Long Beach, CA. – The No. 13 FIU Beach Volleyball Team, after starting their 2023 campaign 9-0, will travel to the Long Beach State Invitational and take on three schools in the California area. The Panthers will start off seeing No. 11 Cal Poly and No. 6 LMU on Saturday, and No. 9 Long Beach State and Santa Clara on Sunday.
Saturday, Mar. 9
#11 Cal Poly
Time: 3 p.m.
Site: LBSU Sand Courts
Live Stats
History: Tied 1-1 (FIU Won last Matchup 4-1)
#6 Loyola Marymount University
Time: 6 p.m.
Site: LBSU Sand Courts
Live Stats
History: LMU Leads 2-0
Sunday, Mar. 10
Long Beach State
Time: 3 p.m.
Site: LBSU Sand Courts
Live Stats
History: LBSU leads 4-0
Santa Clara
Time: 5 p.m.
Site: LBSU Sand Courts
Live Stats
History: First meeting
FIU is coming into the invite starting the season off the season 9-0 for only the second time in program history, and will look to continue that streak on the west coast against ranked opponents.
The Panthers will take on #11 Cal Poly at 12 p.m. on Saturday March 9. After a poor season last year, where Cal Poly went 15-25 and finished second to last in their conference, the Mustangs are coming into the matchup 6-2, and second in the Big West Conference. The Mustangs have competed against several ranked opponents so far this season, and achieved wins against then ranked #8 Cal and #14 Grand Canyon University.
FIU will then go on to play #6 Loyola Marymount, who last season saw themselves at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Tournament, winning in the first round before being eliminated by future champion USC in the next round. This season, LMU is showing much of the same, at 5-4 they have wins against four ranked opponents. The Lions beat #9 Hawaii, then going on to take down #2 UCLA before besting #13 Washington, and finally winning against #14 GCU. LMU will be the highest rank FIU has seen this season.
Another team that made it to the NCAA Tournament last year, LBSU lost a close 3-2 matchup in the first round to Cal. This season, #9 LBSU has started off 4-2, and is fourth in The Big West Conference. The Sharks currently have one win against a ranked opponent in #13 Washington. FIU will play LBSU on March 2 at 3 p.m.
The Panthers' final matchup of the invite will come against Santa Clara on Sunday, March 10 at 5 p.m. The Broncos will look to begin the turnaround of a tough start to the season, coming into the invite 1-3, with their only win of the season coming against Sacramento State. Despite the slow start, they sit at third in the West Coast Conference behind Saint Marys and Pepperdine.
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