MIAMI– FIU volleyball (10-7, 1-3 CUSA) was unable to find the same magic it found the previous night against Kennesaw State (7-9, 1-3), falling in three sets and being swept at home for the first time this season, snapping a five-game winning streak at Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
FIU fell behind 9-2 in the opener, but slowly regained control of the set. Following a 4-0 run featuring a
Teodora Skocajic ace and
Jillian Huckabey kill, the Panthers eventually tied it at 19 thanks to a
Lana Sesar booking. Sesar put the Panthers up 24-22 to get to set point, but the Owls rattled off four straight points to snag the set 26-24.
Going up 9-5 in the second after another Huckabey kill, the Panthers fell behind and never got in front again despite keeping it close. After Skocajic found the floor to cut the deficit to 22-21, KSU once again found a timely 3-0 run to take the second stanza 25-21.
An early 11-0 run by the Owls after falling down ultimately proved to be too much for FIU to overcome in the third. A big block by Skocajic and
Marla Valentin and another Huckabey kill made it 18-all, and despite
Rayne Williams connecting to make it 23-22, FIU again couldn't close the set out, losing it 25-23 and the match 3-0.
Huckabey led the team with 13 kills but snapped her double-double streak. Williams recorded the first double-digit kill effort of her career with 11 on 15 swings with one error, hitting .667 for the match.
Marta Lazzarin had a stout defensive effort with 17 digs in just three frames.
Up Next
FIU heads to Murfreesboro to take on Middle Tennessee beginning on Friday.
Social Media
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