MIAMI, Florida -- In its final day at the FIU Kickoff in Miami, the Tennessee State volleyball team dropped its match 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-21) to the Florida International Panthers Saturday morning at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Setter Laken Te’o posted her third-straight double-double with 34 assists and 11 digs.
- Three hitters scored double-digit kills, Rachel Henderson (11), JoJo Kruize (10) and Julia Pierson (10).
- Big Blue recorded ten blocks with JoJo Kruize contributing to four.
SET BY SET
First Set: The Tigers won the serve and Julia Pierson put down the first kill of the match. The first few rallies were long and aggressive. FIU began to serve short which pushed the Tigers out of its comfort zone. TSU took a few points to adjust allowing the Panthers to tie the score at 19. Once in a rhythm, the blue and white pushed through the final moments of the set and won, 25-21.
Second Set: FIU hit the ground running with a four-point run before Te’o set one out to Kruize for a kill. Errors by the Panthers helped the Tigers catch up, tying the score at eight. From that point on, the teams were playing point-for-point. The blue and white last tied the score at 18 before FIU scored four more kills and a few points due to Tiger hitting errors that pushed them to win set two, 25-22.
Third Set: Kylie Hayes kicked off the set serving for a Tiger four-point run with two kills from Henderson and one from Pierson. FIU quickly answered quickly with five, three-or-more point runs, broken up by one or two Tiger points, hurting Big Blue’s chances for a comeback. The Panthers finished off the set with a kill by power hitter Margherita Bianchin, 25-17.
Fourth Set: Henderson scored the first point for the Tigers, but FIU took the lead from the beginning of the set, allowing TSU to tie the score only three times. The Panthers produced a .278 (16-6-36) hitting percentage in set four, while TSU held on with a .111 (10-7-27) with Henderson, Kruize, Pierson and Fihaki producing for Big Blue. Two of TSU’s hitters had a negative hitting percentage combined with only two team blocks and zero aces, FIU finished the set, 25-21.
MATCH NOTES
- The FIU series stands at 1-1 after this year’s loss at FIU and last season’s win at home. Both matches went to four sets, with the losing team taking the first set.
- After the opening tournament, TSU is 1-2 (.333) on the season.
UP NEXT
TSU travels to southeast Tennessee for the Chattanooga Classic where the Tigers take on Chattanooga, North Alabama and UNC Asheville Aug. 31-Sept. 1.
The Tennessee State volleyball team opened the season 1-1 with a 3-1 loss (25-22, 23-25, 25-12, 25-23) to Stetson in the first match at the FIU Kickoff, followed by a 3-1 win (27-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23) over FAMU just hours later.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Pierson, Kruize and Henderson recorded double-digit kills, with Pierson and Kruize hitting above a .300.
- Laken Te’o posted her second double-double with 39 assists and 14 digs.
- Three Tigers registered double-digit digs, Laken Te’o (14), Gina Rivera Ortiz (24) and Kylie Hayes (10).
- TSU served eight aces led by freshman Gina Rivera Ortiz with 3.
SET BY SET
First Set: FAMU had the first serve and scored the first point in set one. Kruize came up from behind to score the first point for TSU with a powerful cross-court kill. The match was filled with long rallies and tied scores, but the Tigers took the lead and ran. JUCO transfers Kruize and Khalia Jordan registered above .300 hitting percentages in the set, helping the Tigers take it in extra points, 27-25.
Second Set: Holmes started set two with a kill assisted by fellow freshman Rivera Ortiz, giving way to Henderson and Kruize to continue the pressure at the net. The Tigers had three-and-four-point runs throughout the set, putting the pressure on A&M. The Lady Rattlers answered with its own pushes at the net – registering 13 kills opposed to the Tigers’ 12. At the end of the set, the Tigers gave away a few points with errors and a rejected kill, but a kill by Te’o finished off set two, 25-23.
Third Set: The energy on the Tigers side of the net had a sharp decline in the third set, helping the Lady Rattlers late in the set. FAMU scored four blocks, three aces and 11 kills in the set, taking advantage of the energy drain. Juniors Kruize and Pierson helped the blue and white registering four kills a piece, while Rivera Ortiz and Hayes held down the backcourt combining for 14 digs. Late in the set, FAMU took a lead over TSU thanks to a service error and continued to pick up steam at the net, putting down three kills in-a-row and ending the match 25-22 with one to the right side.
Fourth set: After set break, the Tigers stepped back on the court with a renewed energy, going on a four-point run to start the set. Henderson put down six kills and a block, the team held the Lady Rattlers to a .049 hitting percentage. Pierson hit a .500 on four kills, and the Tigers pushed for an amazing comeback to clinch their first win of the season 25-23.
MATCH NOTES
- Laken Te’o registered her second double-double of the season.
- The Tigers defeat FAMU, 3-1 in its first meeting since 1995. The series sits at 1-2.
- This marks TSU’s first victory since the team beat Belmont Oct. 31, 2017 at home, snapping a four-game slump.
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