Baton Rouge, La. (March 20, 2015) – The No. 7 FIU Sand Volleyball team picked up its third- and fourth-consecutive sweeps tonight on the first day of the Tiger Sand Volleyball Tournament as it moves to 9-1 on the 2015 season. The Panthers first downed the University of New Orleans followed by Spring Hill College. FIU has now posted 5-0 sweeps over seven opponents this year (Eckerd, Florida Atlantic, College of Charleston, LSU and Jacksonville).
 
Head Coach Rita Buck-Crockett mixed up tonight's pairs as she used two different lineups for the first time this season. The No. 1 team of senior Maryna Samoday and freshman Anja Licka and the No. 2 pair of seniors Kristine Monforte and Summer Nash both went 2-0 tonight. Samoday and Licka are now 9-1 overall (all at No. 1), while Monforte and Nash move to 9-1 (8-0 at No. 2).
 
Seniors Anna Budinska and Darija Sataric competed at the No. 3 position tonight, first defeating UNO's Sophie Gracey and Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe, 21-8, 21-9, then besting Spring Hill's Amber Perkins and Virginia Hicks, 21-8, 21-10.
 
The No. 4 and 5 pairs were switched for the two matches tonight. Against the Privateers, senior Martyna Gluchowicz and sophomore Savannah Davis defeated Camila Lau and Kelsea Hundoft at the four spot, while senior Tina Toghiyani and Marina Boulanger wrapped things up at the five position. Boulanger and Toghiyani then moved to the No.4 spot against the Badgers while Davis and fellow sophomore Aren Cupp competed as fifth team.
 
FIU continues action tomorrow in the Tiger Sand Tournament for the final day of duals. The Panthers are set to take on host LSU at noon and North Florida at 4 p.m.
 
TIGER SAND TOURNAMENT DAY 1 RESULS
FIU def. New Orleans (UNO)
No. 1     Maryna Samoday/Anja Licka (FIU) def. Cara Sander/Celeste Ramirez (UNO) 21-8, 21-10
No. 2     Summer Nash/Kristine Monforte (FIU) def. Lauren Levy/Brooklyn Frank (UNO) 21-17, 21-13
No. 3     Darija Sataric/Anna Budinska (FIU) def. Sophie Gracey/Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe (UNO) 21-9, 21-8
No. 4     Martyna Gluchowicz/Savannah Davis (FIU) def. Camila Lau/Kelsea Hundtoft (UNO) 21-8, 21-9
No. 5     Marina Boulanger/Tina Toghiyani (FIU) def. Ashley Everett/Courtney Robles (UNO) 21-7, 21-5
 
FIU def. Spring Hill (SHC) 5-0
No. 1     Maryna Samoday/Anja Licka (FIU) def. Mallory Raulerson/ Megan Haber (SHC) 21-18, 21-11
No. 2     Kristine Monforte/Summer Nash (FIU) def. Savannah Becnel/ Julie Vujnovich (SHC) 21-17, 21-16
No. 3     Darija Sataric/Anna Budinska def. Amber Perkins/Virginia Hicks (SHC) 21-8, 21-10
No. 4     Marina Boulanger/Tina Toghiyani (FIU) def. Andria Dytrych/Hannah Masoner (SHC) 21-8, 21-9
No. 5     Aren Cupp/Savannah Davis (FIU) def. Madison Seuzeneau/Catherine Milwee (SHC) 21-10, 21-6
 
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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/.