6.-FLORIDA STATE

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Beach Volleyball

Two Seminoles named to AVCA Junior All-American First-Team

Two Florida State Seminoles were named to the AVCA Junior All-American First-Team on September 8, 2022. FSU tied with UCLA at second with four athletes earning spots on the All-American squad. Freshmen Carra Sassack and Alexis Durish earned the First-Team honors after stellar senior seasons. Arden Besecker and Chloe Charles earned Honorable Mention All-American honors as well.

Alexis Durish is a Florida native, growing up in Venice, Florida. Some of her most notable tournament finishes include 1st at 2022 P1440 Nationals, 5th at AAU Nationals, 5th at 2022 AVP Nationals, and 2nd at 2022 USAV U20 World Trials. In her senior year of high school, Durish was a Florida Beach Volleyball state champion and named to the JVA Best in Beach list. Durish also took part in several P1440 Futures Tour events in 2022 and was named most valuable player.

Carra Sassack joins the Seminoles from Atlanta, Georgia. Sassack finished 2nd at 2022 BVCA Nationals, 5th at 2022 AVP Nationals, 2nd at 2022 AAU WCJOG, and 2nd at 2022 Gulf Coast Beach Fest. Along with Durish, Sassack was also named to the JCA Best in Beach list in 2022. In 2019, Sassack endured an ACL tear weeks after winning a championship at 2019 AVP Nationals and returned in 2022 as one of the country’s elite high school beach players.

The honorable mention athletes, Arden Besecker and Chloe Charles, are both from Austin, Texas. They competed with AJV Sand for club beach volleyball.

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Softball

Gwyn’s FSU softball’s top five moments from 2022 - Take a look back at the top moments of FSU Softball from 2022

Even though it ended early, it was still a special season for Florida State Seminoles softball.

An incredible run through the season was punctuated by an ACC Tournament championship title — Team 39 put up a 49-5 record for the highest winning percentage in a regular season in school history (.907). The season showed the fight that personifies head coach Lonni Alameda’s teams and provided many moments for fans to remember.

Now that the dust has settled, we at Tomahawk Nation decided to take a look at the top 5 moments that made the season spectacular...{continued *FOR FREE}

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Women’s Tennis

3 Noles In ITA Preseason Rankings

Florida State graduate student Mila Saric (No. 75, singles) and the Seminoles’ doubles team of Vic Allen and Anna Arkadianou (No. 49, doubles) are featured players as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its 2022-23 preseason rankings.

Saric begins her career at Florida State after being named the Player of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association in 2021 and 2022. She became the first player to earn back-to-back CAA Player of the year honors since the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Saric was a nine-time CAA Singles Player of the Week and a six-time CAA Doubles team Player of the Week.

Saric was ranked throughout the spring of her finals season at W&M, and gained a national ranking of 100th following her play in the NCAA single competition. She was ranked No. 7 in the ITA’s Atlantic Region rankings.

Allen and Arkadianou begin the season ranked among the top 50 doubles team in the nation as two of the Seminoles’ most successful players. Allen, a senior, and Arkadianou, a junior, both helped lead the Seminoles to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2022. Both players have played as members of two NCAA Tournament teams, including Florida State’s Elite 8 team in 2021.

Allen helped the Seminoles advance to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Championships in 2021 and the NCAA Championships round of 32 in and 2022. She was as an ITA Doubles All-American with former Florida State great Petra Hule in 2020.

Arkadianou played in the doubles competition of the 2022 NCAA Tournament Hule. Following her first appearance in the NCAA Doubles competition, Arkadianou and Hule finished the spring 2022 season as the No. 25 ranked doubles pair in the ITA rankings.

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Baseball

Keep up to date with Florida State Baseball: Official offseason discussion thread-Discussing all things FSU Baseball...{continued *FOR FREE}

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Men’s Basketball

The dedicated FSU IS A BASKETBALL SCHOOL - Thread #10 Recruiting, Roster, Schedule, NBA Noles, Draft, All BBall Stuff is there for you to check out or share any latest news about the FSU Mens’ Basketball team you hear...{continued *FOR FREE}

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Cross Country

Curtin Wins ACC Performer of the Week

Florida State men’s cross country student-athlete Ferghal Curtin was named the ACC Men’s Performer of the Week following his victory at the Covered Bridge Open on Friday in Boone, N.C.

The graduate transfer from Charleston Southern made his debut in the Garnet and Gold by finishing first in the men’s 8K with a time of 24:52.25. The Cork, Ireland, native, was in control the entire race and was the lone runner to break the 25-minute barrier, winning by nine seconds.

