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The volleyball and women’s soccer teams continued to make FIU “Feel the Pride” with runaway wins on their fields of play, while the football team turned its luck around at a home game at FIU Stadium. Find out how they and how their peers in men’s soccer, track & field and golf did as October drew to a close.
The girls keep on winnin’
Senior Yarimar Rosa recorded a team-best 14 kills to go along with 11 digs against Louisiana-Lafayette. Photo: FIUSports.com.
FIU’s unstoppable volleyball team wrapped up a grueling three-match trek on the road on Nov. 1 with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-17, 25-21) win over Louisiana-Lafayette.
The blue-and-gold team’s latest victory – its 17th in a row – came on the heels of wins over ULM, 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-19), and New Orleans, 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-16, 18-25, 15-7).
The Panthers improved to 24-2 on the season with its Nov. 1 win and remain unbeaten at 14-0 in Sun Belt Conference (SBC) action.
FIU will stay on the road a bit longer before coming home for a match against Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 11, playing Western Kentucky on Nov. 6 and Middle Tennessee on Nov. 7.
Women’s soccer goes out on top
Seniors and fellow captains Marina Pappas and Amy Jackson connected to give their team a game-winning goal on Senior Night Oct. 30, giving FIU a 1-0 win over rival FAU in the final game of their regular season.
With the victory, the blue-and-gold team (11-5-3, 9-1-1) became the SBC regular season champion and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
“Being Senior Week, being our last home game, being No. 1 in the conference – it’s just crazy. I need to soak it in,” Pappas said. “My past three years here, we haven’t accomplished anything close to this. I’ll always remember this game. It’s a perfect ending to the regular season.”
The Panthers, who finished sixth in 2008, became the first team in SBC history ever to go from sixth to first place in consecutive seasons.
“It’s a fantastic accomplishment,” head coach Thomas Chestnutt said. “How hard they’ve played, their self belief – as a young team, the first time you win you can easily become complacent, but they kept their heads down and kept playing hard. It’s awesome. We’re really excited for them because they really deserve it.”
FIU will meet the No. 8 seed and begin its quest for the university’s first tournament championship title since 2000 on Nov. 4 in Boca Raton.
Men’s soccer falter
After the blue-and-gold-team honored five departing seniors prior to its match against Kentucky at home Nov. 1, the Panthers could not break the Wildcats’ defense as they scored two second-half goals, beating FIU 2-0.
FIU will close out its season away in Dallas on Nov. 7 when they play SMU.
Luck changes on football field
FIU's blocked field goal gave the Panthers their first-ever win over Louisiana-Lafayette. Photo: FIUSports.com.
With 10 seconds left in the game, FIU scored a game-tying touchdown and blocked a field goal in overtime to rally for a 20-17 victory – the first home win this season – against Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 31 at FIU Stadium.
“It’s a great win for our program – one that we needed against a team that had beaten a Big 12 opponent earlier this season,” said head coach Mario Cristobal.
Up next for the Panthers is an away game at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 7. The team will then come back to Miami for its Homecoming game on Nov. 14.
Around the course
Running on a wet and soggy course on Oct. 31 at the 2009 SBC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships in Louisiana, freshmen Tai Canady and Carter Robinson were the top female and male finishers for FIU among the 80-runner fields.
Out on the links
Monica Miller shot a 218 at the Pat Bradley Invitational. Photo: FIUSports.com.
On Oct. 27, the golf team finished fourth at the 32nd Pat Bradley Invitational in Fort Myers. The Panthers, who compiled a team score of 883 (19-over-par), trailed the leader, Furman, by 13 strokes.
The blue-and-gold team boasted two golfers and an individual competitor in the Top 10. Paula Hurtado and Lauren Blease came in tied for eighth along with Monica Miller by shooting a 218 each.
Christina Marin had the biggest jump of the FIU team, moving from 36th to 27th in the standings after chipping in a 74 to finish with a 225 overall. Nikki Dunn rounded out the group with 249.
Yolecci Jimenez, who also competed as an individual, sank her best round of the tournament (74) to finish the invitational with a 232.
The Panthers concluded the fall season and will return to the greens on Feb. 15 at the College of Charleston Spring Classic in Kiawah Island, S.C.
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