Welcome to The Chief Brief!

Happy Saturday, Seminole!

Here’s what we’ve got on the docket for you today:

🏐 Seminoles Dominate Washington in NCAA Beach Volleyball Tournament Opener 🏐 Florida State's No. 4 beach volleyball team started strong in the NCAA Tournament, winning 3-1 over No. 13 Washington.

🎾 Seminoles Sweep UNC Asheville in NCAA Tournament First Round 🎾 The No. 20 women's tennis team dominated UNC Asheville 4-0 to advance to the NCAA Tournament's second round.

🎾 Seminoles Defeat Ospreys in NCAA Men's Tennis Championship 🎾 The No. 10 men's tennis team secured a 4-1 victory over No. 71 North Florida, advancing to the second round.

🥎 No. 14 FSU Softball Splits Doubleheader Against Syracuse 🥎 In their final regular-season series, the Seminoles split a doubleheader against Syracuse, winning the second game.

⚾ No. 7 FSU Baseball Falls to No. 20 NC State in Game One ⚾ Despite a strong effort, the Seminoles fell 8-7 to NC State in the first game of their series.

🏊 Florida State Announces Wesley Mattice as New Head Diving Coach 🏊 FSU swimming and diving named Wesley Mattice as the new head diving coach, bringing a wealth of experience from his tenure at NC State.

🏈 Defensive Tackle Jay'viar Suggs Completes Extensive Visit to FSU 🏈 Highly-touted defensive tackle Jay'viar Suggs visited FSU as he evaluates options to determine his next school.

🏐 Seminoles Dominate Washington in NCAA Beach Volleyball Tournament Opener 🏐

The No. 4 Florida State beach volleyball team began the 2024 NCAA Beach Volleyball Tournament with a strong 3-1 victory over No. 13 Washington.

🔥 Quick Wins Build Early Lead FSU quickly took control after Washington claimed the first set on three out of the five courts. Raelyn White and Audrey Konenig set the tone, securing a 21-16, 21-7 win on court three, putting the Seminoles up 1-0.

🌟 Extending the Lead Skyler Germann and Morgan Chacon expanded the lead with a solid 21-14, 22-20 win on court four, giving the Seminoles a 2-0 advantage.

⚔️ Battling for the Clinch Although Washington managed to take a point from Alli Hanson and Anna Long after a tight three-set match (16-21, 22-20, 13-15), FSU ultimately sealed the win through Maddie Anderson and Alexis Durish, who delivered a clutch 19-21, 21-15, 15-11 victory.

🔜 Next Opponent With this victory, Florida State advances to face No. 5 Cal Poly in the second round of the tournament, scheduled for 11 a.m. Eastern Time. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

🎾 Seminoles Sweep UNC Asheville in NCAA Tournament First Round 🎾

The No. 20 Florida State women's tennis team dominated the NCAA Tournament's first round, sweeping UNC Asheville 4-0 at the Lindsey Hopkins Tennis Facility in Athens, Georgia.

⏰ Weather-Delayed Start The match faced a two-hour delay due to inclement weather and was moved indoors.

🔥 Strong Doubles Start FSU started the match with a commanding 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles by Vic Allen and Millie Bissett, the 17th-ranked duo in the nation. Laura Putz and Cade Cricchio clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 victory at No. 3.

💪 Singles Domination

• Eva Shaw: Extended FSU’s lead to 2-0 with a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 6 singles.

• Anna Arkadianou: Won 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3, increasing the lead to 3-0.

• Vic Allen: Clinched the match by winning 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1, sealing the sweep.

🔜 Next Opponent Florida State advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive year, facing the winner of the No. 7 Georgia and Alabama State matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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🎾 Seminoles Defeat Ospreys in NCAA Men's Tennis Championship 🎾

The No. 10 Florida State men's tennis team secured a 4-1 victory over No. 71 North Florida in the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship first round, extending their winning streak over the Ospreys to 14 matches dating back to 1987.

🔥 Doubles Battle The competition started strong, with Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc and Joshua Dous-Karpenschif winning the first doubles match. After UNF's win on Court 3, Loris Pourroy and Youcef Rihane dominated on Court 2, taking the doubles point with a 6-3 win.

🏆 Singles Success

• Dous-Karpenschif: Opened with a 6-3 first set win, repeating the scoreline in the second for a 2-0 Seminoles lead, marking his fourth win on Court 4 this season.

• Loris Pourroy: Secured a 6-3 first set before winning 6-2 in the second, clinching his 10th victory on Court 2.

• Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc: Despite a back-and-forth first set, he won 7-5, then claimed five of six games in the second set, winning 6-2 and clinching the match for FSU.

🔜 Next Up Florida State advances to the NCAA Second Round for the sixth consecutive year and will face UCF on Saturday at 1 p.m. for a spot in the NCAA Super Regionals.

🥎 No. 14 FSU Softball Splits Doubleheader Against Syracuse 🥎

Game 2
The Seminoles bounced back in the second game of the doubleheader with a 3-2 victory over Syracuse, powered by a strong second inning and solid pitching.

🔥 Key Plays:

• After an early Orange run, FSU took the lead in the second inning with three runs on five hits.

• Key contributors: Michaela Edenfield, Jahni Kerr, Hallie Wacaser, Amaya Ross, Kaley Mudge, and Jaysoni Beachum.

