TALLAHASSEE, Fla.– On the heels of a four-game skid, FIU volleyball (2-4) travels up to Tallahassee for the Florida A&M Invitational and then a true road matchup Sunday at Florida State. The Panthers will have two games on Friday and one on Saturday during the tournament.

Opening Serve
FIU was swept during its weekend in Jacksonville at the UNF Invitational, but will have a chance to flush that against Hampton (2-4) and Florida A&M (2-4) on Friday before battling Louisiana (2-4) on Saturday. FIU's game against the Rattlers will be televised on SWAC TV.

Florida State (4-3) awaits on Sunday afternoon, who is receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 after a five-set victory over #16 Kansas.

Matchup History
- Hampton and FIU have never matched up in volleyball, the second of three new teams the Panthers will play for the first time this season (Merrimack, Hampton, Central Michigan).
- The Panthers are quite familiar with Florida A&M. Friday night's game will be the 28th meeting between the two teams, with the Panthers going 18-9 in the previous 27 and winning the last two meetings. FIU is just 3-4 on the road against the Rattlers dating back to 1987, but won the previous meeting 3-1 in Fort Myers on Sept. 3, 2021. 
- Louisiana and FIU have met 17 times previously as former conference opponents in the Sun Belt, but not since Oct. 5, 2012, a 3-1 win in Miami. The Ragin' Cajuns are 9-8 against the Panthers and have won back-to-back contests in the series.
- FIU also has not played Florida State since 2012. The teams have met 12 times, and the Seminoles have won all 12 meetings in the series.
- Despite sharing a conference with Louisiana, Flavia Siqueira has only faced Florida A&M and Florida State in her coaching history. She is 3-0 against the Rattlers and dropped the only matchup against FSU last season.

Notable Storylines
- Lana Sesar was on a roll over the weekend, slamming 50 kills in the three matches, including a season-high 26 against Tulane. That mark was the most kills for a Panther in a game since 2019, and she had the most kills in a double-double since 2014. Her 205 attacks are second in the league.
- Ivona Lazovic has been stellar from the service line, recording 12 aces this season. That mark is second in the conference and 46th in the NCAA, and she is second in the conference and 81st in the NCAA with 0.52 aces per set.
- The Panthers will have 10 players who hail from outside the United States this season, their most on the team since they had 11 in 2021. The Panthers brought in several international club standouts, including Chiara Fabbrini, Sesar and Mariana Silva.
- The Panthers are in the midst of their longest losing streak since the end of the 2024 season.
- FIU was placed fifth in the preseason CUSA poll.

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.