“This is a great honor for Ferghal,” FSU head coach Bob Braman said. “He’s as focused as any runner I’ve ever coached. This is the beginning of a special season for him.”

Curtin led an FSU effort that saw five runners in the top 11, securing the title with a total of 32 points.

The Seminoles will face Tennessee in a dual on Sept. 16, back in Boone, N.C.

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Men’s Golf

No. 19 Men’s Golf Returns to Maui Jim Intercollegiate

The 19th-ranked Florida State Men’s Golf Team begins its fall season with a return trip to the Maui Jim Intercollegiate held Sept. 9-11 at the Mirabel Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The team champion of the tournament will be crowned through 54 holes of golf. A 54-hole individual stroke play competition, contested simultaneously, will crown the Maui Jim Intercollegiate Individual Champion. This honor entitles the recipient exemption into a 2023-2024 season Korn Ferry Tour event.

The Seminoles traveled eight student-athletes for the tournament. Juniors Brett Roberts, Cole Anderson and Frederik Kjettrup along with sophomore Michael Mays and freshman Luke Clanton will compete in the team portion of the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. The Seminoles will tee off on Friday at 12:40 p.m. ET/9:40 a.m. MT.

Junior Gray Albright, sophomore Patrick McCann and freshman Jack Bigham will compete as individuals at the simultaneous Maui Jim Individual at Desert Mountain, which is held Sept. 9-10 at the Desert Mountain Outlaw Course.

The Mirabel Club is a par-70, 7,047-yard course. The Seminoles last played at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in 2019.

“It’s not ironic that we are starting the season in Scottsdale at The Maui Jim at The Mirabel Club. With the National Championship again in Scottsdale we need to become really comfortable with desert golf,” FSU Head Coach Trey Jones said as he enters his 20th season.

“We also built our program on testing our players against the best players in the country and with 10 teams ranked in the preseason top 30 we will certainly accomplish that.”

Including Florida State, 18 teams will compete for the tournament title this weekend including East Tennessee State, Auburn, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Arizona State, Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego State, UCLA, Clemson, Arizona, FSU, Washington, New Mexico, Louisville, NC State, UNLV and Georgia State.

Florida State returns four golfers from last year who competed in five or more tournaments in Kjettrup (12), Roberts (12), Anderson (9) and McCann (5). The Seminoles tied for 21st at last year’s NCAA Finals, their 27th appearance overall.

Kjettrup led FSU last year in scoring average (71.46), average score vs. par (-0.03), rounds at par or less (20) and finish percentage (83.5).

Roberts is one of just 12 Seminoles to earn All-America honors in multiple years.

Coverage of the Maui Jim Intercollegiate is available once again on Golfstat.com along with updates on the Florida State Golf Twitter Account.

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Cole Anderson Fires Career-Low 65 in Scottsdale

No. 11 Florida State Men’s Golf was guided by the strong play of redshirt junior Cole Anderson in Friday’s opening round at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. The Camden, Maine, native recorded a career low 65 (5-under) to help the Seminoles to a fifth-place start (10-under) at the Mirabel Club.

“Cole Anderson is another player who has had a really nice summer and has been looking forward to this season,” FSU Head Coach Trey Jones said. “To lead the team with a 65 in round one…I’m looking forward to seeing how Cole backs that up. He keeps getting better and better.”

Sophomore Michael Mays was also a factor in the first round of the fall season, shooting a 3-under 67 while junior All-American Brett Roberts also shot the same score.

“I’m really proud of Michael Mays today for shooting 67,” Jones said. “He’s playing well and has worked really hard on his game over the summer. He told me he would come back in the fall a different player and it looks like a lot of his hard work is paying off.

“Brett did what Brett does. He played another solid round today with a 67. This is where I think we will see Brett really step up and contend for these golf tournaments down the stretch. Today was a good start for him to be able to do that.”

The Seminoles are 12 strokes behind tournament leader Auburn (22-under) with two rounds to play. Oregon (12-under) is in second place followed by Washington (11-under), Tennessee (11-under) and FSU.

Anderson went bogey free in the opening round while recording five birdies. He had a strong stretch of three straight holes with birdies on holes 15-17, with two being par 4 holes and another a par 5. Anderson is tied for seventh on a day where several players went low, punctuated by Auburn’s Ryan Eshleman who leads the Maui Jim Intercollegiate at 10-under.

Freshman Jack Bigham is in contention at the Maui Jim Individual played at Desert Mountain, carding a 5-under 67 in his Seminole debut. Bigham is tied for fifth in the individual tournament.

Sophomore Patrick McCann is tied for 13th in the individual tournament at 2-under (70), while junior Gray Albright is tied for 19th with an even par 72.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the guys come out tomorrow. I thought today would be the tougher day for them just getting the season started,” Jones said.

