Photo Credit: Alex Hernandez
Live Stats
PantherVision (Free Live Video)
FIU Cumulative Statistics (PDF)
Conference USA Notebook (PDF)
MIAMI (Sept. 26, 2013) – The Panther volleyball squad will open Conference USA play this weekend in Miami, as FIU hosts Charlotte and Marshall on Friday and Sunday, respectively, on Lime Court at U.S. Century Bank Arena. First serve against the 49ers is set for 6 p.m., and Sunday's matchup with the Thundering Herd is slated for 1 p.m.
Match Promotions
Head to U.S. Century Bank Arena on Friday night for the Conference Kickoff Luau where the first 100 students will receive blue and gold leis and C-USA sunglasses. Students can earn Panther Points and enter a free raffle for a chance to win a parking upgrade, while all fans will enjoy a FREE taco coupon from Lime, t-shirt toss, post-match autographs, and a serving contest for a chance to win an FIU prize pack.
On Sunday, wear your FIU colors proudly for Blue and Gold Spirit Day. Come early and get creative at the poster-making station, and be sure to stick around after the match for an autograph session with the team. The first 100 students will receive FIU Athletics lanyards, and all students can enter a free raffle for a shot at a parking upgrade. Additional promotions include a serving contest for a chance to win an FIU prize pack and t-shirt toss.
Keeping Up with the Panthers
Live stats will be available for both of this weekend's matches and can be accessed via the FIU volleyball schedule page at FIUSports.com. A FREE live video stream for all FIU matches will be available via PantherVision, by clicking HERE, and fans can also follow the action on Twitter (@FIUVolleyball).
Last Time Out
FIU closed out its preseason tournament slate with a 1-2 record at the Active Ankle Challenge last weekend, suffering losses to then-No. 21 Purdue (3-0) and Syracuse (3-2) and defeating Northern Kentucky (3-1). Senior Kimberly Smith earned her third-straight all-tournament nod, registering team-leading marks of 38 kills (3.17 kps) and 16 blocks (1.33 bps), while freshman Anabela Sataric posted squad-high totals of 51 assists (4.25 aps) and five service aces (0.42 saps). Senior Jessica Mendoza (34 digs, 2.83 dps) and redshirt junior Ksenia Sukhareva (33 digs, 2.75 dps) led the Panther digging efforts for the weekend.
For the season, Sukhareva (143 kills, 3.18 kps) and Smith (134 kills, 3.19 kps) spearhead the FIU offense, while Mendoza owns team-leading tallies of 155 digs (3.44 dps) and 10 service aces (0.22 saps). Smith also leads the Panther defense with 48 total blocks, including a team-high-tying eight solo stops, for a blocks-per-set mark of 1.14. In the assists category, sophomore Ashlee Hodgskin has registered 217 helpers (5.29 aps) for a team best.
A Glance at Charlotte
Under the direction of seventh-year Head Coach Chris Redding, Charlotte is 10-5 on the season heading into conference play. The 49ers are coming off a mid-week 3-0 defeat of Gardner Webb and have won seven of their last eight matches. The Charlotte offense is led by Amanda Videmsek (178 kills, 3.42 kps) and Britney Leigh Held (574 assists, 11.04 aps), and Claire Kreuz leads the squad in service aces (20). Defensively, Michelle Hovey owns a team-leading 271 digs (5.21 dps), while Videmsek has registered a squad-best 55 blocks (1.06 bps).
Series History: Charlotte leads the all-time series with FIU by a 3-1 margin, although the teams have met on the volleyball court five times since 1987. The two squads last met on Aug. 29, 2003, with the Panthers coming away with a 3-2 win; however, the victory was later vacated due to NCAA sanctions.
Scouting Marshall
With Head Coach Mitch Jacobs at the helm for the 12th season, Marshall brings a record of 6-9 into weekend action. The Thundering Herd is coming off a 1-2 outing at the Michigan Invitational, suffering losses to nationally-ranked Michigan and Ohio and defeating Maryland. Ally Kiekover (144 kills, 2.53 kps) and Sammie Bane (571 assists, 9.52 aps) lead the 49ers' offense, while Kiekover has also posted a team-leading 18 service aces. Dorothy Rahal has registered a squad-high 22 digs (3.70 dps) and Kiekover (40 blocks, 0.70 bps) and Elyse Panick (36 blocks, 0.73 bps) lead the Charlotte defense.
Series History: Sunday's contest will mark the first-ever meeting between FIU and Marshall.
Next Up
FIU will embark on its first conference road trip next weekend with matches at UTSA (Friday, Oct. 4) and UTEP (Sunday, Oct. 6), before returning home for four-straight matches beginning on Friday, Oct. 11.
#PantherNation – #FIU Social Media
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. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics). The official FIU Athletics hashtag for the 2013-14 athletics year is #PantherNation.
About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. 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 bachelor¹s, master¹s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida¹s 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. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 50,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/
--- www.FIUSports.com ---
