FGCU Beach Volleyball: Final Matchup

There is always athletic events going around FGCU on campus, but what if there was something FGCU athletics did off-campus?

In fact, there is something that FGCU athletics does off-campus that is still in the Estero area and that is beach volleyball or sand volleyball as it use to be known as.

The FGCU beach volleyball team (13-6, 6-4 A-Sun) wrap up their season with one final matchup against Florida International University (FIU) (20-12, 8-5 CCSA).

Before the matchups, FGCU will recognize three seniors on the team: Leigh Pudwill, Caroline Jordan and Madi Wilcox.

Pudwill came to FGCU as a junior transfer from the University of Northern Iowa. She played for the indoor team her first year and then played beach volleyball in a limited amount of time claiming a 4-4  overall record mainly playing with Katherine Puisis. Pudwill, now 8-5 overall, plays with fellow senior Wilcox.

Jordan, who played all four years in beach and indoor volleyball played mainly with junior college transfer Halie Werkmeister and converted 11-4 with Werkmeister. Jordan played two games with sophomore Kaitlin Krivdo.

Wilcox played indoor volleyball her freshman year as well as beach, but decided to play mainly beach volleyball only. Wilcox was named to the Atlantic Sun’s All-Academic Team and All-Tournament Team last year when she teamed up with then volleyball player Elisa Anne Aldrich.

Other players to look at for FGCU are sophomores Amanda Carroll, Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis and juniors Mackenzie Allen and Halie Werkmeister.

Carroll, last years A-Sun Freshman Player of the Year mainly played with Allen and both Allen and Caroll produced an 11-6 record.

Rhoades and Puisis hold the teams best 13-4 record.

Werkmeister, a junior college transfer from Pasco-Hernando State College, played with Jordan on an 11-4 record.

FIU has lost the last two matchups to FSU (2-3) and Pepperdine (2-3)

Players to look out for on FIU and are likely teams to face are the teams of senior Anabela Sataric and junior Estefanie Bethancourt, junior Natalia Giron and redshirt freshman Lina Bernier, freshman Federica Frasca and sophomore Margherita Bianchin and senior Katie Hogan and freshman Helene Thelle.

Sataric and Bethancourt are currently 20-10 with a 5-6 record in conference.

Girion and Bernier are 19-8 with a 6-4 record in conference.

Both from Italy, the team of Frasca and Biachin are 16-3 with a 7-1 record in conference.

Hogan and Thelle are 11-3 with a 4-2 record in conference.

The location for the five matchups will be at Estero Community Park at 4 pm.

After that, FGCU will prepare for the A-Sun Beach Volleyball Championship in Deland, Florida.

Five seeds will play in a double elimination style matchup. Currently, FGCU is the No. 3 seed in conference and will play Mercer University, who is the No. 2 seed on Saturday at 11am, and the seeds are in the following order with times:
1. Stetson (No. 9 in the nation) bye round and plays the winner of match one between UNF and JU
2. Mercer vs FGCU at 11 am
3. FGCU vs Mercer at 11 am
4. UNF vs JU at 9 am
5. JU vs UNF at 9 am

If FGCU beats Mercer, they will play either Stetson or the winner between UNF and JU, but if they lose, they will play in a losers bracket between UNF and JU and try to avoid elimination.

It is free admission for all people in the area.