MIAMI – The FIU beach volleyball team, set to open its seventh season of competition this weekend, has earned its second preseason ranking to start the 2019 campaign. The Panthers are currently ranked No. 10 in the preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll announced recently. Back in January, FIU earned a No. 12 ranking in the preseason DiG Magazine preseason poll.
Click here to see complete AVCA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Six of the Panthers' opponents are ranked in the top seven of the poll, including the top five teams – UCLA, USC, Florida State, Pepperdine and Hawaii – and 11 are ranked in the Top 20. In addition, FIU is one of four members of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) to be ranked among the top 10 teams.
The Panthers begin play on Friday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m., when it takes to the court to face Saint Leo during the first day of the Stetson University Spring Fling in DeLand, Florida. FIU will close out the day against Eckerd at 4 p.m., before ending the weekend on Saturday, Feb. 23, against No. 17 Stetson (10 a.m.) and No. 13 Georgia State (4 p.m.).
The Panthers return 12 players that saw the postseason in 2018, including AVCA All-Americans
Federica Frasca (Rome, Italy) and
Margherita Bianchin (Venice, Italy). The duo was also named to the CCSA All-Conference Team and to the CCSA All-Tournament Team, following the Panthers' appearance in the tournament semifinals.
Last season, the Panthers posted a 23-12 record, and a 7-3 mark in Coastal Collegiate Sports Association play, advancing to their first-ever NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. FIU finished the year ranked No. 9 in the final AVCA poll, and No. 10 in the final DiG Magazine rankings.
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