Miami, Fla. -  The FIU women's volleyball team (2-8, 0-0 C-USA) will finally have their 2023 home opener this week after playing the first three weeks on the road when they host the "305 Challenge" from Friday, Sept. 15 through Saturday, Sept. 16 inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The Panthers will take on Jacksonville and Stetson on Friday and finish the tournament against Indiana on Saturday and all three matches will be streamed on ESPN+. 

Friday, Sept. 15 vs Jacksonville (3-6, 0-0 ASUN)

• Time/Site: 11 a.m. ET/ Ocean Bank Convocation Center
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Friday, Sept. 15 vs Stetson (5-4, 0-0 ASUN)

• Time/Site: 7 p.m. ET/ Ocean Bank Convocation Center
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Sunday, Sept.. 16 vs Indiana (6-3, 0-0 BIG 10)

• Time/Site: 7 p.m. ET/ Ocean Bank Convocation Center
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The Panthers were on the road last weekend in the Husky Invitational hosted by Washington and came out with a 0-3 record dropping their contests against UNLV, Memphis, and Washington.
 
Outside hitter, Jade Sadeiko paced FIU with 34 kills combined from the three matches. She is currently leading the Panthers with 96 kills averaging 2.82 per set while hitting .252.
 
Sadeiko was the kills leader for FIU in two of the three matches played last week and recorded a season high 15 against Washington. Against Memphis on Sept. 8, Sadeiko led the Panthers with 14 kills and also recorded 10 digs marking her first double-double of the season. After the Husky Invitational, Sadeiko has notched double-digit kills in five of the 10 matches played this season.
 
 Libero Mandi Morioka appeared in all three matches last week and started against Memphis and Washington putting up 43 digs averaging 3.58 per set. Against the Tigers, Morioka recorded 24 digs to establish a new career high. Against the Huskies, she posted 18 digs marking the first time in her career in which she recorded double digit digs in back-to-back matches.
 
Rounding out the balanced offensive effort for FIU is junior, Mackenzie Morgan. The outside hitter recorded 32 kills in last week's action. Against Washington, Morgan was tied for the team lead with 15 kills for a season high. Morgan is also second on the Panthers with 76 kills this season averaging 2.30 per set.
 
Sophomore setter Savannah Cook stepped up for the Panthers over the weekend recording 85 assists, averaging 8.5 per set, from the three matches combined and started in one. Cook set a new season high in assists against Memphis with 38 and followed up that performance against Washington with 31marking the first time this season in which Cook recorded 30 or more assists in back-to-back matches.

 SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE

Jacksonville looks to bounce back from an 11-17 season in 2022. After a .500 start through the first six matches of their current season, the Dolphins are coming off an 0-3 performance in the Bulldog Classic dropping matches against Georgia, Samford, and Army.
 
Jacksonville has three players with 60 or more kills this season and are led by graduate student outside hitter Anna Erickson who paces the team with 86 kills averaging 2.86 per set.
 
Behind Erickson is senior Lyric Love with 68 kills and rounding off the trio is outside hitter Jenna McNamara with 61.
 
Setter Rebecca Rocassin has racked up the assists in the early portion of the season and already has 299 averaging 9.34 per set.

Series History: FIU leads 7-2

SCOUTING STETSON 
 
This will be the tenth time these two programs face off dating back to 2001 and it has been four years since their last matchup. The last time they squared off, FIU came away with a 3-1 home victory on Sept. 6, 2019.
 
Stetson started the season 4-2 and are now 5-4 after going 1-2 last week in the FAMU Tournament.
The Hatters will be returning six athletes from last year's roster including Anabelle Standish, Nyah Molina, and Leilani Vitale
 
They are joined by six incoming students including graduate student Amaris Carter from Seattle University, and Selin Kalkan a transfer from the University of South Florida.
 
Outside hitter Anabelle Standish leads the Hatters 113 kills averaging 3.77 per set and second on the team with six service aces. Second on Stetson in kills is last year's ASUN Freshman of the Year Sophia Groom with 78.
 
Junior libero Haruka Sugimoto is the primary defensive specialist for the Hatters pacing the team with 148 digs averaging 4.93 per set.
 
Series History: FIU leads 6-3

SCOUTING INDIANA

The Hoosiers are coming off their best finish in the Big Ten (8th) since the conference expanded to 14 teams with a 16-16 overall record and a 9-11 record in conference action last year.
 
IU returns 12 players from a last season including six of seven starting rotational players.

Steve Aird is in his sixth year as head coach with a veteran heavy roster that features 10 juniors or seniors on the team including six athletes entering either their fourth or fifth year of collegiate volleyball.

IU returns 12 players including six starting rotational players and key reserves Isa Lopez, Kenzie Daffinee and Grae Gosnell. Other key returners include veteran middle blocker duo Kaley Rammelsberg and Savannah Kjolhede and sophomore outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles.

The Hoosiers welcomed five new athletes including three true freshmen and two second-year players via transfer. Under Armour All-American libero Ramsey Gary highlights a recruiting class that includes three-time AAU Club National Champion and middle blocker Ava Vickers as well as setter Luca Fickell.
 
Last season's kills leader, Mady Saris, is currently leading the Hoosiers with 94 averaging 3.24 per set. All-Big Ten First Team setter Camryn Haworth paces IU with 279 assists averaging 9.62 per set.
 
Series History: Indiana leads 1-0
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers will stay at home and begin conference action next week when they host Louisiana Tech on Friday, Sept. 22 at 6:00 p.m. ET and play them again the following day Saturday, Sept. 23 a 1:00 p.m. ET inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The Friday night 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