The Basics
- The No. 12-ranked FIU beach volleyball team closed out play in the 2018 Surf 'N' Turf Invitational on Saturday, posting a 3-3 record on the weekend, following a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 9 Georgia State in its final match of the afternoon. The Panthers improve to 18-8 on the year and hold a 5-3 slate in Coastal Collegiate Sports Association play.  
 
Match One Details
Florida State 5, FIU 0  
FIU (17-7), FSU (13-6)
Rankings: FIU – AVCA No. 12, DiG No. 11 | Florida State – AVCA No. 7, DiG No. 7
Miami Beach, Florida | South Beach | Lummus Park Beach Volleyball Courts
 
- The Panthers battled against No. 7 Florida State in each of their five matches, taking the Seminoles to three sets in two contests, doing so at the No. 1 spot, with Margherita Bianchin and Federica Frasca, and at No. 2 with Anabela Sataric and Erika Zembyla.
   
Results
No. 1 – Vanessa Freire/Tory Paranagua (FSU) def. Margherita Bianchin/Federica Frasca (FIU) 21-13, 17-21, 15-12
No. 2 – Katie Horton/Hailey Luke (FSU) def. Erika Zembyla/Anabela Sataric (FIU) 22-20, 19-21, 15-7
No. 3 – Macy Jerger/Sara Putt (FSU) def. Lina Bernier/Madison Besterfield (FIU) 21-11, 21-16
No. 4 – Molly McBain/Brooke Kuhlman (FSU) def. Estefanie Bethancourt/Natalia Giron (FIU) 21-12, 21-18
No. 5 – Eva Torruella/Francesca Goncalves (FSU) def. Mariana Dal Pozzo/Taija Thomas (FIU) 21-15, 21-19
Ext. – Bailey Reardon/Marielle Diaz (FSU) def. Helene Thelle/Mariana De Paula Silva (FIU) 14-21, 21-15, 18-16
 
Order of finish: 5,3,4,1,2
 
Match Two Details
Tulane 3, FIU 2   
FIU (17-8), Tulane (12-9)
Rankings: FIU – AVCA No. 12, DiG No. 11 | Tulane – AVCA RV, DiG RV
Miami Beach, Florida | South Beach | Lummus Park Beach Volleyball Courts
 
- After Tulane got out to a 2-0 lead in the dual, the Panthers fought back to tie the contest up at two-apiece, with wins by Natalia Giron and Estefanie Bethancourt at the No. 4 spot (21-13, 12-21, 15-6), and at the No. 1 spot with a victory by Margherita Bianchin and Federica Frasca (21-16, 15-21, 15-7).
 
- FIU had the opportunity to win the dual in the final match, with the No. 2 pair of Erika Zembyla and Anabela Sataric, however the duo dropped a hard-fought marathon contest, 26-28, 21-18, 21-19, going 77 minutes.  
 
Results
No. 1 – Margherita Bianchin/Federica Frasca (FIU) def. Kaylie McHugh/Madeline Mertz (TU) 21-16, 15-21, 15-7
No. 2 – Lauren Orlich/Anna Chin (TU) def. Erika Zembyla/Anabela Sataric (FIU) 26-28, 21-18, 21-19
No. 3 – Lan Nguyen/Tarin Mergener (TU) def. Lina Bernier/Madison Besterfield (FIU) 13-21, 21-10, 15-11
No. 4 – Natalia Giron/Estefanie Bethancourt (FIU) def. Gabriella Becerra/Rio Frohoff (TU) 21-13, 12-21, 15-6
No. 5 – Ashley Delgado/Addison Hermstad (TU) def. Taija Thomas/Mariana Dal Pozzo (FIU) 21-12, 21-16
 
Order of finish: 5,3,4,1,2
 
Match Three Details
FIU 3, Georgia State 2  
FIU (18-8), Georgia State (18-7)
Rankings: FIU – AVCA No. 12, DiG No. 11 | Georgia State – AVCA No. 9, DiG No. 8
Miami Beach, Florida | South Beach | Lummus Park Beach Volleyball Courts
 
- FIU closed the day with a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 9 Georgia State. The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with wins by Frasca and Bianchin at No. 1 (21-18, 21-18), and at No. 5 with Bethancourt and Giron (21-19, 21-13).   
 
- Georgia State got back into the contest, tying the dual up at two-all, with wins at No. 4 and No. 3. The Panthers, however, secured the dual victory at the No. 2 spot with a hard-fought 21-14, 24-26, 16-14 win by Katie Friesen and Dorina Klinger.
 
Results
No. 1 – Federica Frasca/Margherita Bianchin (FIU) def. Annika Van Gunst/Teegan Van Gunst (GSU) 21-18, 21-18
No. 2 – Katie Friesen/Dorina Klinger (FIU) def. Brooke Weiner/Tiffany Creamer (GSU) 21-14, 24-26, 16-14
No. 3 – Olivia Stasevich/Georgia Johnson (GSU) def. Erika Zembyla/Anabela Sataric (FIU) 22-24, 23-21, 15-11
No. 4 – Kate Novack/Amie Held (GSU) def. Lina Bernier/Madison Besterfield (FIU) 19-21, 25-23, 15-11
No. 5 – Estefanie Bethancourt/Natalia Giron (FIU) def. Ashley Bauchert/Eden Hawes (GSU) 21-19, 21-13
 
Order of finish: 1,5,4,3,2
 
Up Next
FIU closes out the 2018 regular season on April 13-14, with single duals against UAB at the FIU Beach Volleyball Complex. First serve each day is slated for 1 p.m. 

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