FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (March 30, 2013) – The sixth-ranked FIU sand volleyball squad took its talents to Ft. Lauderdale beach on Saturday for day two of the Doctors Hospital FIU Surf & Turf Tournament, dropping a 4-1 decision to Tulane and defeating Georgia State, 4-1.

Including dual matches played in this weekend's tournament, the Panthers are 5-5 (1-0 Pairs Tournament) on the season.

The FIU duo of Jessica Mendoza and Maryna Samoday went 2-0 on the day, improving their overall record to 10-2. Playing at the No. 2 spot, Mendoza and Samoday accounted for the Panthers' lone victory against Tulane, defeating Milica Jovic and Courtney Liddle by set scores of 21-13, 21-14. The duo then posted a 21-17, 21-19 victory over GSU's Lane Carico and Katie Madewell, playing at the No. 1 position.

Also picking up a win against GSU was the Panther pair of Kate Stepanova and Ksenia Sukhareva at No. 2, while Maria Coukoulis and Camila Rosado combined for a victory at No. 3, and Emily Podschweit and Tina Toghiyani teamed up for a win at No. 5.

The Panthers' nearly swept GSU, as Jessica Gehrke and Laura Duffy dropped a hard-fought, three-set decision at the No. 4 position.

FIU will wrap up action at the Doctors Hospital FIU Surf & Turf Tournament on Sunday with single-elimination pairs tournaments. Action is set for an 8 a.m. at the FIU Sand Courts, located on the Modesto A. Maidique Campus.

Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUVolleyball) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUVolleyball) for all the latest FIU volleyball news.
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DAY TWO – DOCTORS HOSPITAL FIU SURF & TURF TOURNAMENT – TEAM DUALS
March 30, 2013 – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Tulane (TUL) def. No. 6 FIU (FIU) 4-1

1. Cori Martone/Sophie Asprey (TUL) def. Kate Stepanova/Ksenia Sukhareva (FIU) 18-21, 21-18, 15-13

2. Jessica Mendoza/Maryna Samoday (FIU) def. Milica Jovic/Courtney Liddle (TUL) 21-13, 21-14

3. Anna Wruck/Grace Weaver (TUL) def.  Maria Coukoulis/Laura Duffy (FIU) 21-13, 21-13

4. Azarri Badawi/Jackie Wegner (TUL) def. Jessica Gehrke/Camila Rosado (FIU) 21-15, 21-16

5. Olivia Utt/Mackenzie Moore (TUL) def. Emily Podschweit/Tina Toghyani (FIU) 15-21, 23-21, 17-15

No. 6 FIU (FIU) def. Georgia State (GSU) 4-1

1. Jessica Mendoza/Maryna Samoday (FIU) def. Lane Carico/Katie Madewell (GSU) 21-17, 21-19

2. Kate Stepanova/Ksenia Sukhareva (FIU) def. Jansen Button/Sara Olivova (GSU) 21-15, 21-15

3. Maria Coukoulis/Camila Rosado (FIU) def. Katelyn Rawls/Milani Pickering (GSU) 21-19, 21-16

4. Alexis Elmurr/Molly Smestad (GSU) def. Jessica Gehrke/Laura Duffy (FIU) 15-21, 21-11, 15-12

5. Emily Podschweit/Tina Toghyani (FIU) def. Karlee Kavanaugh/Kaitlynn Hufstetler (GSU) 21-8, 21-9

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/