#1
Debra Amundson
5-10 · Freshman
Outside Hitter
Miami, FL (Westminster Christian)
All-Conference and All-Miami-Dade first team selection…named to All-State second team in 1999 and third team in 1998…voted team MVP her senior year…led her team to the regional semi-finals the last three years…also played softball at Westminster…social work major…has two sisters, Amy and Patricia, and one brother, Hank…daughter of Henry and Marilyn Amundson.
#13 Elizabeth Baldwin
5-6 · Freshman
Setter
Escondido, CA (Escondido)
Valley League Athlete of the Year…named to the all Valley
League and All-North County first team…three time all league
first team…holds Escondido High School Assist Record with
2,958… three time team MVP…won best offensive player
and high school spirit of the game award… named to All-Academic
first team…has one sister, Erica…daughter of Brad and
Denise Baldwin.
# 5 Charlyn Ball-Llovera
5-11 · Freshman
Outside Hitter
Miami, FL (Sunset)
1998 Miami-Dade County Player of the Year…named to All-State team last season…made the first team All-Miami-Dade team the last three years…also participated in badminton, swimming and cheerleading…named to the honorable mention team in badminton…her aunt, Esther, played with the Golden Panthers from 1975-76…has three sisters, Jenny, Jessica and Tiffany…daughter of Gustavo and Moraima Ball-Llovera.
#11 Melissa Byrus
6-1 · Junior
Middle Blocker
Fort Myers, FL (Riverdale HS)
1999: Saw action in 36 games, with 33 kills and 26 digs…should bring needed leadership to this year's young squad…1998: Averaged 0.39 blocks per game, playing in 42 games...recorded a career-high five kills and five digs against Marquette (9/11)...Prior to FIU: Played varsity volleyball, basketball and softball for four years at Riverdale High School...1997-98 MVP in volleyball...All-Conference in softball four straight years and Co-Offensive Player-of-the-Year in 1997...named to All-Lee County teams in basketball all four years...awarded Proud Scholar Award, 1994-1998...treasurer of the National Honor Society and member of DARE Rolemodel club...graduated with a 4.0 grade point average...participated in the Palm Coast Junior club team under the direction of Tim Harris...born November 16, 1979...daughter of Bill and Diane Byrus...Sports Medicine major.
Career Statistics
| Year | GP | K | E | TA | Pct. | A | SA | D | BS | BA | BE |
| 1998 | 42 | 18 | 22 | 84 | -.048 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 1 |
| 1999 | 36 | 33 | 26 | 90 | .078 | 4 | 3 | 26 | 0 | 16 | 3 |
| Totals | 78 | 51 | 48 | 174 | .078 | 7 | 3 | 34 | 5 | 39 | 4 |
Career Highs
Kills: 12 (Embry-Riddle 9/18/99)
Assists: 2 (Arkansas-Little Rock 9/24/99)
Service Aces: 1 (three times; (twice vs.) Florida Atlantic 9/21/99,
New Orleans 10/17/99)
Block Solos: 1 (last, New Orleans 11/20/98)
Block Assists: 6 (Embry-Riddle 9/18/99)
Digs: 16 (Florida Atlantic 9/21/99)
# 2 Adriana Fundora
5-9 · Freshman
Outside Hitter
Miami, FL (Braddock)
1999 Miami-Dade County Player of the Year…also named to All-State and All-County teams…made the Class 6A state final four at Braddock with fellow Golden Panther Jennifer Owens…also played basketball and badminton in high school…made the Miami-Dade honorable mention team in basketball…Speech Pathology major…has one brother, Gilbert, age 23…daughter of Gilberto and Diana Fundora.
# 7 Iris Gonzalez
5-6 · Junior
Defensive Specialist
Miami, FL (Southwest)
1999: Provided defense and became a team leader…will provide depth and experience…1998: A walk-on who finished with 75 digs...had a career-high 11 digs against Bethune-Cookman (9/21)...had eight digs against New Orleans (10/18)...Prior to FIU: Played volleyball, basketball, softball and badminton at Southwest High School...named volleyball Most Valuable Player her junior and senior seasons...earned Unsung Hero Award and Coach's Player of the Year in basketball...played at the UCF Volleyball Camp...member of the Social Studies Honor Society and Tri-M Honor Society...born August 19, 1980...Health Education major...daughter of Marta Torres and Lazaro Gonzalez.
Career Statistics
| Year | GP | K | E | TA | Pct. | A | SA | D | BS | BA | BE |
| 1998 | 58 | 2 | 2 | 9 | .000 | 4 | 9 | 75 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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Career Highs
Kills: 3 (Trinity International, 10/12/99)
Assists: 2 (Trinity International, 10/12/99)
Service Aces: 2 (last time, Louisiana Tech, 11/12/99)
Block Solos: none
Block Assists: 1 (Vermont, 9/18/98)
Digs: 11 (Bethune-Cookman, 9/21/98)
# 9 Nirvana Kos
6-2 · Sophomore
Opposite Hitter
Croatia (Northern Michigan)
Transfer from Northern Michigan where she led the team in kills
(520) and finished second in service aces (52) and digs (388)…given
all team award in 1999…was on the 1998 Croatian Champions
National Team...has one brother Zoran, age 23...daughter of Miroslav
and Silvana Kos.
