MIAMI --- In its final day at the FIU Kickoff in Miami, the Tennessee State volleyball team dropped its match 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-21) to the Florida International Panthers Saturday morning at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
SET BY SET
First Set: The Tigers won the serve and Julia Pierson put down the first kill of the match. The first few rallies were long and aggressive. FIU began to serve short which pushed the Tigers out of its comfort zone. TSU took a few points to adjust allowing the Panthers to tie the score at 19. Once in a rhythm, the blue and white pushed through the final moments of the set and won, 25-21.
Second Set: FIU hit the ground running with a four-point run before Te'o set one out to Kruize for a kill. Errors by the Panthers helped the Tigers catch up, tying the score at eight. From that point on, the teams were playing point-for-point. The blue and white last tied the score at 18 before FIU scored four more kills and a few points due to Tiger hitting errors that pushed them to win set two, 25-22.
Third Set: Kylie Hayes kicked off the set serving for a Tiger four-point run with two kills from Henderson and one from Pierson. FIU quickly answered quickly with five, three-or-more point runs, broken up by one or two Tiger points, hurting Big Blue's chances for a comeback. The Panthers finished off the set with a kill by power hitter Margherita Bianchin, 25-17.
Fourth Set: Henderson scored the first point for the Tigers, but FIU took the lead from the beginning of the set, allowing TSU to tie the score only three times. The Panthers produced a .278 (16-6-36) hitting percentage in set four, while TSU held on with a .111 (10-7-27) with Henderson, Kruize, Pierson and Fihaki producing for Big Blue. Two of TSU's hitters had a negative hitting percentage combined with only two team blocks and zero aces, FIU finished the set, 25-21.
MATCH NOTES
- The FIU series stands at 1-1 after this year's loss at FIU and last season's win at home. Both matches went to four sets, with the losing team taking the first set.
- After the opening tournament, TSU is 1-2 (.333) on the season.
UP NEXT
TSU travels to southeast Tennessee for the Chattanooga Classic where the Tigers take on Chattanooga, North Alabama and UNC Asheville Aug. 31-Sept. 1.
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