• Mimi Gooden pitched six effective innings, holding the Orange to one run before Allison Royalty closed with her first save of the season.

Game 1
In the opener, Syracuse took a narrow 4-3 win, breaking the tie in the bottom of the seventh.

🔥 Highlights:

• FSU took a 2-0 lead in the third, thanks to hits by Ross, Mudge, and Torres.

• The Orange evened the score in the third inning and won it with a walk-off single in the seventh.

🔜 Series Finale
The teams will play their final game on ACCNX at 1 p.m. tomorrow, with FSU looking to clinch a share of the ACC Regular Season Championship.

⚾ No. 7 FSU Baseball Falls to No. 20 NC State in Game One ⚾

Florida State dropped the first game of the series against NC State, 8-7, in a closely contested match that saw FSU battle back from an early deficit.

🔑 Key Plays:

• First Inning: FSU started strong with an RBI double by James Tibbs to bring Cam Smith home.

• NC State's Response: The Wolfpack scored four runs in the second inning to take the lead.

• Weather Delay: A 1 hour and 40-minute delay interrupted the third inning.

• Power Hitting: FSU's bats came alive post-delay, with back-to-back home runs from Tibbs and Marco Dinges.

• Closing the Gap: Jaime Ferrer's two-run single in the eighth inning reduced NC State’s lead to one run.

• Final Score: NC State held FSU scoreless in the ninth to secure the 8-7 win.

🌟 Player Highlights:

• James Tibbs: Finished 2-for-4 with a home run, double, and three RBIs.

• Cam Smith: Extended his on-base streak to 54 games, scoring twice.

• Jaime Ferrer: Extended his hitting streak to eight games and threw out a runner at second base.

• Brennen Oxford: Pitched 3.2 innings in relief, allowing just one run while striking out five.

• Jamie Arnold: Achieved his 100th strikeout of the season.

🔜 What's Next:
FSU and NC State face off in game two of the series on Saturday at 7 p.m. on the ACC Network. The first 500 fans will receive FSU baseball t-shirts, and Jared Verse and Trey Benson will throw the first pitch.

🏊 Florida State Announces Wesley Mattice as New Head Diving Coach 🏊

Florida State's swimming and diving head coach Neal Studd recently named Wesley Mattice as the new head diving coach.

💪 Bringing Experience and Vision: Coach Neal Studd highlighted Mattice's extensive experience with U.S. national teams and his success at the collegiate level, expressing excitement for their shared vision in guiding the FSU diving team.

📈 Mattice's Impressive Track Record:

• NC State: Mattice was head coach from 2021-2024, leading divers to the NCAA Championships each year and securing ACC titles throughout his tenure.

  • In 2024, Mattice coached Bayleigh Cranford to the ACC platform title, who then competed in the NCAA Championships.

  • In 2023, Mattice guided Renato Calderaro to bronze at the ACC meet, qualifying for nationals.

  • In 2022, Bayne Bennett qualified for the NCAA Championships, marking a return to the nationals for NC State after several years.

• George Washington University: Mattice earned the Atlantic-10 Men's Diving Coach of the Year title in 2020, guiding Peter Nachtwey to back-to-back Most Outstanding Diver awards. He led the men's team to the conference title in 2019 and coached the women's team to their first championship in 2020.

• USA Diving: With his expertise, Mattice has been involved in coaching the USA Diving Junior National Team across multiple international events.

🎯 Mattice's Excitement for FSU: Expressing his excitement about joining the Seminoles, Mattice praised the history of the FSU diving program and the facilities.

🎓 Background: A graduate of Southern Connecticut State, Mattice also has experience coaching various dive clubs across Maryland and Connecticut.

🏈 Defensive Tackle Jay'viar Suggs Completes Extensive Visit to FSU 🏈

🌟 The Visit: Jay'viar Suggs, a highly sought-after transfer defensive tackle prospect, recently concluded an official visit to Florida State University that extended from Friday morning into the evening. Suggs described the visit as "amazing," highlighting the welcoming environment and the guidance of head coach Mike Norvell.

🌟 Coaching Relationships: FSU's coaching staff made a significant impression on Suggs, particularly defensive line coach Odell Haggins, who has a reputation for developing talent. Suggs appreciated the time he spent with Haggins and analyst Phillip Simpson, emphasizing their knowledge and ability to improve his technique.

🌟 Versatility and Development: During the visit, FSU outlined a comprehensive plan to develop Suggs' versatility across multiple positions on the defensive line. They highlighted his potential to play as a three-technique, nose tackle, or 2I, which aligns with his goal to fully unlock his potential as a player.

🏈 Suggs' Journey and Future Plans:

• Background: A two-year starter from Division II Grand Valley State, Suggs has recorded 42 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and 9 passes defended.

• Upcoming Visits: Suggs will visit USC and then Michigan, planning to finalize his decision shortly after his visit to Ann Arbor.

And that’s a wrap!

With Seminole teams making strides in beach volleyball, tennis, and softball, and the baseball team battling hard, it's been an eventful week.

New leadership in diving and defensive recruits on the radar showcase the bright future ahead for FSU sports.

Stay tuned for more updates on your favorite teams and Go Noles! 🌟