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J.T. Wilcox

Women's Beach Volleyball J.T. Wilcox, Sports Information Director

FMU Beach To Host St. Thomas & FIU For Senior Day Thursday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (5-8) vs. St. Thomas University Bobcats (1-4)
FMU Lions (5-8) vs. No. 14 (NCAA) Florida International Panthers (17-5)
When: Thursday, April 1, 2021
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Beach Courts
First Serve: vs. STU, 8 a.m. | vs. FIU, 10:30 a.m.
Last Meeting: vs. STU, Feb. 20, 2021, Won 4-1 | vs. FIU, March 20, 2021, Loss 0-5
 
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University's beach volleyball team has enjoyed the spoils due the victor since it made history this past weekend when it won the first-ever Sun Conference Beach Volleyball Conference championship – like a surprise celebration that included a performance by FMU's marching band The Roar – but now it must return the sand as the Lions will host St. Thomas University and NCAA Division-I No. 14 Florida International University for a tri-duel Thursday morning on the FMU Beach Courts.
 
The two matches Thursday will be the final one of regular season for FMU, so the team will honor its graduating seniors for "Senior Day". Florida Memorial will take on St. Thomas at 8 a.m., then it will have the ceremony for the seniors before it takes the sand to face FIU at 10:30 a.m.
 
Per University fan attendance policies, current Florida Memorial University students and staff members will be allowed to attend the matches with proof of a negative (healthy) COVID-19 rapid test via a school-issued wristband. A limited number of outside fans will also be permitted to attend after being subject to a temperature check.
 
The Lady Lions (5-8) enter the regular season finales with their confidence at an all-time high level, not just because they became the first and only historically Black college or university (HBCU) beach volleyball team to win a conference championship, but because of how they did it. Florida Memorial – the 3-seed in the Sun Conference tourney – had to claw its way past No. 2 seed Ave Maria University (3-2) in the semifinals then it had to endure 90-plus degree heat while upending No. 1 seed and host Webber International University 3-1.
 
In facing St. Thomas (1-4), the Lions will be taking on a team that didn't qualify for the Sun Conference tourney and has had a tough season but would love nothing more than to play the role of spoiler Thursday.
 
FMU made easy work of St. Thomas in the first meeting this season (a 4-1 victory back on February 20), so it will need to just go about the business of knocking off the struggling Bobcats.
 
Florida International presents a different – bigger – challenge for the Lions, though. Ranked No. 14 in the latest NCAA Beach Volleyball poll and led by legendary volleyball coach and player – and the mother of FMU head volleyball coach Marrita Crockett-Moulton – Rita Crockett, the Panthers have already gotten the best of FMU twice this season.
 
In both of their previous meetings, Florida Memorial battled throughout but FIU won all five flights. Perhaps with its new "championship confidence" and the benefit of playing on its home sand will be the boost FMU needs to upend the Panthers Thursday.
 
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