DURHAM, N.C. – The FIU volleyball program pulled off a stunner Sunday afternoon, taking down the Duke Blue Devils in four sets at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
 
FIU closed out the Duke Tournament with a 2-1 record, earning back-to-back wins over Bryant and Duke to finish the weekend on a high note.
 
The victory marks the Panthers' first win over an ACC opponent since Sept. 10, 2009, when they defeated Miami, and their first triumph over a Power 4 opponent since Sept. 17, 2022, against Rutgers.
 
FIU started strong, taking the opening two sets 25-22 and 25-16 before Duke answered with a 25-20 win in the third. The Panthers bounced back in the fourth, securing a 25-20 victory to clinch the match.
 
The offense shined with 55 kills, led by a career-best performance from Kira Givans, who tallied 19 kills—surpassing her previous career-high of 14 set last season against Middle Tennessee (Oct. 4, 2024). Emma Beretich added a season-high 10 kills, giving her 25 across the weekend. Savannah Cook dished out 44 assists, while Courtney O'Brien anchored the defense with 17 digs. Mandi Morioka contributed 14 digs, and Jillian Huckabey recorded three service aces.
 
In set one, FIU stormed out to a 5-0 lead before Duke rallied to go ahead 8-7. The Panthers quickly regained control, pushing back to a six-point advantage at 17-12 behind a pair of Givans kills, before she closed out the set with her seventh kill for the 25-20 win.
 
FIU dominated set two, building an 18-9 lead before Cook sealed the frame with a pair of kills to put the Panthers up 2-0. Duke fought back in set three, holding off an FIU rally to extend the match. In the decisive fourth, the two sides traded points before Givans and Huckabey delivered the final blows—Huckabey hammering down the match point to secure the victory.
 
The afternoon also marked a signature win for head coach Cristina Robertson, who spent nine seasons at Duke as an assistant coach from 2009–2018, now earning a statement victory against her former program.

UP NEXT
FIU opens the home slate on Sept. 5 in the 305 Challenge as they host Stetson, Drake, and UCF. The first match vs Stetson is set for 6 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+ from the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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