Of Florida State’s eight golfers on Friday, five finished under par in the desert golf conditions of Scottsdale.

At the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, Mays begins the second round for the Seminoles on Saturday at 12:40 p.m. ET. At the individual tournament, Albright starts play for FSU at 11 a.m. ET.

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Men’s Swimming & Diving

Zajic, Barnes Join FSU Staff

The Florida State swimming and diving teams announced the addition of two new assistant coaches, Ben Zajic and Steve Barnes, to the staff for the 2022-23 season.

“I’m really excited to welcome these two coaches to Tallahassee,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “They’re a great fit for our program. Steve has incredible experience and brings a wealth of knowledge and Ben was doing great things at FAU. We’re very excited to get this season started.”

Zajic comes to Tallahassee from FAU where he has coached since 2020. In his second year with the Owls, the men’s team earned silver at the CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships where two of his swimmers were named Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet and Most Outstanding Freshman of the Meet. The men’s program broke nine program records and 12 freshman records that season.

In the shortened 2020-21 season, FAU’s men’s team finished second at the CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships with a program-record 22 medals at a conference championship under the direction of Zajic.

Previously, Zajic was an assistant coach at the University of Nevada – Reno for the 2019-20 season in which the Wolfpack finished second at the Mountain West Conference Championships.

Before rejoining collegiate athletics, Zajic was the lead national and administrative coach for the Kansas City Blazers. Zajic previously coached at the National’s Capital Swim Club under American Swim Coach Association Hall of Fame member and six-time USA National Team Coach, Pete Morgan, in which he instructed National Junior Team members and Summer National Qualifiers. During his time with NCAP, the team was ranked first in the USA Swimming Club Excellence program, earning Gold Medal Status.

Zajic also worked as a volunteer coach at George Mason University during his time with NCAP. The men’s team was the runner-up at the 2018 Atlantic-10 Championships, featuring three individual champions and seven NCAA provisional standards.

Zajic was a four-year member of the Lafayette College swimming & diving team as he obtained a Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology. In 2017, he earned a Master of Science in kinesiology from East Carolina University. Zajic is a Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist by the American College of Sports Medicine.

“I’m incredibly grateful and excited to be joining FSU and the staff Coach Studd has put together, “Zajic said. “ I can’t wait to get the season started. Go Noles!”

Barnes most recently joined the athletics administration at Ithaca College, his alma mater, after nine seasons as a coach at Penn State. He spent three years as the associate head coach following six years as an assistant coach.

Both the men’s and women’s programs at Penn State placed in the top 30 at the NCAA Championships in five out of seven appearances. 2016 Irish Olympian Shane Ryan earned two medals at NCAAs during Barnes’ tenure. Along with Ryan, two more Nittany Lions competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; both Melissa Rodriguez and Gabe Castano competed for Mexico.

In 2020-21, Penn State scored points at the NCAA Championships for the ninth-straight year, eight of which were under Barnes’ direction. The 2018-19 season featured the first individual NCAA National Champion for the PSU women’s squad.

Prior to his time at Penn State, Barnes spent four seasons as the head coach of the Wabash College swimming and diving program. Wabash earned three top-four finishes in four years at the North Coast Athletic Conference Men’s Championships under the direction of Barnes. Two of his swimmers claimed All-American honors at the 2011 NCAA Division III Championships.

Barnes previously spent three seasons as Kalamazoo College as an assistant coach. During this time, the program set an NCAA record, 39 school records, 36 individual and relay conference titles, 17 conference records, 59 NCAA B-cuts and 16 NCAA A-cuts, and nine individual top-eight finishes at NCAA Nationals. Barnes was named interim head coach for January through March 2008 as head coach Kathy Milliken was on maternity leave.

While a student at Ithaca College, Barnes was a four-time All-American and team MVP. He was named a 2005 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American honoree and was selected as Athlete of the Year at Ithaca College all four years, 2002-05. Barnes also earned CSCAA Scholar All-American honors for four consecutive years. He currently holds records in the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle for Ithaca and was a member of the record-setting 800-yard freestyle relay team. Barnes obtained a Master of Science in exercise science from Ithaca in 2006 while serving as an assistant coach for the program.

“I am both grateful and excited to join the Seminoles,” Barnes said. “I would like to thank FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford, Deputy Athletics Director for Administration Cindy Hartmann, and Coach Studd for the opportunity to join the Florida State family. FSU has a strong history in the pool, and I look to continue to build on the program’s success at the NCAA and ACC level while also making a positive impact on the student-athlete experience.”