MURFREESBORO, Tenn.– FIU volleyball (10-7, 1-3 CUSA) travels to one of their most common opponents in program history, facing Middle Tennessee (12-4, 3-1) for the 51st and 52nd times on Friday and Saturday in Murfreesboro.

Opening Serve
FIU travels to Murfreesboro for a two-game slate against the upstart Blue Raiders. The Panthers split the series against Kennesaw State in their previous action, reverse-sweeping the Owls Friday and being swept Saturday.

It was a strong weekend for Jillian Huckabey again, who led the Panthers with 30 kills in two games, while Ivona Lazovic added 65 assists.

Matchup History
- FIU has met the Blue Raiders 50 times previously in program history, one of the most common opponents the Panthers have faced across the Sun Belt and Conference USA. MTSU has had the upper hand, winning 34 of those 50 matchups.
- In 2025, FIU won both meetings, winning 3-0 on Nov. 7 and 3-1 on Nov. 8.
- The Panthers have not won on the road against MTSU since Nov. 9, 2017 and are 4-20 all-time at the Murphy Center, losing six in a row.

Notable Storylines
- FIU assistant coach Chen Abramovich played at Middle Tennessee from 2022-23.
- Huckabey led the way once again on offense for the Panthers against KSU, notching 30 kills in two games and hitting .253. Her double-double of 17 kills and 15 digs on Friday night was one of her strongest outputs of the season.
- Rayne Williams had a career day against KSU on Saturday, notching a career-high 11 kills and hitting .667 (11-1-15).
- Lazovic emerged as the primary setter in the previous weekend, recording 65 assists (8.1/set) in the two matches against the Owls.
- Lana Sesar remains as steady as ever for the Panthers. She still leads the team with 201 kills, the first Panther to surpass the 200-kill mark this year.
- Marta Lazzarin had a standout defensive effort in the three-set loss on Saturday, recording 17 digs in the three frames.

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.