MIAMI (March 14, 2019) – The No. 8-ranked FIU beach volleyball team hits the sand again, this weekend, with the first of two home events that it will host in South Florida this season. The Panthers will welcome No. 16 Florida Atlantic and No. 2 USC to Ft. Lauderdale's South Beach Park for the FIU Invitational at Ft. Lauderdale, March 15.
FIU will open the day with a big Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) matchup against FAU at 10 a.m. before closing out the afternoon against USC at 2 p.m. The contest against the Owls will be the first of the season, while the dual with the Women of Troy will be the second in the last week. The Panthers dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision on March 9, at the prestigious East Meets West Invitational in Manhattan Beach, California.
Complete FIU Invitational at Ft. Lauderdale Schedule
FIU vs. Florida Atlantic – 10 a.m.
USC vs. Florida Atlantic – 12 p.m.
FIU vs. USC – 2 p.m.
FIU, who started the season 5-0, is coming off its most daunting part of its schedule, last week in Manhattan Beach. The Panthers have dropped four-straight, however those four came against No. 2 USC, No. 1 – and defending national champion – UCLA (4-1), No. 5 Hawaii (3-2) and No. 3 Pepperdine (3-2).
Frasca and Bianchin Named CCSA Co-Pair of the Week
For the first time this season, the FIU beach volleyball tandem of
Federica Frasca (Rome, Italy) and
Margherita Bianchin (Venice, Italy) have earned Pair of the Week honors, from the CCSA, the conference announced on Wednesday.
The duo, one of the most dangerous in collegiate beach volleyball, recorded an impressive weekend for the Panthers at the East Meets West Invitational. The Italian tandem posted an impressive 3-1 mark after defeating the No. 1 pair in the nation at the two position, Sarah Sponcil and Lily Justine of top-ranked UCLA, 21-18, 21-17 on the number two court.
Frasca and Bianchin also defeated No. 5 Hawaii's Morgan Martin and Amy Ozee (21-19, 21-18) and No. 3 Pepperdine's Deahna Kraft and Brooke Bauer (22-20, 10-21, 15-13), with both duals taking place at the No. 1 position.
Their lone loss of the weekend was a 21-14, 21-13, 16-14 three-set affair against No. 2 USC's Sammy Slater and Terese Cannon, the second-ranked pair at the No. 2 position.
Bianchin and Frasca are 55-14 all-time as a tandem.
A LOOK AHEAD
Following this Friday's duals with the Owls and Trojans, FIU will head to Boca Raton to take part in the one-day FAU Beach Bash on March 23 at the Florida Atlantic Beach Volleyball Courts. The Panthers will face Tampa at 10 a.m. before closing out the day at 4 p.m. against North Alabama.
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