SPRINGFIELD, Mo.– FIU volleyball (9-5, 0-1 CUSA) saw its seven-game winning streak snapped at the hands of Missouri State (10-3, 1-0) despite out-killing the Bears by 13 in the match and four Panthers reaching double figure marks.
The Panthers had their best hitting set in the opener, running up the score 16-8 after an
Ivona Lazovic ace.
Teodora Skocajic added a couple kills late and hit over .800 and the Panthers held the Bears to a .000 hitting %. Up 24-17,
Chiara Fabbrini delivered the set-ender, winning it 25-17.
After Fabbrini tied it 14-14 in the second frame, the Bears never allowed the Panthers to side out. For six consecutive points, FIU answered but never went on a run. A late 3-0 spread made it 24-20 Bears, and the team closed it out in two more points 25-21.
The third set ended up being a marathon. After the Panthers got to the media timeout up 15-13 on a
Gina Fedrigo swing, Missouri State kept hanging around, going back up 20-19. At set point following a
Lana Sesar kill, the Bears rattled off two straight to force extra points. FIU never found back-to-back points during the stretch, and
Jillian Huckabey tied it at 28 hoping to change that. However, the home team got the next two, winning it 30-28, the most points in a set for the Panthers this season.
Another big early run for the Panthers put them in prime position, only for it to dissipate. Huckabey's ace made it 16-12, and in a carbon copy of the previous set, Missouri State rattled off several points to lead 20-19. FIU never forced the match to set point, and tied at 25, Missouri State won the next two to take the match 3-1.
For the first time in 2026, FIU had four with 10 or more kills - Huckabey (14), Sesar (12), Skocajic (career-high 12) and Fabbrini (12) all reached the mark in a match FIU had 13 more kills than Missouri State. The block was strong for both sides, but 18 total for Missouri State was the difference. Skocajic added seven, while Huckabey (14 kills, 12 digs) and Lazovic (30 assists, 10 digs) added double-doubles. Lazovic moved 18 assists away from 1,000 in her career.
Up Next
FIU will look to bounce back from the loss on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
Social Media
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