Match Details
FGCU 3, FIU 0
Records: FIU 0-2, FGCU 1-0
Friday, August 25 | 7 p.m. | Fort Myers, Fla. | Alico Arena
The Basics
- Things started rough for FIU volleyball against the energy of the home FGCU crown, but the Panthers fought back to two tighter sets, eventually falling to the host Eagles 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-23) to end day one of the FGCU / Hilton Garden Inn Invitational in Fort Myers, Florida. FIU is now 0-2 to start the season.
- Junior Margherita Bianchin (Treviso, Italy) again led the Panthers in kills, with nine. Sophomore libero Helene Thelle (Tolvsrød, Norway) collected a team-high 13 digs on the defensive side.
- The Panthers led 9-6 in the third set, and 20-17 late in the final frame, but could not finish with a set victory.
- FIU improved its attacking mark in each set, leading to the increase in scoring output.
Thoughts from the Bench
"I think we are getting better and better with each set. The team is very positive and working hard. We need to continue to focus on the process and good things will happen consistently. I thought everyone did a great job of working for each other today." – Head Coach Rita Buck-Crockett
Stat of the Match
The Panthers jumped from an .077 attack percentage in the first set to .276 in the second and .290 in the third set. FIU posted a 54 percent side-out mark in the third set in nearly securing the first set win of the season.
Next Up
FIU plays its final contest of the weekend with a 2 p.m. Saturday contest against IUPUI from Fort Myers.
For volleyball ticket information, contact the FIU Ticket Office at 305-FIU-GAME or log onto www.FIUSports.com.
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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 eight different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including Lime Court at FIU Arena and Riccardo Silva Stadium.
About FIU: Florida International University is classified by Carnegie as a "R1: Doctoral Universities - Highest Research Activity" and recognized as a Carnegie Community Engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as business, engineering, computer science, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes almost $9 billion each year to the local economy and is ranked second in Florida in Forbes Magazine's "America's Best Employers" list. FIU graduates are consistently among the highest paid college graduates in Florida and are among the leaders of public and private organizations throughout South Florida. 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 with multiple state-of-the-art research facilities including the Wall of Wind Research and Testing Facility, FIU's Medina Aquarius Program and the Advanced Materials Engineering Research Institute. FIU has awarded more than 220,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, the Miami Beach Urban Studios, and Tianjin, China. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and more than 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.
