You don’t need to look for too many reasons to understand the rivalry between FIU and Florida Atlantic University. Just over an hour’s drive away from each other and separated by only 4 years between their establishment; the two schools were destined to be pitted against each other from the start.
But no one could have predicted a sibling rivalry between Panther and Owl. Well, that’s what FIU and FAU will showcase this year in volleyball.
Darija Sataric is a 6-foot-1 outside hitter for the Owls, loaded with experience and skills after 3 years of being reliable in the rotation and playing in over 300 games at FAU.
“Our father really emphasized sports to us growing up, preaching the lessons that can be learned through teamwork and dedication,” Darija said. “So sports were a big deal growing up and the women in our family really took over volleyball.”
But what many people around this area didn’t realize is that Darija has a little sister, and she’s been the buzz of Panther pre-season volleyball.
Anabela Sataric is an incoming freshman from Biberist, Switzerland and has been getting ready all offseason to help the Panthers move on from their injury plagued 2012 campaign.
She attended Kantonsschule Solothurn and has been a member of the Swiss Junior team since she was first spotted around 12-14 years old. Sataric served as captain on the international junior tournament squad in Holland in the summer of 2011 and led her U-22 VBS Koniz squad to a third-place finish at the Swiss Championships in 2011.
“My first impression of FIU was that everything is so beautiful and new, but the team really plays at a high level, and its no joke,” Anabela said. “Switzerland is definitely a very safe and organized place but I wanted a new challenge. Everything was kind of too perfect and too boring over there which is why I was attracted to come over here.”
The two schools will meet twice this year, at both venues, with only one match counting towards the standings of the new Conference USA, which both institutions joined this past summer.
In the three years Darija has been at FAU, the Owls have been unable to defeat their competitors to the south and have only taken away 5 victorious sets of volleyball from the Panthers. She will be looking to change that this year in her last two chances as a Senior.
“I’m very excited to have my little sister so close, after 3 years of being alone in the States, it’s nice to know someone from back home,” Darija said. “But I really want to beat FIU and there is definitely that sister aspect on top of the rivalry which should make for some great volleyball.”
Asked earlier this offseason, who to watch out for this season, Associate Head Coach Felix Hou said to “look out for number eight, Anabela Satoric, she has really impressed in the short amount of time we have been back.”
“We both really want to beat each other because it’s probably the only chance we will have here in college and it will be challenging but very fun as well,” Anabela said.