FIU Sweeps Radisson-UCF Classic
FIU improved to 10-2 on the season following a 3-0 weekend at the Radisson-
UCF Classic, as the Panthers defeated Florida A&M, 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-6),
Southern Miss, 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-21), and UCF, 3-0 (25-9, 25-21, 25-20).
The Panthers’ perfect 3-0 weekend is the second of its kind in 2009 with FIU
having previously swept the Jayhawk Invitational on Sept. 4-5. Senior Olga
Vergun earned tournament MVP honors and was named to the all-tournament
squad for the third time this season. Joining Vergun on the all-tournament
team were junior Natalia Valentin and freshman Jovana Bjelica.
Vergun tallied 32 kills (3.56 kps) and added seven assists, 12 blocks and 10
digs, while Valentin recorded 102 digs, averaging 11.33 digs per set to go
along with 24 digs, six blocks, fi ve kills and a service ace. Bjelica notched 38
kills (4.22 kps), including a career-high 17 kills versus UCF. The freshman also
contributed 15 digs, fi ve blocks and a pair of service aces and assists.
The Panther defense held its opponents to a combined .074 attack percentage
on the weekend, including a season-low .062 by Florida A&M. FIU out-blocked
the opposition, 24-11, and tallied a season-high 10 blocks against Florida
A&M. The Panthers out-dug their opponents, 122-111.
Offensively, FIU hit .305 for the weekend, including a season-best .341 hitting
percentage against Florida A&M. The Panthers notched 127 kills over the
three matches, while their opponents secured just 84 kills.
U.S.Century Bank Arena • 11200 SW 8th St.
Room 211 • Miami, FL 33199
at South Alabama
(9-4, 0-0 SBC)
Jaguar Gym / Mobile, Ala.
Sun., Sept. 27, 12:00 p.m. EST
Series Record: FIU leads, 14-1
at Troy
(4-7, 0-0 SBC)
Trojan Arena / Troy, Ala.
Fri., Sept. 25, 8:00 p.m. EST
Series Record: FIU leads, 15-4-1
TEAM COMPARISON - RADISSON-UCF CLASSIC
FIU .......................................................Category...........................................................OPP
127 ........................................................... Kills .................................................................. 84
14.1 ....................................................... Kills/Set .............................................................. 9.3
113.........................................................Assists................................................................ 77
12.6 .....................................................Assists/Set............................................................ 8.6
11......................................................Service Aces ............................................................. 6
122........................................................... Digs................................................................ 111
13.6 .......................................................Digs/Set ............................................................ 12.3
24.0 ....................................................Total Blocks ........................................................ 11.0
2.7....................................................... Blocks/Set ............................................................ 1.2
FIU Begins Sun Belt Conference Play
After beginning the season with 12 non-conference matches across four
tournaments, the Panthers begin Sun Belt Conference play this weekend as FIU
travels to Troy and South Alabama.
15-2
FIU went 15-2 in SBC action a year ago and captured the 2008 SBC East Division
title. Yarimar Rosa received a fi rst-team all-conference nod, along with SBC
Player of the Year honors, while Isadora Rangel and Natalia Valentin were
named second-team all-conference. Rangel earned SBC Newcomer of the Year
recognition and Valentin garnered SBC All-Tournament Team honors. Head Coach
Danijela Tomic was named SBC Coach of the Year.
Scouting the Trojans
Troy will enjoy a 10-day break before facing FIU on Friday, as the Trojans last
competed on Sept. 15, suffering a 3-0 loss to Jacksonville State. The Trojans
are 4-7 on the year and are led offensively by Meghan Gilroy (135 kills, 4.35 kps)
and Megan Henderson (372 assists, 9.79 aps). Henderson also leads the squad
in services aces with 10 on the season. Defensively, Devin Von Pingel has
32 blocks (0.84 bps) to her credit, while Gilroy has 30 stops (0.97 bps). Lizzie
Clough has recorded 103 digs (2.64 dps) and Henderson has tallied 100 digs
(2.63 dps) on the year.
