The FIU indoor volleyball team released its 2018 schedule that features four tournaments to begin the season and 13 home matches overall at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.

The Panthers start the 2018 season with six straight home matches, including the season opener in the FIU Kickoff on August 24. The Panthers host Florida A&M at 6 p.m. in their first match of the season. FIU will also play Tennessee State and Stetson in the first tournament of the season.

The following weekend (Aug. 30-31) FIU hosts Panther Fest. Joining the Panthers in their second tournament are Savannah State, Chicago State and Delaware.

"This is great," said FIU indoor volleyball head coach Rita Buck-Crockett. "We have always started away so this is really nice that we get to start at home and get some confidence from being here at home. We do have so many new players I think it's good to be able to show yourselves here and feel comfortable and then hit the road."

Before beginning Conference USA play on Sept. 21 against UAB, FIU hits the road for two consecutive tournaments. The Panthers play at the UCF Tournament (Sept. 7-8) against Central Florida, Wofford, and University of Illinois-Chicago.

FIU then travels a little further north to Gainesville to participate in the UF Tournament (Sept. 14-15). The Panthers battle Army, Florida, and Jacksonville in the four-team event.

FIU's first three conference matches are at home against UAB, Marshall (Sept. 23) and Florida Atlantic (Sept. 28).

The Panthers are on the road for six of eight matches in October. FIU's lone home matches in October are against Louisiana Tech (Oct. 5) and Southern Miss (Oct. 21). The Panthers play a pair of non-conference intrastate matches in October at Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 7) and at Florida Gulf Coast (Oct. 23).

FIU concludes the regular season in November with two home and two road C-USA tilts. The Panthers play at WKU (Nov. 2) and at Marshall (Nov. 4). FIU hosts Middle Tennessee (Nov. 8) and Rice (Nov. 10) in the regular season finale.

"The team has been working very hard this summer to be in the best physical shape to be in since I've had the program," Buck-Crockett said. "With all of our new athletes coming in I'm so excited to complement the returners. We are ready for a strong season."

The C-USA Tournament takes place Nov. 16-18 at Marshall in Huntington, West Virginia.