Photo credit: Richard Lewis

BOX SCORE (PDF) / CUMULATIVE STATISTICS (PDF)

MIAMI (Nov. 9, 2012) – Behind double-digit kill outings by junior Kimberly Smith, freshman Lucia Castro and senior Marija Prsa, the FIU volleyball team defeated Sun Belt Conference foe Troy, 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 14-25, 25-21), on Friday night at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

In set one, FIU held a 24-16 lead before Troy scored three-straight points to get to within four at 23-19, forcing a Panther timeout. Out of the break, a kill by Smith brought up set-point for FIU at 24-19. The Trojans managed one more point before a kill by Castro gave FIU a 25-20 set win and a 1-0 lead for the match.

The second set saw FIU run out to a 19-11 advantage. Following a Troy timeout, the Panthers registered two-straight points to go ahead 21-11, but the Trojans would not go away. However, FIU was able to fight off a rally to come away with a 25-20 set win and a 2-0 match lead.

The third stanza saw three tie scores and a pair of lead changes, as Troy stayed in the contest, taking set three, 25-14, and putting the match score at 2-1.

In the fourth set, the Panthers jumped out to a 16-8 lead, before Troy mounted another comeback, cutting the deficit to two at 23-21. Following an FIU timeout, Castro slammed down a kill on a pass from freshman Ashlee Hodgskin to bring up match point for the Panthers at 24-21. FIU would then win the set, 25-21, and the match, 3-1, on a block by Smith and redshirt senior Renele Forde.

Smith led the FIU offense with a career-high 17 kills, as she committed just five errors in 27 attempts for an attack percentage of .444. Prsa chipped in with 13 kills, and Castro added 10 kills, while Hodgskin registered a team-leading 26 assists and sophomore Carolyn Fouts notched a squad-best two service aces.

FIU out-blocked Troy, 14-6, for the match, led by sophomore Silvia Carli's seven blocks, as Smith chipped in with six stops on the night. Leading the Panthers in the digs category was senior Ryanne Milligan with 18 digs.

FIU will close out its home slate on Saturday, as the Panthers host the South Alabama Jaguars at 6:30 p.m. at U.S. Century Bank Arena. Prior to first serve, four seniors will be honored for their contributions to the FIU volleyball program, as Jovana Bjelica, Forde, Milligan, and Prsa take part in their final home match.

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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