Pictured: Ashlee Hodgskin (Photo Credit: Alex Hernandez)

MIAMI, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2012) – The Panther volleyball squad (7-17, 4-8 SBC) will host Sun Belt Conference and local rival Florida Atlantic (6-17, 1-11 SBC) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at U.S. Century Bank Arena. The match will serve as Volleyball Club Night, and students in attendance will receive double Panther Points, with first 50 students receiving an FIU drawstring bag and post-match autographs.

WEEKEND VIEWING INFORMATION – Live stats for Saturday's match will be available via FIUSports.com, and can be accessed by visiting the volleyball schedule page. Fans can also follow @FIUVolleyball on Twitter for live updates. Please note that there will NOT be a live stream on Saturday, due to the conflict in scheduling with Senior Night ceremonies at the FIU men's soccer game.

LAST TIME OUT – FIU dropped a pair of Sun Belt Conference matches this past weekend as the Panthers fell to No. 19 WKU, 3-1, and Middle Tennessee, 3-0, at U.S. Century Bank Arena in Miami. Prior to FIU's set-win over WKU in the second stanza, the Hilltoppers had not lost a set in 11-straight matches. Senior Marija Prsa continues to lead the FIU offense, as she posted 23 kills (3.29 kps) for the weekend, including a team-leading 15 kills against WKU. Redshirt senior Renele Forde tallied a squad-high 51 assists across the two contests, including a season-high 37 assists against the Hilltoppers, while freshmen Lucia Castro and Gloria Levorin tallied the team's lone service aces. Across five sets over the weekend, three Panthers registered more than 20 digs, led by senior Ryanne Milligan (24 digs, 3.43 dps), and three Panthers achieved double-digit blocks, led by Forde (8 BA, 3 BS).

PANTHER BLOCK PARTY – As of Nov. 1, FIU leads the Sun Belt Conference in blocks, as the Panthers have registered 227.5 total stops this season for a per-set average of 2.68. Led by junior Kimberly Smith (94.0 blocks, 1.11 bps), who ranks third in the league in the category, FIU has out-blocked the opposition by a 227.5-196.0 margin. The FIU blocking corps came to play last weekend, posting a season high in total blocks with 17 stops versus both No. 19 WKU and Middle Tennessee. Three Panthers achieved double-digit blocks across the two matches, led by redshirt senior Renele Forde's 11 blocks (8 BA, 3 BS), while junior Brittany Spencer (7 BA, 3 BS) and freshman Gloria Levorin (10 BA) added 10 blocks apiece.

SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC – Florida Atlantic has lost six-straight matches and the Owls are 6-17 (1-11 SBC) going into the weekend. Alessia Pizzocheri (257 kills, 2.82 kps) and Darija Sataric (253 kills, 2.75 kps) lead the FAU offense, while Jelena Jovanovic owns team-leading marks of 846 assists (9.20 aps) and 30 service aces (0.33 aps). Defensively, Sara Stoll (69 blocks, 0.84 bps) spearheads the Owl blocking corps, and Cintia Nightingale has registered a squad-best 305 digs (3.32 dps) on the season. FAU is under the direction of first-year head coach Fernanda Nelson (National America, 2003).

SERIES HISTORY – FAU controls the all-time series with FIU, 24-22, a record which excludes a 2003 Panther victory later vacated due to NCAA sanctions. The Panthers have won 13-straight contests in the series, including a 3-2 victory over the Owls on Oct. 3, in Boca Raton, Fla.

NEXT UP – FIU will be back in action next weekend when the Panthers host Sun Belt Conference opponents Troy and South Alabama on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The contest versus the Trojans will serve as Go Green Night, while the match against the Jaguars will mark Senior Night, as four seniors enjoy their final match in the friendly confines of U.S. Century Bank Arena. First serve for both contests is slated for 6:30 p.m.

KEEPING UP WITH THE PANTHERS – Fans can visit www.FIUSports.com, follow @FIUVolleyball on Twitter, and "Like" FIU volleyball on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/FIUVolleyball) for the latest Panther volleyball news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).

About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports, and is a proud member of the Sun Belt Conference and an affiliate member of Conference USA (men's soccer). Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 48,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.

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