Box Score (PDF)

TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 6, 2014) – In their second match of the USF Invitational, the FIU volleyball team fell to the Buffalo Bulls, 3-1. With the loss, the Panthers fall to 2-4 on the season, while the Bulls improve to 3-3.

Junior outside hitter Lucia Castro paced the Panthers with 15 kills, while junior Gloria Levorin and freshman Lea Montavon had seven kills each. Levorin did not commit a hitting error in the match and posted a .500 hitting percentage, converting seven times on 14 swings. Sophomore Anabela Sataric had a team-high 30 assists, while senior Martyna Gluchowicz and freshman Alex Lilliquist led the team with 11 digs each.

Buffalo came out blazing, posting seven kills and four blocks to gain an early 10-4 lead. Following a Panther timeout, Sataric served three straight points, including one ace to pull FIU within three. However, the Bulls continued to go on the offensive, going on a 6-1 run to take their biggest lead of the day. FIU could not overcome the Buffalo front line and fell in the first set, 25-18.

The second frame of play was extremely tight has it featured six ties and three lead changes. With the score tied at 14-14, Buffalo went on a 7-0 run to take its largest lead of the set. Despite a late FIU comeback, the Panthers could not find a way to get back in the frame as they hit only .038.
The Bulls picked up right where they left off, taking an early 6-1 lead. An FIU timeout seemed to give the Panthers a boost as they went on an 8-2 run to take a 9-8 advantage. The frame was a back-and-forth affair as both teams exchanged points over the next round of plays as it featured 15 ties and six lead changes. It was a nail biter near the end, but the Panthers prevailed 28-26.

The fourth set was no different from the second and third as it was extremely tight. Neither team pulled away with more than two points early on. With UB ahead by a point, FIU went on a 9-3 run to take a 14-10 lead. However, the Bulls quickly gained momentum following a 10-4 surge to take a four-point advantage. Serving errors plagued the Panthers in the end as they dropped the set, 25-19.

The Panthers wrap up play in the USF this afternoon at 5 p.m. ET when they take on South Carolina State at the Sun Dome.
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).

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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 FIU Arena and Ocean BankField 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 54,000 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/