SIESTA KEY, Fla. (April 9, 2016) – The tenth-ranked FIU beach team (11-7, 5-3 CCSA) ended their regular season with two victories against West Coast teams at Siesta Key, Saturday. The Panthers defeated Grand Canyon, 4-1 and swept TCU, 5-0.
 
The Panthers were led by graduate student Tina Toghiyani who notched her 62^nd and 63^rd win for her career, surpassing 2015-alumn Maryna Samoday for the most victories by any individual in FIU beach volleyball history. Redshirt sophomore Savannah Davis also got two victories on the day to move in to ninth all-time in most victories with 28, surpassing 2014-alumn Camila Rosado.
 
FIU kicked off the morning with a quick win over Grand Canyon. Toghiyani, along with junior Aren Cupp got on the board first for the Panthers with a 21-16, 21-17 win at the No. 4 slot. FIU gained a 2-0 lead soon after with the victory by the reigning CCSA Beach Pair of the Week; Davis and sophomore Natalia Giron (21-13, 21-17) on Court 5. The dual was sealed when junior Katie Hogan and freshman Dominique Dodd defeated the Antelopes 21-17, 21-12 at the No. 1 spot. FIU got one additional point to take the match 4-1 with the win at the No. 3 spot. Junior Anabela Sataric and sophomore Estefanie Bethancourt took the match 2-1 (21-14, 16-21, 15-11).
 
The Panthers concluded their regular season with a 5-0 sweep against TCU. Toghiyani, along with Cupp, claimed the first victory (21-11, 21-16) to earn a spot in school history. Soon after, Davis and Giron took their match 21-18, 21-17 to move up in the all-time wins list. The No. 5 pair for FIU finishes the regular season with a 15-3 record, going 8-0 against conference opponents. The Panthers then clinched the match on Court 2 with a 21-11, 21-19 victory by Sataric and junior Marina Boulanger. Graduate student Martyna Gluchowicz and Bethancourt got in on the action with a 21-16, 23-21 victory at the No. 3 slot. FIU completed the sweep with a three-set victory by the No. 1 pair of Hogan and Dodd (19-21, 21-18, 15-11).
 
The Panthers will be back in action Friday, April 22. Two FIU pairs will represent the Panthers at the Outrigger Resorts Aloha Invitational in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The rest of the team will head to Emerson, Georgia to compete in the first ever CCSA Conference Tournament.
 
(#10) FIU def. Grand Canyon, 4-1
 
No. 1 Dodd/Hogan (FIU) def. Phelps/Dugan (GCU); 21-17, 21-12
No. 2 Wachowicz/Turner (GCU) def. Gluchowicz/Boulanger (FIU); 21-13, 21-18, 15-12
No. 3 Sataric/Bethancourt (FIU) def. Conrad/Jenkins (GCU); 21-14, 16-21, 15-11
No. 4 Cupp/Toghiyani (FIU) def. Erichsen/Sanchez (GCU); 21-16, 21-17
No. 5 Davis/Giron (FIU) def. Razo/Dickerson (GCU); 21-13, 21-17
 
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1, 3, 2
 
(#10) FIU def. TCU, 5-0
 
No. 1 Dodd/Hogan (FIU) def. McNamee/Mikals (TCU); 19-21, 21-18, 15-11
No. 2 Sataric/Boulanger (FIU) def. Peters/Canales (TCU); 21-11, 21-19
No. 3 Gluchowicz/Bethancourt (FIU) def. Greene/Bergeson (TCU); 21-16, 23-21
No. 4 Cupp/Toghiyani (FIU) def. Terral/Pickens (TCU); 21-11, 21-16
No. 5 Davis/Giron (FIU) def. Scheel/Palter (TCU); 21-18, 21-17
 
Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 3, 1

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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 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/.