Jonathan Jacobskind/ Staff Writer
Bjelica (above) was named to the All-Sun Belt team for the third time in her career just before sustaining the injury that will sideline her for 4-6 weeks. (Beacon File Photo)
Minutes before FIU began their 2012 season against the No. 18 Florida Gators, the Panthers received devastating news: FIU’s star hitter, Jovana Bjelica, suffered a broken bone in her right hand. The All Sun Belt hitter will be out for 4-6 weeks.
FIU was victim to the injury bug as setter Renele Ford was also out with a leg injury and freshman Maryna Samoday suffered an elbow contusion. The team played the duration of the invite without the three players, resulting in a 1-2 start to the season.
The squad coughed up their season opener to the Gators as they spoiled coach Trevor Theroulde’s head coaching debut in a 3-0 (25-21, 25-14, 25-12) sweep.
Theroulde believes the injuries had a huge impact of the outcome of the matches, especially with team cohesion.
“When your starters are playing, everyone can play in their positions that they are the most comfortable,” Theroulde said. “We were playing with the same squad in practice for the past two, three weeks…Then two minutes before the game versus UF, [Bjelica] injured her hand so we had to keep making line-up adjustment throughout the weekend to see what fits best.“
Although this forced players to play outside their normal position, it allowed the younger players such as freshman Lucia Castro and Gloria Levorin as well as junior transfer, Kimberly Smith, to earn loads of key playing time. According to Theroulde, the newcomers rose to the occasion and performed very well in front of a raucous crowd of 4,705 fans, especially Castro.
“Lucia was excellent for us. She played at such a high level this weekend,” Theroulde said. “She is a strong woman and she really was remarkable.“
Castro had a team-high nine kills in her college debut against the Gators.
FIU was able to keep it close late in the first set as the two squads were knotted up 19-19. Then Chloe Mann of UF picked apart the young Panthers, registering three consecutive kills. The Gators would go on to take the first set.
The second and third sets were not at as close as UF jump out to a 19-13 lead in the second set. The Panthers would tallytheir final kill of the set to make it 19-14, but the Gators’ attack was too much to resist as they went on to score final five points in consecutive kills.
The third set had a similar outcome as UF ran out to a 20-9 lead and showed no signs of slowing down, ultimately ending the night for the Panthers by capping a 24-12 defeat in the final set.
Despite falling to the No. 18 team in collegiate volleyball, Theroulde saw the season opener as a great way for the freshman and new players to test the waters.
“We expected to see different things from the team since our coaching staff tried to implement different styles,” Theroulde said. “If they play how the coaching staff instructs them to play they will succeed…They all have great potential, they just need to develop team chemistry.”
FGCU 3, FIU 2
The Panthers pinned up against the Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast in the second match of the Invite.
Despite a career day from senior hitter Marija Prsa who cashed in on 25 kills, the Eagles were able to edge past the Panthers in their first victory over FIU in its program’s history.
In a neck-and-neck first set, the Panthers and the Eagles were deadlocked at 23-23. The Panthers could not put FCGU away as their blockers stuffed the Panther attack going up 24-23, followed by a set-winning kill.
Set two was a one-sided affair as FIU ballooned to 5-0 lead, eventually bringing the match to 1-1 apiece after a 25-13 victory.
FGCU managed to take the lead in go up 2-1 with set three victory. With their backs against the wall, FIU forced the match into a set five tiebreaker as Castro, behind another valiant effort, pushed her squad past the Eagles at a 12-10 score. Despite her team high 15 digs, Castro and the rest of the squad could not put the Eagles away surrendering the final set.
FIU 3, FAMU 1
The Panthers were able to escape Gainesville with their sole in stemming from a 3-1(23-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-20) decision over Florida A&M as three Panthers, Castro, Smith and Prsa, all tallied double-digit kills.
Castro led the team in kills for the second time in the three matches with 20 kills. Castro registered a 44 kills combined in the three matches.
Florida A&M sneaked away with the first set, but FIU went on a three-set run to close out the Rattlers. In the second set, Levorin stretched the Panther lead to 19-13, and despite a failed Rattler comeback, the Panthers tied up the match 1-1.
FIU dominated the Rattlers, winning the next two consecutive sets behind a pair of key aces from sophomore Carolyn Fouts in the match-deciding fourth set. The win marked the first victory for Theroulde as the program’s head coach.
“People will surprised how good this team actually can be once we can get healthy, build team chemistry and reach our maximum potential.”
jonathan.jacobskind@fiusm.com
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