MIAMI– Jillian Huckabey's third-straight conference double-double pushed FIU volleyball (10-6, 1-2 CUSA) to a reverse-sweep rally over Kennesaw State (6-9, 0-3) at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Friday night.
Disjointed in the first two sets, FIU hit sub-.100 in both frames to get the night going. They fell behind 18-11 in the opener, but a furious rally led by
Rayne Williams and co. cut the deficit to 24-23 in the set. Ultimately, FIU did not find enough offense to supplant the defense, dropping the opener 25-23.
Chiara Fabbrini found the floor early in the second set to nearly come from behind all the way before the media, but the team went in down 15-13. Williams eventually tied it up, but the Owls found lots of success, closing the set on a 10-2 run to win it 25-17.
The Panthers would not be denied for the remainder of the night. Getting three Fabbrini kills in a 5-0 run to start set three, the Panthers did just enough to remain in front.
Teodora Skocajic recorded a kill on an overpass to go up 15-11, but the turning point of the set wasn't until after KSU went on a 4-0 run of their own to make it 20-19 Panthers -
Flavia Siqueira called timeout and FIU responded by recording the next four points, featuring a Huckabey kill and ace. The Panthers won a hard-fought third 25-21.
The offense was stellar in the fourth set as the Panthers recorded 16 kills and hit .333. It was the
Lana Sesar (6 kills) and Huckabey (5) show, with the Panthers only allowing back-to-back scores from KSU once early. FIU knotted the match and swung the momentum with a 25-14 win.
Trailing 4-1 and 8-5 in the fifth and decisive final set, the Panthers rallied after timeouts once again. Huckabey put the Panthers up with her 17th kill of the match 13-12, and two more points and a review later gave the Panthers a grind-out five-set victory over Kennesaw State, snapping a three-game skid in the series by winning the final 15-13.
Huckabey was the last Panther to record three-straight double-doubles last season and did it again over the last three games, finishing off a pulchritudinous effort with 17 kills, 15 digs and a pair of blocks. Joining her with double-doubles were Sesar (15 kills, 14 digs) and
Ivona Lazovic (season-high 40 assists, 10 digs), who surpassed 1,000 career assists with her first helper of the night and recorded the first 40-assist effort for the Panthers in 2026.
Marta Lazzarin again led the defensive charge with a team-high 16 digs. Fabbrini also had a strong day with 13 kills and four blocks, while Skocajic led the block with five of her own.
For the Panthers, it was their first conference victory and first reverse sweep since their Halloween thriller over Jax State on Oct. 31, 2025.
Up Next
FIU will carry momentum into Saturday for another date with the Owls at 1:00 p.m.
Social Media
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