EL PASO, Texas — FIU's volleyball program closed out its 2024 campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Western Kentucky in its opening match of the 2024 Conference USA (CUSA) Championship on Friday afternoon.
The Panthers (8-25) went toe-to-toe with the Hilltoppers (26-6) for the third-straight time this season, claiming the opening set, 25-23. FIU continued to fight down the stretch after falling 25-14 and 25-18 in sets two and three, respectively, falling in a dramatic fourth set, 32-30. Jillian Huckabey led the way for the Panthers with 14 kills, attacking at a .139 clip, and added nine digs.
Courtney O'Brien also had double-digit kills with 12 and seven digs. Cameryn Jones, in her final match as a Panther, was excellent with nine kills. Anna Feldkamp also shined in her final collegiate match with eight kills and a .364 attacking percentage. Senior Travel Morris added seven kills while senior Colby Lane had seven digs.
Libero Mandi Morioka capped a standout season with 25 digs, anchoring the FIU backline.
To begin the match, Huckabey tied the opening set with a kill to make it 22-all. The Panthers ripped off the final three points of the frame, which included kills from Huckabey and Feldkamp and an ace from O'Brien, to claim a 25-23 win.
In set two, WKU responded, building an early lead on the way to an 11-point win, 25-14. Set three was back-and-forth as FIU took a lead, 15-14, following another kill from Huckabey. WKU went on a 6-0 run, however, to gain control and secure the frame, 25-18.
The fourth and deciding set saw the Panthers ahead 19-18 thanks to a Feldkamp kill. WKU looked to have the set won late, leading 24-20, but FIU continued to fight, tying the frame at 24-all.
The Panthers had set point at 25-24, but could not finish off the frame. In total, WKU had nine chances at match point before finally sealing the 32-30 victory.
Defensively, FIU out-dug WKU 63-54 and racked up 53 kills, including 21 in the final set.
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