Volleyball team aims for final push to make it to C-USA tournament

Alejandro Aguirre/ Contributing Writer

The volleyball team is face-to-face with the reality of their season ending earlier than seasons prior.

Three is the magic number for this team. That’s how many Conference USA games are left to play for the Panthers. Come this Friday, the team will have their ultimate test as their season rests in the balance of these final games.

The volleyball team is in a position to not make the C-USA tournament this season if they do not reach the eight seed in the standings. Currently, they are in 12th place after dropping their last two home games against Rice University and University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The team has to play close to perfect in these last games because any loss can end their season— which may look bad for a team that made it to the quarterfinals in the C-USA tournament last year.

An easy win doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon for the Panthers’ as they play their final two road conference games against University of Texas at El Paso and University of Texas at San Antonio which are respectively the No. 8 and No. 1 seeds in the Conference.

For the UTEP, holding on to that final eighth seed hasn’t been easy as they have four teams, including FIU, scratching and clawing to gain that final spot.

UTEP has been in a rough patch in the worst times, just like the Panthers. In their last five games, they have lost four, which has dropped them to barely grasping a playoff spot. The Miners’ struggles can be an advantage for the Panthers as they have the ability to beat struggling teams.

All of the volleyball team’s wins have come when their opponent is on a losing streak and what also can help is playing on the road as FIU has posted a better away record compared to playing at home. This by no means is a trap game for neither team, but rather a season changer as both teams are battling to compete in the tournament.

On Sunday, Nov. 9, the Panthers play their final conference road game against the University of Texas at San Antonio. UTSA is the number one team in the conference with an overall record of 16-7. What is even more impressive is their C-USA record. They are undefeated with a 12-0 record.

The way things have been going for the Panthers it seems unlikely they will leave UTSA with a win but the beauty of sports is that any given day any team can win. The mindset for both teams is completely different. For UTSA, they are playing very loose with a “who cares” mentality while FIU has the mindset of survive and advance.

The Panthers have the opportunity to be a true underdog story in the Conference if they can pull of these two victories. By winning these last road games, it sure helps the team’s momentum going into the C-USA tournament.

The chance to turn this disappointing season around for the volleyball team is now or they will be sent home packing early this year.

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