MURFREESBORO, Tenn.– FIU volleyball (10-8, 1-4 CUSA) won the third frame but failed to sustain the momentum after, dropping the opener at Middle Tennessee (13-4, 4-1) on Friday 3-1.
It was an early 5-3 advantage for FIU in the first frame after a few Blue Raiders errors, and the teams traded points until FIU went up 12-11 on a
Rayne Williams marker and then 15-14 on an
Ivona Lazovic ace. This was the final time the Panthers led in the set, hitting -.034 as the home team ran away on a 11-2 run to claim the first 25-17.
FIU remained close for most of the second set, but never found a sustained run to make a dent in the deficit after trailing early 8-3.
Chiara Fabbrini found the floor to make it 18-17 MTSU, and another error from the Blue Raiders cut the deficit to 21-20, but MTSU regained composure out of the timeout. They won four of the next five points, taking it 25-21.
Not to be denied, FIU found some momentum in the third. A 4-0 run down 14-11 surged the Panthers ahead in a big way at the media after a pair of block assists and a
Teodora Skocajic kill. FIU added two more 3-0 runs late in the set aided by a spark from
Marla Valentin, and Williams closed it out in style, responding with a 25-21 win to make it 2-1 MTSU.
The Panthers were looking to continue the good vibes in the fourth, even getting up 13-9 following a Skocajic/Valentin block, but allowed the home team to respond with a 10-2 run. FIU never got back to within three after this, dropping the set 25-20 and the match 3-1.
Fabbrini was the only Panther to record double-digit kills with 10, but
Jillian Huckabey was close behind with nine. Lazovic had 20 assists and another strong day from the service line, recording four aces, while Skocajic (4) paved the way in blocks and
Marta Lazzarin (16) led FIU in digs, the only player in double digits.
For the Panthers, it was their seventh consecutive loss in Murfreesboro dating back to 2017.
Up Next
FIU hopes for a bounce-back in Tennessee Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
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.
