MIAMI – The No. 9-ranked FIU beach volleyball team gets back to work this weekend when the Panthers head to the west coast for five big duals, highlighted by the prestigious East Meets West Invitational. The event is hosted by No. 1-ranked, and defending national champion, UCLA at the Manhattan Beach Pier in Manhattan Beach, California.
FIU looks to improve to 5-0 for the first time in program history, surpassing the 4-0 start during the 2018 campaign.
The Panthers begin the weekend on March 8, at 6 p.m. ET, when they face Concordia University in Irvine, California, at the Great Park Beach Volleyball Complex.
FIU will then head to Manhattan Beach for what may very well be the most daunting part of its schedule during the East Meets West Invitational. FIU will face four of the top five teams in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 20 poll.
The Panthers begin play at the Manhattan Beach Pier on March 9, against No. 2 USC at 11:30 p.m. ET before closing out the day against the host Bruins at 3:30 p.m.
FIU will conclude its play in the East Meets West on March 10, against No. 5 Hawaii at 12 p.m. and No. 3 Pepperdine at 5 p.m.
The Panthers opened the 2019 campaign in impressive fashion, as the Panthers posted a 4-0 record at the Stetson University Spring Fling Feb. 22-23, in DeLand, Florida. All four wins came by the way of 5-0 shutouts, including wins over No. 17 Stetson and No. 13 Georgia State.
A LOOK AHEAD
FIU will return to the Sunshine State to host the first of its two events in South Florida. The Panthers will face Florida Atlantic and USC – the Women of Troy for the second time in a week – on March 15, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, in the Fort Lauderdale Tournament on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
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