Noles News: FSU opens as 2.5-point underdog vs. Virginia

FootballFlorida State is back to .500 on the season after a lackluster 34-7 win over FCS opponent Central Arkansas, though Jayvan Boggs did have a career day:

Career day for Jayvan = Rock Break#NoleFamilypic.twitter.com/POJmpzDLfj

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 26, 2026Jordan Silversmith wrote on how Mike Norvell facing off against his alma mater might be the last feel-good moment of his FSU tenure:

class="wp-block-paragraph">15 players made their FSU debut against the Bears:

class="wp-block-paragraph">Norvell said after the game that the Seminoles have “a lot of areas where we can continue to improve upon:”

class="wp-block-paragraph">The game was the last layup on FSU’s schedule before heading back into conference games, but how it played out didn’t inspire much confidence, writes Curt Weiler:

class="wp-block-paragraph">The next challenge for the Seminoles is to go even on the year in ACC play, facing off against the Virginia Cavaliers this Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Florida State is currently a 2.5-point underdog in the matchup, according to FanDuel.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Before FSU’s win, 57% of you said that you’d grade Ashton Daniels’ season so far as a C — did Saturday change that opinion at all?

In case you missed it, Jon Loesche put out another entry in his look inside the ACC’s campaign to pass the Protect College Sports Act:

𝙱𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚜: Central Arkansas#NoleFamilypic.twitter.com/wsrlIUt7nL

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 27, 2026Inside Seminole Football: Ep. 5

🗓️ Tomorrow 🕖 7 PM 📱 Seminoles Unconquered App 🗣️ HC Mike Norvell, WR Jayvan Boggs, S Coach Evan Cooper#NoleFamilypic.twitter.com/DJ8GkTKJQL

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 27, 2026YOINK@JarrianJones | #NEvsJAX on CBS pic.twitter.com/5oQk5aVRZD

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 27, 2026SoccerNo. 22 FSU soccer returned from its break with a 0-0 draw at Louisville:

Tanner on the mic 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/WAg8DmnGd7

— FSU Soccer (@FSUSoccer) September 25, 2026All SportsFlorida State volleyball (6-6, 1-1 ACC) fell 3-0 to Miami (3-8, 1-1) on Sunday:

The Seminoles recorded 43 kills to Miami’s 40 and matched the Hurricanes with 37 digs.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Senior outside hitter Kyleene Filimaua led all players with 20.5 points, recording 19 kills while hitting a team-best .421.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Freshman outside hitter Sofia Moss added 10 kills and seven digs, while junior setter Emma Lilo paced Florida State with 24 assists and eight digs.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Miami opened the first set with a 7-2 advantage before Florida State responded with a 9-2 run to take an 11-9 lead. The Seminoles maintained a two-point advantage at the media timeout, leading 15-13. The set remained tightly contested down the stretch, with the teams trading points to a 23-23 tie. FSU earned set point at 24-23, but Miami answered with a 4-1 run to claim the opening set 27-25.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The second set remained tight through the early stages, with the teams tied at 10-10. Miami took a 15-13 lead into the media timeout before extending its advantage to four at 20-16. The Hurricanes closed the set 25-20 and moved ahead 2-0 in the match.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Florida State came out strong in the third set, building a 7-2 lead before taking a 15-10 advantage into the media timeout. The Seminoles led 19-13 before Miami mounted a 5-0 run to pull within one at 19-18. After the teams traded points to reach a 20-20 tie, the Hurricanes pulled away late to take the set 25-23 and earn the 3-0 victory.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The Seminoles return to Tully Gymnasium for a five-match homestand beginning Friday against NC State. Florida State will host its annual Paint it Pink match, with first serve set for 6 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ACCNX.