TEAM COMPARISON
FIU .......................................................Category ........................................................ TROY
586........................................................... Kills ................................................................ 468
14.3 ....................................................... Kills/Set ............................................................ 12.0
538 .........................................................Assists .............................................................. 434
13.1.....................................................Assists/Set.......................................................... 11.1
36......................................................Service Aces ........................................................... 49
598 ........................................................... Digs................................................................ 539
14.6.......................................................Digs/Set............................................................ 13.8
68.0 ....................................................Total Blocks ........................................................ 75.5
1.7....................................................... Blocks/Set ............................................................ 1.9
A Look At South Alabama
The Jaguars bring a 9-4 record into the weekend and are currently riding a fi vematch
win streak with recent wins over Prairie View A&M, UA-Pine Bluff and
Nicholls. Offensively, Juliana Almeida leads South Alabama with 166 kills (3.61
kps), while Jennica Hagberg has recorded 460 assists (10.0 aps). Hagberg also
paces the Jaguars’ service game with a team-best 21 aces on the year. The USA
defense is led by Lindsey Schwartz (50 blocks, 1.16 bps), Samia Salomao (112
digs, 2.43 dps) and Almeida (109 digs, 2.37 dps).
TEAM COMPARISON FIU .......................................................Category ...........................................................USA 586 ........................................................... Kills ................................................................ 557 14.3....................................................... Kills/Set ............................................................ 12.1 538 .........................................................Assists .............................................................. 513 13.1 .....................................................Assists/Set.......................................................... 11.2 36......................................................Service Aces......................................................... 101 598 ........................................................... Digs................................................................ 573 14.6 .......................................................Digs/Set ............................................................ 12.5 68.0....................................................Total Blocks ........................................................ 95.0 1.7....................................................... Blocks/Set ............................................................ 2.1
Nationally Ranked Panthers
As of Sept. 20, FIU remains in the top 20 of two statistical categories, as the
Panthers rank 11th in kills per set (14.29) and 17th in assists per set (13.12). Texas
A&M leads the country in both categories, averaging 15.55 kills per set and 14.76
assists per set.
Individually, junior Natalia Valentin’s 11.71 assists per set mark ranks ninth in
the nation, not far behind Illinois’ Hillary Haean who averages 12.24 assists per
game.
FIU Leading the SBC
FIU and Arkansas State continue to pace
the Sun Belt Conference statistically,
as the Panthers are leading the way in
assists (13.12) and kills (14.29) and the
Red Wolves top the league in blocks
(2.45) and opponent hitting percentage
(.125).
Individually, junior Natalia Valentin
ranks fi rst in the conference in assists
(480 assists, 11.71 apg), while senior
Olga Vergun (160 kills, 3.90 kpg) and
freshman Jovana Bjelica (96 kills, 3.69
kpg) rank fourth and fi fth, respectively, in
the kills category.
Freshman Chanel Araujo ranks fourth in
the league in digs with 169 on the year
(4.12 dpg).
A Balanced Attack
FIU has relied on a balanced attack this
season, as the Panthers have seen two
or more players notch double-digit kills in
all but three matches on the year. In wins
over Lipscomb, Northwestern, Southern
Miss and UCF, two players reached the
double-digit mark while three players
recorded 10 or more kills against Kansas,
Creighton, Miami and nationally ranked
Florida State.
In a 3-1 win over Albany on Sept. 11,
a season-high four Panthers reached
double-digits in kills as senior Olga
Vergun led the charge with 17, followed
closely by freshman Jovana Bjelica
(16), senior Isadora Rangel (15) and
sophomore Andrea Lakovic (10).
Araujo Earns SBC Defensive Player of
the Week Honors
Freshman Chanel Araujo was tabbed
the Sun Belt Conference Volleyball
Defensive Player of the Week, as
decided on by the league’s 13 head
coaches on Monday, Sept. 7. Araujo
contributed to FIU’s perfect 3-0 weekend
at the Jayhawk Invitational by recording
double-digit digs in every match.
On her way to 55 digs over the weekend,
Araujo secured 20 digs for a 6.67 digs
per game mark in the Panthers’ 3-0 win
over Creighton. That evening versus
host Kansas, the Seal Beach, Calif.,
native notched 19 digs over four games
for a 4.75 clip as FIU won, 3-1. The
following day, Araujo tallied 5.33 digs per
game with 16 digs over three sets in the
Panthers’ tournament-clinching victory
over Lipscomb.
