MIAMI (October 13, 2016) – The FIU volleyball team (7-12, 1-4 in C-USA) will continue Conference USA play this weekend, as part of a three-game road trip. The Panthers will kick off the weekend at Charlotte (6-14, 0-5 in C-USA) on Friday, October 14 and then face No. 25 WKU (18-2, 5-0 in C-USA) on Sunday, October 16.
 
FIU is coming off a winless weekend, falling to both Rice and Marshall in straight sets. The Panthers were led by senior Katie Hogan, who posted 23 kills and 12 digs on the weekend. Hogan recorded her seventh double-double of the season (10 kills, 10 digs) and her first against a Conference USA opponent at Marshall on Tuesday.
 
Freshman Sophia Sires, who posted a career-high 40 assists against UAB (10/2/16) broke that record on Sunday, with a 43-assist performance against Rice.
 
Junior Jennifer Ene moved up in the record books with her two blocks, tying her for third all-time in school history for career solo blocks with 44. Ene is one away from tying Kiki Okeke (1992-93) for second in program history with 45.
 
Scouting Charlotte: The 49ers (6-14, 0-5 in C-USA) enter Friday night's matchup with a nine-game losing streak, including all five of their conference matches. With only five games into C-USA play, the Panthers are already fighting for a spot in the Conference USA Championships in Houston, Texas this November. This game is a must-win scenario for the Panthers, who currently only have one victory over a C-USA opponent this season.
 
FIU leads the all-time series, 6-4, but due to NCAA sanctions, the record acknowledged is 5-4 in favor of the Panthers. During the Conference USA era, FIU has defeated Charlotte four-of-five times, all under Head Coach Rita Buck-Crockett. First serve against the 49ers from Dale F. Halton Arena is set for 6 p.m. (ET).
 
Scouting #25 WKU: The Lady Toppers (18-2, 5-0 in C-USA) will face UAB on Friday before their match with the Panthers on Sunday. WKU enters the weekend with a nine-game win streak, spanning over a month. The Lady Toppers have only lost two matches this season, earning them a No. 25 ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll and No. 19 in the RPI.
 
WKU has historically had their way with FIU, leading the all-time series 32-8, dating back to 1986. The Lady Toppers held a 24-5 advantage as Sun Belt Conference rivals, from 1999-2012 and have gone a perfect 4-0 against FIU in the Conference USA era. Buck-Crockett is looking for her first win over the Lady Toppers in Sunday's match from E. A. Diddle Arena. First serve is set for 1 p.m. (ET).
 
Live stats and video streaming can be seen on FIUSports.com and C-USA TV.

#####
 
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).
 
#####
 
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 Bank Field 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 offers 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 $9.8 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/.