Both the men’s and women’s Florida State cross country teams set program records at the Gans Creek Classic on Friday:

Bieke Schipperen led the women, while Kaden Levings paced the men.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Competing in a field of 247 student-athletes, Schipperen led the Seminoles with a 14th-place finish in 19:54.5. Rylee Blade followed in 21st at 20:09.6, while Nicole Dinan crossed the line 30th with a career-best finish and a lifetime-best of 20:22.4. Freshman Madie King continued to show her perseverance, placing 39th with a personal best at 20:31.1. Bella Griener rounded out the Seminoles’ scoring with a career best time of 20:40.6.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The women’s team finished in third with 148 points.

class="wp-block-paragraph">On the men’s side in the 8k race, the top five runners record a lifetime best. Levings led the way in 16th with a time of 23:07.2. Isaac Hirshman Chandler returned to the lineup, placing 32nd at 23:29.5 while Aidan Ryan was the third Seminole to cross the line in 53rd at 23:53.8. Finn Thomas recorded a top-100 finish in 71st with a time of 24:01.2. Graham Myers rounded out the score for the Noles in 86th at 24:08.8.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The men’s team placed seventh with 253 points.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Florida State will have a break in action before returning to its home course for the FSU XC Invite on October 9th at Apalachee Regional Park.

Florida State is ranked No. 16 in the country in the first Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Coaches Poll of the 2026 fall season:

The Seminoles have gotten off to a strong start this fall, compiling a 25-6 record through three tournaments and earning a team championship, a top three finish and a victory over the nation’s preseason No. 1 team.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Florida State opened the season by winning the Folds of Honor Collegiate, overcoming a seven-shot deficit entering the final round to claim the team title. The Seminoles shot a five-under 283 in the final round to finish at three-under 861 and narrowly defeat Texas A&M.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The victory marked Florida State’s first team title at the Folds of Honor Collegiate, an event the Seminoles co-host with Michigan State and have participated in for three consecutive seasons. It also marked the first time since 2016 that Florida State won its season-opening event, when the Seminoles captured the Schooner Fall Classic.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The Seminoles then competed at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, facing a field that included five teams ranked among the nation’s top 15 in the preseason rankings. Florida State finished fifth and narrowly missed advancing to match play, but defeated preseason No. 1 and defending national champion Stanford during the three-round stroke-play portion of the event.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Florida State closed its three-event fall stretch at the Schooner Fall Classic, finishing third in a 16-team field. The Seminoles shot 11-under 829 for the tournament and climbed one spot on the final day to secure their second top three finish of the fall.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Florida State will return to competition Oct. 23-25 at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Mirabel with the best finish for the #ProNoles at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, tying for 15th after shooting 12-under.#GoNoles 🍢 | @LPGApic.twitter.com/sI5Oyyh93w

— FSU Golf (@FSUGolf) September 27, 2026Florida State women’s tennis wrapped up competition Sunday afternoon at the Bedford Cup in Tampa:

Sophomore Abby Kelliher and freshman Ariana Gilbert made a deep run in doubles, earning three consecutive victories to reach the championship match.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The duo opened the tournament with a 6-1 win over Stetson’s Alissia Aleksandra Kivi and Lena Karolina Hornecka in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Kelliher and Gilbert posted a 6-2 victory over FAU’s No. 48-ranked tandem of Panna Bartha and Katrin Pavkova to advance to the semifinals.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Kelliher and Gilbert then faced USF’s Zoe Lazar and Margherita Marcon in the semifinals, earning a 7-6(4) victory in a tiebreak to reach the doubles final. Kelliher and Gilbert ultimately fell to a North Florida pair in the championship match.

class="wp-block-paragraph">In singles, both Kelliher and Gilbert advanced through the opening round before falling in the quarterfinals. Gilbert earned her first collegiate singles victory with a 6-1, 6-1 win over USF’s Francesca Miglio.

class="wp-block-paragraph">In the consolation rounds, senior Laura Putz and freshman Nicole Okhtenberg earned a 6-4 doubles victory over USF’s Josefine Falster and Francesca Miglio.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Okhtenberg picked up two singles victories, earning her first collegiate win with a 6-0, 4-6, 1-0(10) victory over Stetson’s Yuki Mizuguchi before defeating FAU’s Ioana Teodora Sava 3-6, 7-5, 1-0(9). Putz earned a singles victory by retirement.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Gilbert added a 7-5, 6-3 win over UNF’s Jessica Gunter, while Kelliher defeated FIU’s Mia Sarcev 6-4, 6-2.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Florida State returns to action at the ITA Regional Championships in Miami, Oct. 7-12.

The regular-season finale for 1⃣1⃣ #ProNoles on MLB rosters in 2026, our most since 2009! pic.twitter.com/hahvurSSnI

— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) September 27, 2026