"I'm looking forward to this season and being able to see what we can do with such an experienced team," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "We have high expectations and this schedule will provide us early opportunities to compete against some quality programs."
Last season, the volleyball team went 22-10 overall with an 10-4 conference record in the A-SUN, and made it to the finals of the A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament as the No. 3 seed, but would fall to the new champions: Kennesaw State.
Botsford will be coaching in his fifth season as head coach for FGCU.
Last season, FGCU had 19 shutout wins, the most by FGCU in D1 history. Their previous amount of shutouts was 17.
New Team, New Changes:
Even with the firsts, the team has changed this upcoming season including with the coaching staff. Botsford is still joined by long-time assistant coach Daniel Mahy, who enters his 13th season, but joining FGCU is Stephanie Zielinski.
Zilekski is replacing former Villanova libero and All-American Kim Maroon. The Fort Lauderdale native and former Rutgers star spent the 2017 season with Middle Tennessee and brings coaching experience from her times with MTSU, Davidson and Wake Forest.
Stephens has graduated from FGCU and DeBell has transferred to Marshall University to continue playing collegiately.
It is not clear whether Waller quit or transferred from FGCU.
FGCU did manage to sign four newcomers, including newly international player Kirstine Garder and high school recruit Tori Morris to play this upcoming season.
Prior to her arrival at FGCU, Garder, an outside hitter from Halden, Norway, is a three-time junior national champion, a two-team team MVP and was once named the team's best outside hitter.
She was selected for the junior national team at 13 years old and became a team captain before being elevated to the senior national team at 17 years old, thus becoming the youngest player to participate in a tournament in Luxembourg where her team faced Luxembourg and Albania.
Garder competed in the North European Volleyball Zonal Association (NEVZA) tournament three times and has competed all over Europe on both the junior and senior national teams and was named the best outside hitter in the Champions International Youth Tournament in Paris.
Garder will also be playing beach volleyball for FGCU.
Morris, a native of Virginia Beach, plays as a middle blocker. The true freshman comes from Floyd E. Kellam High School helped lead her team to a Group 6A state championship in 2016. As a senior, she was named her conference's player of the year. She was also named to the Tournament of Champions all-tournament team.
Key FGCU Returners:
Some of the key returners for FGCU include senior outside hitter Amanda Carroll, right side hitter Kaitlan "Kaiti" Krivdo and setter Maggie Rick, juniors middle blocker Danielle "Dani" Serrano, junior outside hitter Giovanna "GioGio" Borgiotti and sophomore outside hitter Snowy Burnam.
After coming off another successful year, Carroll has been a force to be reckoned with. A former A-SUN Freshman of the Year and A-SUN All-Freshman Team member, the Albuquerque native has made her mark strongly for FGCU. Last season, Carroll led the team with 454 total kills and 31 aces, hence earning the nickname I called her: "Mrs. Aces".
Carroll was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team selection for the second straight year and named on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. In addition, Carroll was named A-SUN Co-Player and Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year. She shared the titles with Lipscomb's rising senior Carlyle Nusbaum (A-SUN Co-Player) and former Kennesaw State member Kristi Piedimonte (Co-Scholar Athlete)
Carroll has also broken several FGCU program records and has passed Olympian former FGCU volleyball player and A-SUN Hall of Famer, Brooke Youngquist-Sweat, for most career total kills (1,354). Carroll was also tabbed as an A-SUN representative to the Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (NSAACs), selected to the U.S. Collegiate National Team-Indianapolis program and earned the AVCA All-Southeast Region Honorable Mention.
Krivdo increased her playing time with flying colors last season. The Hope Mills, North Carolina native started 24 of her 30 matches played and finished with 104 kills and 76 blocks.
Rick also comes off another successful season herself. Although she did not retain her title as A-SUN Setter of the Year, the setter and native of Alpharetta, Georgia tallied 1,227 assists (11.36 assists per match). Rick's assist per set ratio was ranked #18 in the nation. Rick was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team for the second time in her career.
After starting all 32 matches, Serrano set strides through each match last season including a career-high 14 kills against Jacksonville. Serrano led FGCU with 94 total blocks last season to go with her 236 kills she provided. Serrano joined Carroll on the A-SUN All-Conference First Team.
