DURHAM, N.C. — FIU's volleyball program battled hard against LSU in its opening match of the Duke Invitational, falling in five to the Tigers. 

The Panthers (0-5) led the match 2-1 after three sets, winning sets two and three by scores of 25-21 and 25-20, respectively. LSU (4-1) regained its momentum in the final two frames, downing FIU in a thrilling, five-set matchup. 

Jillian Huckabey and Courtney O'Brien paced the Panthers attack with 38 combined kills. Huckabey racked up 21 kills and eight digs to lead the way, hitting .232 on 56 attacks. O'Brien hammered 17 kills at a .311 clip and posted a double-double with 11 digs. O'Brien also had five assists in the match. 

FIU also received solid production from middle blockers Anna Feldkamp and Julia Thomas, whom each registered eight kills. The Panthers hit .253 in the match and had 63 kills, both of which were season-highs. Feldkamp was solid at the net defensively with a team-high 4.0 blocks. 

Mandi Morioka led the defensive effort with 19 digs and had zero reception errors. Savannah Cook racked up 11 digs and 42 assists for her first double-double of the season. 

The Panthers had over 13 kills in all four sets and hit .400 in set two and .311 in set three. As a team, FIU had 63 kills while LSU had 68. 

UP NEXT

The Panthers take on host-Duke on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 4 p.m. in their second matchup of the weekend. 

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.