MIAMI (March 30, 2016) – The tenth-ranked FIU beach volleyball team (5-6, 1-3 in CCSA) is set to host the mecca of collegiate beach volleyball this weekend. The Panthers will welcome four top-10 teams at the 4^th Annual FIU Surf & Turf Invitational on South Beach at Lummus Park April 1-2. With four Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) teams, coming to South Beach, the Panthers look to move up in the conference standings. FIU will play its first match on Friday at 11:00 a.m. The Panthers will be honoring the seniors on Saturday, prior to the match against Georgia State at 4:00 p.m.
 
The Panthers are coming off a rough outing last weekend in the Stetson Beach Invitational, but still remained poised to make an appearance at the 2016 NCAA National Championships in May. FIU was led by graduate student Tina Toghiyani and sophomore Estefanie Bethancourt, winning both their matches on Day 2 of the tournament. Redshirt sophomore Savannah Davis solidified herself in FIU history with her victory against the ninth-ranked Hatters. With the win (her 22^nd of her career), Davis moved into the top-10 in victories in school history.
 
Looking at the Gamecocks: South Carolina (13-5, 4-1 CCSA) is coming off a 3-1 weekend, after hosting the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gamecocks defeated UAB, TCU, and Carson-Newman, but were swept, 5-0 by Jacksonville. FIU swept Jacksonville at the FIU Fort Lauderdale Invitational earlier this season. The Panthers are 2-0 lifetime against South Carolina. They will face off on Friday at 11:00 a.m.
 
Looking at the Green Wave: Tulane (10-6, 1-3 CCSA) will come to South Beach with a three-game losing streak. The Green Wave fell last weekend to UCLA, Florida Atlantic, and Hawaii. The Panthers have only played Tulane once in their history, losing 4-1 back in 2013. First serve is set for 1:00 p.m. on Friday.
 
Looking at the Owls: Florida Atlantic (6-7, 0-1 CCSA) is riding a four-game losing streak, getting swept in all four affairs. The Owls will host Eckerd College for a doubleheader today before making the short trip to South Beach. FIU has never lost a dual to the Owls in the five matchups, and have only dropped two sets in the series history, going back to 2013. The Panthers and Owls will renew their in-state rivalry on Friday. First serve is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
 
Looking at the Trojans: The defending national champion and No. 2 Trojans of USC (11-2) will make their first trip to South Beach this weekend. The Trojans have been playing exceptional volleyball, winning their last seven matches. The Panthers will play USC for the first time this Saturday, with the scheduled start time set for 1:00 p.m.
 
Looking at the GSU Panthers: No. 8 Georgia State (15-2, 2-1 CCSA) and FIU have one of the fiercest rivalries on the East Coast. The Panthers/Panthers matchup will be the sixth time in the series between the two programs. FIU leads the all-time series 3-2. Earlier this season, Georgia State defeated FIU, 4-1. FIU will honor their seniors prior to the start of the rivalry match. The festivities are scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

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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.Maidiqueand 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 180bachelor'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, theWolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA andhas over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.