LYNCHBURG, Va. — FIU's volleyball program was defeated by New Mexico State in four sets on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of Conference USA (CUSA) Volleyball Championships. 

After dropping the opening set, the Panthers erased a large deficit in the second set to come away with a 25-23 win, evening the match at 1-all. FIU battled in the final two sets, but ultimately fell to NMSU to close out its time at the CUSA Championships. 

Syra Tanchin led the Panthers with 12 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double. Jade Sadeiko and Yasso Amin both had eight kills in support. 

Savannah Cook had 19 assists while Gianna Tagoa'i registered nine. Amber Beals led the defensive effort with eight digs and added two assists. As a team, FIU hit .127 largely due to New Mexico State's 14 blocks. 

FIU finishes the season with a 13-19 overall record and 8-8 mark in CUSA play. NMSU will move on to the Championship Match against Western Kentucky. FIU's appearance in the CUSA Semifinal is the first for the program since 2018.