FIU Picked To Finish Atop SBC East
Division
The Panther volleyball team has been
predicted to finish first in the Sun Belt
Conference East Division, as was
announced by conference offi cials on
Aug. 25, 2009. FIU tallied 72 points in
the East Division poll, edging Middle
Tennessee, which earned 67 points, for
fi rst place. Western Kentucky came in
third with 56 points, while South Alabama
(33 points), Florida Atlantic (23) and Troy
(22) rounded out the division. The West
Division was led by New Orleans (87
points), followed by Denver (80), UALR
(57), Arkansas State (51), Louisiana (38),
North Texas (36) and ULM (15).
Rosa & Vergun Earn SBC Preseason
Honors
FIU standout Yarimar Rosa was named
the SBC Preseason Player of the
Year on Aug. 25, 2009, and is joined
by teammate Olga Vergun on the
Preseason All-SBC Team. Rosa’s SBC
Preseason Player of the Year nod marks
the third of its kind for the senior, as she
looks for her fourth-straight season with
All-America recognition in 2009. The
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, native was
named SBC Player of the Year and SBC
Female Student-Athlete of the Year a
year ago, and recently helped lead the
Puerto Rican National Team to qualifying
wins for the 2010 FIVB Women’s World
Championships.
Vergun receives her second Preseason
All-SBC Team honor this year, as she
was previously named to the squad in
2008 before redshirting the season.
The Zaporozhje, Ukraine, native earned
second-team All-SBC accolades as a
freshman and went on to be named to
the fi rst team as a sophomore.
2008 In Review
The FIU Volleyball team is coming off
a 2008 season in which the Panthers
established an overall record of 28-7, a
mark that included a record of 15-2 in
Sun Belt Conference play. The overall
ledger secured the program’s fourth
consecutive winning season, all of which
The Run-Down On Rosa
• Three-Time AVCA All-American
• Three-Time All-Region Selection
• 2008 SBC Player of the Year
• 2008 SBC Female
Student-Athlete of the Year
• 2006 AVCA South Region
Freshman of the Year
• 2006 SBC Freshman of the Year
• Three-Time First-Team All-SBC pick
• Three-Time CVU.com Stellar Spiker
• Three-Time SBC Preseason
Player of the Year
have come under fi fth-year head coach
Danijela Tomic.
FIU captured the 2008 SBC East Division
title and received an at-large bid to the
NCAA Tournament for just the second
time in the 21-year Division I history of the
program. Junior Yarimar Rosa received
a fi rst-team all-conference nod, along
with SBC Player of the Year honors, while
junior Isadora Rangel and sophomore
Natalia Valentin were named secondteam
all-conference. Rangel earned SBC
Newcomer of the Year recognition and
Valentin garnered SBC All-Tournament
Team honors. Tomic was named SBC
Coach of the Year.
Tomic In The Record Books
Now in her fi fth season at the helm of the
Panther volleyball squad, head coach
Danijela Tomic ranks third in all-time wins
at FIU with 96. Tomic passed Dr. Judith
A. Blucker (82) with a victory over Florida
Gulf Coast on Nov. 11, 2008 and stands
31 wins behind John Trojaniak (1987-98)
for second place. Linda Miskovic (1977-
85) is FIU’s all-time coaching leader with
231 wins over a nine-year tenure as head
coach.
Rosa Returns
Senior standout Yarimar Rosa returns
for her fi nal season at FIU in 2009.
A year ago, Rosa led the Panthers to
a 28-7 record, a Sun Belt Conference
championship and a spot in the NCAA
Tournament. ShewontheSBCPlayerofthe
Week award a record fi ve times, bringing
her career total to a record 10 selections.
After breaking the school-record for most
kills in a three-set match (26) and most
kills in a career, Rosa, was named the
CVU.com Player of the Week on Nov.
17. Her 5.21 kills per set led the nation as
did her school-record 657 kills.
The Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, native was
named the Sun Belt Conference Female
Student-Athlete of the Year, marking the
fi rst time an FIU student-athlete was ever
named the SBC Student-Athlete of the
Year.
