Coral Gables, Fla. -  The FIU women's volleyball team went 1-1 in their 2023 season opener losing in four sets against Maryland (25-23, 22-25, 18-25, 21-25) and earned their first win of the season after beating Lamar in straight sets (25-17, 25-15, 25-15) in the "Canes Classic" hosted by the University of Miami.
 
VS MARYLAND
The Terps (1-0) got out to an early 6-1 lead in the first set, but FIU responded with a 5-0 run capped off by Mackenzie Morgan's first kill of the season. The junior finished the match second on the team with nine kills.
 
Both teams exchanged points until Maryland took a 19-17 lead. The Panthers snapped off a 3-0 run to regain the lead and were able to hold off a late comeback by the Terps to take the opening set 25-23. Sophomore setter, Savannah Cook, recorded 10 assists in the first set and finished the match with 24 of the 36 assists for FIU.
 
Maryland tied up the match after winning the second set 25-22. FIU picked up an early lead, 10-8, after Yasso Amin and Jade Sadeiko combined for six kills in that span.
 
After Maryland tied the set at 10-10, FIU went up 12-10 but gave up the lead again as the Terps responded with a 5-1 run. Late in the second set Maryland was holding on to a 21-17 lead but FIU rattled of a 5-1 run of their own to tie it up 22-22.  
 
With the set all knotted up, Maryland recorded a kill and FIU had an attack error to put the Terps at set point. A block assist by Maryland secured the 25-22 set victory.
 
In the third set, Maryland took a 3-1 lead, but the Panthers answered with a 4-0 scoring run to take the early 5-3 advantage. The Terps followed that up with a 6-2 run to take a 9-7 edge.  
 
That was the last lead the Panthers had in the set as Maryland recorded two separate 5-0 scoring runs. They built their lead to 23-15 and ultimately locked in the 25-18 victory in the third set.
 
In the fourth, The Panthers stormed out to an early advantage, hitting .500 as they built their largest lead of the set, 15-10. Still leading 17-13, the Terps shifted all the momentum in their favor with a 7-0 run to lead 20-13. That was the largest scoring run of the entire match and that propelled the Terps to win the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.

Outside hitter, Jade Sadeiko, paced the Panthers with 12 kills and in her FIU debut, Conference USA Preseason Team member, Syra Tanchin, finished the match with nine kills.
 
Two out of the three liberos that appeared in the match against the Terps recorded double digit digs. Graduate student transfer Amber Beals led the Panthers with 11 while sophomore Mandi Morioka notched 10.
 
VS LAMAR
 FIU got in the win column for the 2023 season after sweeping the Cardinals to close out the season opener in a balanced offensive output as five Panthers recorded at least four kills. Mackenzie Morgan led all players from both teams with 14 kills and was fourth on the Panthers with four digs.

In the first set the Panthers offense jumped out to a 15-8 lead highlighted by an 8-3 scoring run. The biggest lead FIU had in the first set was ten points when they led 19-9 before the Cardinals trimmed the deficit down to just five, 21-16. FIU held off the Lamar comeback and scored five of the final six points in the opening set.
 
The Panthers rode their momentum from the win in the first set to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match after winning the second set 25-15. Set two featured FIU holding an 11-point lead in three separate occasions and had the set secured after leading 18-7 midway through. The Cardinals outscored the Panthers 8-7 from that point on, but the deficit was too much to overcome.  
 
FIU closed out the Cardinals in the third set winning 25-15. The Panthers took control early on rattling off the first six points of the set. Shortly after, the Cardinals responded with a 6-3 run and the set was tied 9-9. From that point, FIU regained the lead and built a comfortable one thanks to a 10-3 scoring run and held on to a double-digit lead for the victory.
 
Jade Sadeiko finished second on the Panthers with seven kills and third on the team with six digs. After both matches, Sadeiko recorded 19 kills. In her collegiate debut, Gianna Tagoa'I finished the match against Maryland with eight assists but really stepped up against Lamar leading the Panthers and establishing a career high 30 assists.

UP NEXT
FIU will wrap up their time in the "Canes Classic" when they take on the host, the University of Miami, tomorrow Saturday, August 26 at 6:00 p.m. ET. The match will be streamed on ESPN+

SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUVolleyball), Twitter (@FIUVolleyball), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUVolleyball) for all the latest Women's Volleyball news. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.