Burnam, a native of Jensen Beach, Florida, is coming off of a remarkable season as she finished her freshman year with 187 kills. As a result, Burnam was named on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team and A-SUN All-Tournament Team to go along with being the A-SUN Freshman of the Year.
In addition, Burnam made history, not just in indoor volleyball, but in beach volleyball too. Burnam became the first player in the history of the A-SUN to be named the A-SUN Conference Freshman of the Year in both indoor and beach volleyball, and the second player in NCAA history to do so (Kathryn Plummer, Stanford 2016).
Preseason Serve:
Prior to the season, Carroll, Rick, Serrano and Burnam were all named on the A-SUN Preseason All-Conference Team. In addition, Rick was named A-SUN Setter of the Year. This was the first time in program history that the FGCU women's volleyball team placed four student-athletes on the ASUN's preseason all-conference team.
"To have any player represented among the preseason all-conference team is always an honor," Botsford said. "To have four of the seven is really remarkable. I think it speaks to the depth of our roster and the fact that we have been able to attract some very talented, coachable and motivated players."
"Maggie is a phenomenal setter, and the growth and development we have seen throughout her career has been astounding," Botsford said on Rick. "Her ability to put our hitters in good spots and her decision making has been a big factor in our program's success over the past four years. We have had a great tradition of setters in this program, and Maggie has now set the bar even higher relative to the position."
"Amanda has been such a reliable player for us over the years," Botsford said on Carroll. "I can't wait to see what she does to cap off her career. I think from the outside looking in, people tend to focus on her impact within our offense, which is certainly a huge weapon, but her ability to impact each phase of the game is what makes her so special. She can anchor our serve receive, manage her net responsibilities as good as anyone we have, serve effectively and be a great floor defender with incredible instincts."
"Dani is such a talented and efficient player, and it is amazing to think that she is only going into her junior season," Botsford said on Serrano. "As good as she is, I really believe that there is another level that she can reach, and I think that evolution is right around the corner. As she continues along in her development, we continue to rely on her more and more. Her ability to read the game and her instincts at the net, along with her court vision, provides us a great offensive option within the interior."
"Snowy had such a great freshman season and the way it unfolded was really impressive," Botsford said. "She progressed match-to-match in a way that I have not seen from a freshman before. By the second half of the season, she was one of our most consistent players, which is something you tend not to expect from a newcomer. She is a multidimensional player, both offensively and defensively, who provides us with a lot of options. She is a great volleyball player in general and that helps our gym culture a lot."
Schedule Team Breakdown- Non-Conference:
The teams FGCU will be playing against at home, for non-conference matchups, are Albany, Western Illinois, Power 5 West Virginia, and FIU.
On the road, the Eagles will play FAU, UCF twice, Miami, New Mexico State, Eastern Kentucky, New Mexico, Yale, Alabama State and Bethune-Cookman.
It's obvious we played Bethune-Cookman, FAU, FIU, UCF, and Miami before. The last time we met all five teams, FGCU fell to Miami 0-3, FAU and UCF 1-3 in the Homewood Suites Sunshine State Classic last season, beat FIU 3-0 in the Hilton Garden Inn Invitational at home and at FIU, and won both matches against Bethune 3-0 away and at home.
From this year schedule, the Eagles have also played New Mexico State and Alabama State in the past.
Scouting UCF:
The Golden Knights are coming off of a 20-14 record with a 12-8 record in the AAC last season. Their conference record put them in 5th place and since they is no conference tournament for volleyball in the AAC, they did not make it to the national tournament, but they did make it to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) where they defeated UNC-Greensboro 3-0 in the first round before falling to Georgia 0-3 in the second round. UCF is led by Todd Dagenais, who enters into his 11th season as head coach.
The Golden Knights will lose outside hitter Kia Bright, setter Miranda Watkins, and middle blocker Taylor Wickey as they graduated.
Key returning players will include senior Jordan Pingel, juniors Ali Sabol and Erin Olsen and sophomore Kristina Fisher.
Pingel, the libero from Colorado Springs, Colorado, led the team with 541 digs last season. During the past season, Pingel averaged 4.27 digs per set ranking number one on team for the season.
