ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 25, 2017) – The No. 16-ranked FIU beach volleyball team (13-6, 5-2 in CCSA) closed out the Eckerd College Battle on the Bay Tournament on Saturday with an impressive 4-0 weekend sweep. The Panthers dominated play during the two days with four consecutive 5-0 victories over Morehead State and Huntingdon on Friday, and Jacksonville State and host Eckerd on Saturday. FIU now has eight shutouts in its 13 wins. 

Continuing their winning streak from Friday's matches, the Panthers took control in day two, not dropping a single match.  

After the weekend, the No. 4 pair of Estefanie Bethancourt and Anabela Sataric extend their season record to 14-4, leading the team in overall wins. Following close behind is the duo of Lina Bernier and Natalia Giron, playing at No. 5 with 14-5. 

The Panthers will host the fifth annual Surf & Turf Invitational at the Lummus Park Beach Courts in Miami Beach, March 31-April 1, four of the top 15 teams in the country. FIU will open the event against New Orleans on March 31 at 8 a.m.

FIU def. Jacksonville State University, 5-0
 
No. 1 Kari Peterson/Taija Thomas (FIU) def. Jae-Lyn Visscher/Katie Will (JSU) 21-18, 12-21, 17-15
No. 2 Katie Hogan/Helene Thelle (FIU) def. Hannah Kirk/Charis Ludtke (JSU) 21-7, 21-19
No. 3 Margherita Bianchin/Federica Frasca (FIU) def. Sadie Anderson/Maddie Cloutier (JSU) 21-5, 21-13
No. 4 Estefanie Bethancourt/Anabela Sataric (FIU) def. Hailey Hughes/Shayla Schmidt (JSU) 21-6, 21-9
No. 5 Lina Bernier/Natalia Giron (FIU) def. Ashley Clingan/Mackenzie Rombach (JSU) 21-12, 21-9
 
FIU def. Eckerd College, 5-0
 
No. 1 Katie Hogan/Helene Thelle (FIU) def. Kaitlyn Sibson/Madison Whiting (EC) 21-15, 21-15
No. 2 Kari Peterson/Taija Thomas (FIU) def. Fernanda Reis/Katie Arnette (EC) 21-13, 21-15
No. 3 Margherita Bianchin/Federica Frasca (FIU) def. Arielle Erillo/Abigail O'Ferrell (EC) 21-10, 21-10
No. 4 Estefanie Bethancourt/Anabela Sataric (FIU) def. Stephanie Bogda/Rachel Cornatzer (EC) 21-10, 21-5
No. 5 Lina Bernier/Natalia Giron (FIU) def. Savanna Cary/Mackenzie Redner (EC) 21-13, 21-14
 
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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 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 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/.