FGCU BVB vs. Mercer/Coastal Carolina Recap: Day Two

The FGCU beach volleyball team (9-6, 4-0 A-SUN) came out on top for day as they swept Mercer (5-0) and Costal Carolina (4-1) on day two on Bear Beach at Mercer. With the wins, FGCU is now 9-7 all-time against the Bears and 5-0 against the Chanticleers. In addition to their two wins, the Eagles, who are also receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Top 20 poll, are now tied with #17 Stetson for first place.

"Overall, it was two great team wins for us today," FGCU assistant coach Chris Sweat said. "We had some windy conditions to start the day and our tough serving really helped in those matches. Mercer gave us a great battle with most sets going to a tiebreak and it was really exciting to see the teams compete in some pressure situations. I am really proud of the way each team battled to get their wins."

Opening with Costal Carolina (0-6, 0-4 A-SUN), the Eagles swept four of the five matches. The No, 1 duo of junior Amanda Carroll and senior Mackenzie Allen defeated juniors Dora Lulic and Carla Cahill by a score of 17-21, 21-16, 15-8. After the No. 2 pairing of juniors Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis defeated sophomore Kinga Windisch and freshman Tanner Gauthier by a score of 21-8, 21-18, the No.3 pair of sophomore Giovanna Borgiotti and senior Ashley Glickert defeated seniors Aleksandra Djuric and Leah Hardeman 21-19, 21-11, claiming the win for the Eagles.

The freshman duo of Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetsone, playing as the No. 4 pair, defeated freshman Kyla Manning and sophomore Autumn Otto 21-8, 21-12 before the No. 5 pair, junior Kaitlan Krivdo and freshman Alayna Ryan, defeated the freshman duo of Kalin Eske and Aristea Tontai 21-11, 21-14.

Going against Mercer (6-11, 0-4 A-SUN), Carroll and Allen defeated senior Sophie Peel and freshman Kasey Ogden 13-21, 21-15, 15-8. Rhoades and Puisis defeated senior Jessica Johnson and junior Elli Gibson 24-22, 20-22, 15-11 before Borgiotti and Glickert defeated sophomore Amber Gibson and freshman Gracie Garanich 19-21, 21-14, 15-11, claiming another Eagles win.

Burnam and Whetstone would defeat the freshman duo of Kylie Keeling and Elli Merchant 21-8, 21-16 while Krivdo and Ryan were the only pair for the Eagles that lost as they fell 21-17, 21-16 to senior Marina Chavez and freshman Emilee Wissmach.

The Eagles will wrap up their road trip in a doubleheader against #17 Stetson before returning home to for their final five matches of the regular season.