MIAMI (Aug. 29, 2019) - Volleyball officially returns on Friday, as FIU travels to Indiana to compete in the Indiana Invitational over the weekend.

The weekend contest opens up with the Panthers going head-to-head with the Hoosiers on Friday, August 30 at 12:30 p.m. Following the match up with Indiana, FIU will take on Santa Clara at 3:00 p.m.The Invitational concludes on Saturday after the Panthers face UT-Martin at 3:00 p.m.

SCOUTING INDIANA
The Indiana volleyball team opens the 2019 season under second year head coach Steve Aird. In 2018, Aird took a team that had finished 1-19 in the Big Ten in 2017 to 7-13 in the conference, with a season sweep of Ohio State and win against No. 14 Michigan. The 2019 squad returns nine players, has nine new players and seven seniors.

SCOUTING SANTA CLARA
Santa Clara enters the 2019 season under first-year head coach Erin Lindsey, after the program posted a 6-24 record a season ago. SCU brings back five starters and 13 student-athletes from a season ago, including 2018 West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team selection Michelle Shaffer, who led the team with 297 kills. Returning players account for 1,220 of last year's 1,315 kills.

SCOUTING UT MARTIN
Fifth-year head coach Jaclynn Wilson oversees a UT Martin squad that returns a wealth of experience, as five of the nine returners were full-time starters in 2018. Senior outside hitter Hannah Phillips was named to the Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference squad after averaging a team-high 2.70 kills per set in league play last season.

2018 RECAP
The 2018 FIU indoor volleyball season featured one of the program's most triumphant campaigns in recent memory as the team posted a 19-12 overall record to go along with a 9-5 mark in Conference USA play. The 19 wins marked the highest victory total for the program since 2011 when that year's squad recorded a total of 21 wins. The Panthers finished the regular season sixth overall in the Conference USA standings, but got hot at the perfect time, performing excellently in the conference tournament and reaching their first-ever C-USA Championship match.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Friday, August 30, 2019

12:30 P.M.- FIU vs. Indiana
3:00 P.M.- FIU vs. Santa Clara

Saturday, August 31, 2019
3:00 P.M.- FIU vs. UT-Martin

COVERAGE
For live stats click here
Click here to follow Friday's match through the video stream 

SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIUVolleyball on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or @FIU_Beach on Instagram and @FIUBeach on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.