AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (22-10) at Reinhardt University Eagles (32-2)
When: November 23, 2019
Where: Reinhardt University, Waleksa, Georgia | James & Sis Brown Athletic Center
First Serve: 1 p.m.
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Live Stream Video & Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/reinhardt/

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – In sports, a "Cinderella" or "Cinderella story", refers to a team that was lesser-known or had low initial expectations making a run to the top or forefront of their sport.
 
Florida Memorial University's women's volleyball team fits the role of "Cinderella", almost as perfectly as the glass slipper fit the foot of the title character in the storybook tale.
 
Beginning their run in the Sun Conference tournament's play-in game as the No. 4 seed, the Lions rallied from a 2-1 match deficit in each round – including the title game against defending conference champion College of Coastal Georgia – to capture their first-ever volleyball conference crown.
 
FMU will once again have to take the "Cinderella" route to the top when the Lady Lions face No. 24 Reinhardt University Saturday in the 2019 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Opening Round.
 
The Lions (22-10) traveled to Waleska, Georgia Friday and will play the Eagles on their home floor at 1 p.m. The winner of Saturday's match will advance to the national championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa – completing what will be a field of 32 teams that will play in the Tyson Events Center in the 2019 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship presented by Delta Hotels on December 3-7.
 
Florida Memorial volleyball coach Marrita Crockett-Moulton said that her team is embracing the "Cinderella" role.
 
"We're definitely embracing it," the first-year Lions head coach said. "We know that we're the rookies here. We've exceeded everyone's expectations getting to this point, so we're playing completely free – and that makes us dangerous."
 
"We're just here…there's no pressure, we're just playing good volleyball. All the pressure is Reinhardt. We're dangerous," Crockett-Moulton added.
 
FMU, which is one of nine NAIA teams making their first-ever appearance in the championship tournament this year, is dangerous because it's shown that it isn't fazed by a deficit.
 
In each of the Lions' past three matches, it faced elimination in the best-of-five by trailing 2-1. Against Keiser University in the conference tournament semifinals, the Lions were literally one point away from being eliminated during the fifth set, but rallied to win.
 
Lions sophomore outside hitter Rachele Mancinelli, junior middle blocker Daphinie Correa, sophomore middle blocker Dayla Hall, and junior setter Francheska Rivera all came up with big plays throughout the tourney but especially during the conference championship game.
 
Standing on the other side of the net will be a Reinhardt team that comes in sporting a 32-2 record and has defeated its past five opponents in 3-0 sweeps.
 
Crockett-Moulton said that she is confident that her team will be successful Saturday based on a pair of factors.
 
"Every time we travel, we keep everything the same. Our routine remains the same because I feel athletes are creatures of habit and routines, so we keep ours the same," Crockett-Moulton said. "Also, our girls always do a really good job of executing our game plan. We just have to utilize our strengths and keep the mindset of 'whoever is across the net, we have to take them down'."