By: Eduardo Almaguer / Staff Writer
It did not take long for the Golden Panthers to forget about their loss against Cal Berkeley.
With the help of an amazing game by outside hitter Jovana Bjelica, FIU steamrolled through Austin-Peay to win 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-20) in their first match against the Blue Raider Bash in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
FIU 3, AUSTIN PEAY 0
Bjelica posted a career-best 21 kills, making it her second double-digit kill performance so far this season. Middle blockers Andrea Lakovic and Sabrina Gonzalez combined for 14 kills without a single error. As a team, FIU recorded its best hitting percentage game of the season with a .452 clip. Austin Peay, on the other hand, had an abysmal .196 percentage. As always, libero Chanel Araujo led the team in digs with 13.
Head coach Danijela Tomic deployed her timeshare at the setter position with both redshirt freshman Jessica Egan and redshirt junior Renele Forde logging in playing time. Egan led the team with 24 assists in two sets and Forde had 18 in three sets.
In the first set, the teams battled back and forth until they knotted the score 9-9. However, the Panthers shot down any hope of keeping it close with the help of an 8-3 run to lead 17-12. The Lady Govs tried to create some momentum by going on a 5-1 run, but FIU answered with a 5-0 run. With the score 23-16, Gonzalez notched two kills to take the first set.
The second set saw FIU (3-1, 0-0 SBC) pull ahead, 9-7. The Lady Govs (1-3, 0-0 OVC) never regained the lead but made things interesting by coming close, 24-22. A service error on their part did them in to give the Panthers a 2-0 set lead.
With their backs against the wall, Austin Peay held a lead throughout the beginning of the third set until FIU wrested it and jumped ahead 19-15. The teams battled and the Lady Govs came within three, but another error eventually ended the match with FIU winning 25-20.
AUBURN3, FIU 0
Later on that same day after the win over the Lady Govs, the Tiger’s roar was louder than the Panthers’ as FIU lost an absolute heart breaker to Auburn University in their first five-set game of the season (22-25, 25-15, 25-22, 18-25, 15-17).
The first set was a game of leapfrog, as no team could manage more than a three-point lead over the other. Auburn finally built a four-point lead to make the score 23-19. Lakovic and Gonzalez tried to close the gap, but Auburn sealed the deal 25-22.
Hungry for a second shot, FIU quickly jumped to a 13-5 lead in the second set. Even after Auburn called a timeout for a breather, FIU did not let up, widening the gap to 10 points to make it 24-14. Bjelica scored a kill to tie the match 1-1.
The third set saw both teams bear down and battle until the score became knotted 18-18. A Tiger error and a kill by outside hitter Marija Prsa kill gave the Panthers a 20-18 lead. Forde scored and made it 23-20 and with the match at 24-22, Bjelica notched a kill to give FIU a 2-1 match lead.
Seeking revenge, the Tigers came out firing in the fourth set, eventually building up a 7-point lead to make it 22-15. FIU (3-2, 0-0, SBC) drew within five points after back-to-back kills from Gonzalez and Prsa made it 22-17. The Panthers eventually did themselves in with an attack error to tie the match 2-2.
In an absolute nail biter, Auburn (3-2, 0-0 SEC) took a two-point lead to make it 11-9. After an FIU timeout, Bjelica tallied two kills to tie the match and force Auburn into a timeout. The Panthers came one point away from winning the match with a 14-13 lead, but Auburn tied it on an FIU error. Prsa quickly regained the lead 15-14, but that is the final point the Panthers scored as the Tigers wound up winning 17-15 and win the match 3-2.
Bjelica wasted no time beating her season-high 21 kills set as she notched 24 in this game. Lakovic and Gonzalez also scored double-digit kills to mark their season bests at 14 and 11, respectively. Forde saw all the playing time and shattered her previous season high in assists with 54.
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