GULF SHORES, Ala. (May 1, 2015) –  Down 14-7 in the third set, senior Maryna Samoday served eight-straight points on court one to take the lead and eventually win the set, 18-16, and clinch the match against No. 6 Florida State. The Panthers won on all five courts to defeat the Seminoles, 5-0, and is set to take on No. 7 Long Beach State in round two following the USC/Pepperdine match.
 
The No. 4 pair of seniors Anna Budinska and Martyna Gluchowicz got FIU off to a great start with a 21-18, 21-13 victory, and the No. 3 duo of sophomore Marina Boulanger and senior Darija Sataric picked up a 23-21, 22-20 win to give the Panthers an early 2-0 lead.
 
After winning the first set, 21-15, the No. 1 pair of Samoday and freshman Anja Licka fell in the second, 22-20 to force a third and deciding set. After a shaky start, Licka and Samoday found themselves in a 14-7 hole as the FSU held match point. The freshman from Jona, Switzerland had ice in her veins as she served eight consecutive points to force an FIU match point. The set swung back and forth until they overcame all odds to win, 18-16, and clinch the match.
 
FIU continues action in the AVCA Sand Volleyball Championships around 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 CT) to take on No. 7 Long Beach State (14-4). The 49ers upset No. 2 Hawaii in the first round, avenging a loss earlier in the season to the Rainbow Wahine. The winner of this match plays the winner of the USC/Pepperdine match tomorrow in the semifinals at 11 a.m. ET. The loser will play the winner of the Georgia State/Stetson match in the loser's bracket. 
 
For all the scores and results, click HERE
 
AVCA National Championships Round 1 Results
FIU def. Florida State (FSU) 5-0
No. 1     Maryna Samoday/Anja Licka (FIU) def. Taylor Nyquist/Melanie Pavels (FSU) 21-15, 20-22, 18-16
No. 2     Summer Nash/Kristine Monforte (FIU) def. Victoria Paranagua/Kristina Pellitteri (FSU) 21-23, 21-15, 22-20
No. 3     Darija Sataric/Marina Boulanger (FIU) def. Sierra Sanchez/Sarah Wickstrom (FSU) 23-21, 22-20
No. 4     Martyna Gluchowicz/Anna Budinska (FIU) def. Annie Montgomery/Vanessa Freire (FSU) 21-18, 21-13
No. 5     Aren Cupp/Tina Toghiyani (FIU) def. Julie Brown/ Cecilie Woie (FSU) 18-21, 21-11, 16-14
 
 
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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/.