#14 Betsy Moreland
5-9 · Freshman
Setter
Camden, OH (Eaton)
Four time All-District and All-Conference selection…1999 County and League Player of the Year…named Most Valuable Player all four years in high school…holds three high school records: most match assists (37), most season assists (534) and most career assists (1780)…had a 98% service average…sports medicine major…has two sisters who played college volleyball, Melissa, at North Park College and Erica, at Charleston Southern University…daughter of Evie and Marian Moreland.
#4 Melissa Oliveira
5-10 · Junior
Outside Hitter
Brazil (Colegio Moderno)
Led Club de Remo team to the club championships three years in a row…nutrition major…has one brother, Ricardo, age 25…daughter of Carlos and Beatriz Oliveira.
#12 Jennifer Owens
6-0 · Freshman
Middle Blocker
Miami, FL (Braddock)
Awarded 2000 Miami Herald's Female Athlete of the Year…6A Florida All-State second team volleyball the last two years…led the volleyball team to the state final four…Miami-Dade first team volleyball all four years at Braddock…named to the Braddock Hall of Fame for her outstanding career…scholar athlete for volleyball the last three seasons…teammates with Adriana Fundora at Braddock…also plays softball, where she was named Miami-Dade County's Player of the Year…has one sister, Christina and one brother, Henry…daughter of Henry and Herminia Owens Sr.
# 3 Sareh Seyedkazemi
5-4 · Junior
Defensive Specialist/Setter
Plantation, FL (South Plantation)
1999: Played in every game last year…leads all returnees in digs (156) and set assists (178)…1998: One of only three players to play more than 80 games...finished second on the team with 180 assists and third 110 digs...averaged 3.37 assists per game in Sun Belt Conference games...had a career high 19 assists against South Alabama (10/16) and Louisiana Lafayette (11/8)...recorded nine digs against Arkansas-Little Rock (9/27)...member of the FIU Student Government...Prior to FIU: Four-year letterwinner at South Plantation High School...three-time team Most Valuable Player and two-time Athlete-of-the-Year...earned honorable mention All-Broward recognition...named Florida Coaches Association Athlete-of-the-Week...participated with the Southside Volleyball Club and earned MVP honors from 1995-98...member of the Everglades Volleyball Club and the Holiday Park co-ed League...four-year Honor Roll student...participated in the Community Service in Caring for Kids from 1996-98...born September 21, 1979...Dietetics & Nutrition major...daughter of Fakhralsadat Moghaddam and Mojtaba Seyedkazemi.
Career Statistics
| Year | GP | K | E | TA | Pct. | A | SA | D | BS | BA | BE |
| 1998 | 81 | 2 | 10 | 23 | -.348 | 180 | 15 | 110 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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8 | 33 | -.091 | 178 | 21 | 156 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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186 | 7 | 18 | 56 | -.196 | 358 | 36 | 266 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Highs
Kills: 2 (last time, Louisiana Tech, 11/12/99)
Assists: 32 (Embry-Riddle, 9/18/99)
Service Aces: 3 (Louisiana Tech, 11/12/99)
Block Solos: none
Block Assists: 1 (Middle Tennessee State, 10/3/98)
Digs: 11 (Louisiana-Lafayette, 10/10/99)
# 10 Gianna Brown-Steele
5-11 · Sophomore
Middle Blocker
Fort Lauderdale, FL (Dillard)
Will be the team's most versatile player this season as she can play most positions… 1999: Wealth of game-time experience should help lead the way for the Golden Panther squad…was second on the team with 48 blocking assists…Prior to FIU: Lettered in volleyball (3) and basketball (4) at Dillard High School...named two-time all-tournament in the Oak Ridge High School Tournament...earned Most Valuable Player honors in volleyball in 1997-98...member of the Flamingo Volleyball Club Team...averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game in basketball in high school...born September 14, 1979...Computer Science major...daughter of Sherlena and Carl Brown...married to former FIU soccer player Marconi Steele.
Career Statistics
| Year | GP | K | E | TA | Pct. | A | SA | D | BS | BA | BE |
| 1999 | 85 | 76 | 83 | 280 | -.025 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 13 | 48 | 8 |
Career Highs
Kills: 8 (South Alabama, 11/19/99)
Assists: 2 (Arkansas State, 10/24/99)
Service Aces: 1 (last time, South Alabama, 11/19/99)
Block Solos: 2 (last time, South Alabama, 11/19/99)
Block Assists: 6 (New Orleans, 11/14/99)
Digs: 6 (South Alabama, 11/19/99)
5-6· Junior
Defensive Specialist
Ft.Lauderdale, FL(North Florida)
Played two years for North Florida, where she finished with 50 digs last season...at Dade-Christian High School earned All-Conference honors in 1997...three-time all-country honoree...Elementary Education major...daughtter of Phil and Terri Willoughby.