No. 7 FIU Goes 2-0 on First Day of UNF Sand Invitational
Panthers defeat Georgia State, 3-2, and sweep the College of Charleston, 5-0
 
ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. (March 14, 2015) – The seventh-ranked FIU sand volleyball team went 2-0 on the first day of the UNF Sand Invitational as it defeated Georgia State, 3-2, and the College of Charleston, 5-0. The sweep over the Cougars was FIU's third sweep over an opponent this season. With the two wins, the Panthers improve to 5-1 in dual action on the year.
 
FIU and Georgia State was the first matchup of the tournament and the two team got things started in grand fashion. With the match tied at 1-1, Georgia State's Magdalena Dostalova and Milani Pickering defeated seniors Martyna Gluchowicz and Anna Budinska at the 3 spot, and GSU took a 2-1 lead. However, FIU immediately bounced back at the 2 spot as Kristine Monforte and Summer Nash won in a close three-setter, 21-13, 15-21, 15-12. With everything on the line, senior Maryna Samoday and Anja Licka stepped up big, defeating Sarah Agnew and Katelyn Rawls, 21-19, 15-21, 15-11, as FIU took the match, 3-2.
 
The Panthers kept their hot streak heading into their next match with the College of Charleston as all five pairs saw straight-set victories, and FIU defeated the Panthers. 5-0.
 
FIU continues action in the UNF Sand Invitational tomorrow morning taking on LSU at 9:30 a.m. ET and Jacksonville at 12:30 p.m. ET. Fans can follow all the action by clicking HERE for all tournament information and updates.

 
Match 1: FIU (FIU) def. Georgia State (GSU) 3-2
 
No. 1     Maryna Samoday/Anja Licka (FIU) def. Sarah Agnew/ Katelyn Rawls (GSU) 21-13, 21-13
No. 2     Kristine Monforte/Summer Nash (FIU) def. Jansen Button/Sara Olivova (GSU) 21-13, 15-21, 15-12
No. 3     Magdalena Dostalova/Milani Pickering (GSU) def. Martyna Gluchowicz/Anna Budinska (FIU) 21-15, 21-18
No. 4     Darija Sataric/Aren Cupp (FIU) def. Delaney Rohan/Natalie Wilson (GSU) 21-13, 21-13
No. 5     Jessica Fourspring/ Nine Interwies (GSU) def. Marina Boulanger/Tina Toghiyani (FIU) 21-17, 17-21, 15-11
 
Match 2: FIU (FIU) def. College of Charleston (Cof C) 5-0
 
No. 1     Maryna Samoday/Anja Licka (FIU) def. Melissa Morello/Catey Warren (CofC) 21-19, 21-13
No. 2     Kristine Monforte/Summer Nash (FIU) def. Liz Theesfeld/Maddie Hills (CofC) 21-13, 21-14
No. 3     Martyna Gluchowicz/Anna Budinska (FIU) def. Bailey Humes/Grace Rebarchak (CofC) 21-14, 21-15
No. 4     Darija Sataric/Aren Cupp (FIU) def. Britney Vallez/Mackenzie Cooler (CofC) 21-17, 21-13
No. 5     Marina Boulanger/Tina Toghiyani (FIU) def. Krissy Mummey/Megan Quigley (CofC) 21-16, 21-16
 
 
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUVolleyball) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSandVolleyball) 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. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that 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 contributes $8.9 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.