There will be plenty of stars at FIU's U.S. Century Bank Arena on Saturday, but an all-time FIU star was honored last Friday. FIU retired Yarimar Rosa's No. 3 jersey after the Panthers match against WKU. It was the first time ever in the 24-year history of FIU volleyball that a player's jersey was retired.
Yarimar -- whose name translates to "Treasure of the Sea" and was given the name by her mother who is a big fan of the sea -- was a treasure for the Panthers during her playing career from 2006-09.
Yari is the only four-time All-American in FIU Sports history and holds numerous school records, including being the career leader in kills (2,083) and kills per set (5.06). She was a four-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection, the 2006 SBC Freshman Player of the Year and won consecutive SBC Player of the Year awards in 2008 and 2009.
Here is the video tribute to Yari that played at Friday's ceremony with FIU volleyball coach Danijela Tomic and former All-American Natalia Valentin talking about Yari:
Click below for the Panther Pawse
*Thanks Alex J. Hernandez photo (Rosa)
PANTHER PAWSE
The NBA All-Star game being played Saturday at FIU's arena sold out in 1 hour and 47 minutes on Monday. People started camping out on Sunday night outside the FIU fieldhouse and the line went from the ticket office at the fieldhouse (NW corner of FIU Stadium) counterclockwise around the south part of FIU Stadium and into the Tamiami Park tailgating area.
In case you missed it this morning on Twitter: @petepelegrin, here's an overhead photo of the end of the line at 10 a.m. -- 2 hours before the ticket windows opened. This photo is from the southeast concourse of FIU Stadium.
LIVE GAME BLOG of FIU/Akron begins at 1:48 p.m. on Saturday. There is NO TV for Saturday's game. You can follow along right here, listen to the game on 1080 AM or buy a ticket in Akron. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. While Akron's most famous native will be playing basketball at FIU on Saturday, I'll be with the Panthers football team in Akron.
Everybody is pretty bunched up after everyone picked FIU again this week. Several of you also had very similar scores. Scores for the FIU/Akron game have to be in by 1:59 p.m. on Saturday.
THE KING OF THE PROWL HILL PREDICTIONS
3-2 (point differential)
FIU Beisbol (58); Max (67);
Alex (68); chiaPanther (68); FIU4Ever (68); Gooch7 (68);
WesFIU (75); FIUJM (77); roary (79); que bola fiu (84); Blue&GoldHeart (100).
2-3
Sunblazer Panther (61); Hay (68); Quijote (93).
