March 24, 2008

BOCA RATON, FL - The Florida Atlantic University volleyball team recently hosted the University of Nebraska as part of its spring tournament.

The Owls hosted Nebraska, Wichita State University and the University of Miami at the tournament. FAU lost to the Cornhuskers (19-25, 27-29, 23-25, 12-15) in their first match of the tournament, but head coach Jody Brown was encouraged by what he saw from his team.

"Our serving was very strong, our blocking was strong and our strength and conditioning has greatly improved since the end of last season," said Brown.

Owl players Krystena Castro and Katie Arvidson expressed similar opinions after the match.

"I think we played really well and we have really come a long way, both as individuals and as a team. It was a really good feeling to see all that hard work pay off," said rising junior Castro.

"This gives us a lot of confidence going into the rest of the spring and it should carry over to the fall. We played with one of the strongest teams in the country and represented ourselves well," said Arvidson, who is one of the team's co-captains.

FAU split four games with Wichita St. in their second match, but the team played very well and has used their spring practice time to their advantage. FAU faced Miami in their final match of the tournament, and played extremely well.

"We looked more confident and looked a lot more comfortable playing with each other. That is a direct result of being able to practice in our own arena," said Brown.

FAU returns to action on April 5th when they travel to Coral Gables to participate in a tournament hosted by the University of Miami. UCF, Barry, Lynn and Nova Southeastern will also take part in that tournament.