Sabol, a right side hitter from Dublin, Ohio, was third on the team with 258 kills and one of the team leaders for blocks (58).
Olsen, a setter from Cary, Illinois, led the team with 734 total assists and 15 aces and averaged 5.78 assists per set.
Fisher, an outside hitter from Austin, Texas, was second on the team with total kills (367) and had 239 digs.
The Golden Knights signed six upcoming freshman including Paulina Perez Rosas and Amber Olson (sister of Erin).
Perez Rosas comes from Guanica, Puerto Rico and brings a breadth of experience from the international level. A member of the Puerto Rican National Team since she was 14, Perez was named the captain of the U15 and U18 national squads. Her international experience spanned several North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Pan American Championships.Perez guided Puerto Rico to a fourth-place finish at the NORCECA U20 Pan American Cup in 2017, in which she tied for 25th in scoring for the tournament.
Amber is the younger sister of Erin Olson and is also a setter from Cary, Illinois. A three-year letterwinner for Cary-Grove High School, Olson tallied a career-high 645 assists as a junior to earn All-Area and All-Fox Valley honors. The Olson-Olson setting tandem guided the Trojans to a third-place finish at state in 2015 when the younger was a sophomore.
Scouting Miami:
Miami was 26-6 overall with a 15-5 record in the ACC. Miami finished in third place and like the ACC, there was no conference tournament, however, the Hurricanes made it to the national tournament thanks to an at-large bid from their RPI ranking (32). They would beat College of Charleston 3-1 in the first round before falling 1-3 to #2 Florida in the second round.
Miami is led by Jose "Keno" Gandara, who enters his fifth year as head coach.
The Hurricanes will lose outside hitters Olga Strantzali and Brooke McDermott, middle blocker Sakile Simmons and defensive specialist Sylvia Hernandez,
but they have signed upcoming freshman including: outside hitter Taylor Burrell. Burrell comes from West Boca High School. A four-year letter winner, Burrell helped the Bulls win three consecutive district titles
Key returning players to look out for are redshirt sophomore Elizaveta Lukianova, senior Kolby Bird, redshirt senior Haley Templeton and junior Lucia Pampana.
Lukianova, a 6-6 outside hitter from Omsk, Russia, made her debut against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Lukiano finished with 154 kills, including 23 in the national tournament.
Bird, an outside hitter from San Diego, was second on the team with 281 kills.
Templeton, a setter from Alpharetta, Georgia, led the team with 1,172 and was third on the team with 31 aces and 272 digs. Templeton was named a member of the All-ACC Volleyball Academic Team and All-ACC Volleyball First Team.
Pampana, an outside hitter from Modena, Italy, lead the team with 102 blocks and was fourth on the team in kills (150).
The Hurricanes have signed six upcoming freshman including Taylor Burrell and Maya Sullivan.
Burrell, an outside hitter from Boca Raton that enrolled early from West Boca High School, helped the Bulls win three consecutive district titles, named first team all-county in 2016 and 2017 by the Palm Beach Post, district player of the year, and a two-time MVP. Burrell finished with 522 career kills.
Sullivan, a middle blocker from Naperville, Illinois, played three years at Rosary High School. There she helped the Royals win back-to-back-to-back regional titles along with a conference title. Sullivan went from the Most Improved Player in 2016 to an All-Star Game selection and All-Star Game MVP in just one year along with being a three-time Scholar-Athlete.
Scouting FAU:
The Owls are coming off of a 19-9 record with a 9-5 record in Conference USA (C-USA). They would fall in the C-USA Quarterfinals.
The Owls are lead by Fernanda Nelson, who enters her fifth season as head coach.
The Owls will lose outside hitter Kristi Tekavec and right side hitter Gabrielle Dixon as they graduated.
Key players for the Owls include seniors Abbi Reid and Ivone Martinez and junior Sigourney Kame.
Reid, an outside hitter from Denver, led the team with 78 blocks to go with her 305 kills. Reid was a member of the All-Conference USA Second Team.
Martinez, a setter from Mexicali, Mexico, led the team with 1,153 assists and had 49 kills on the year. Along with earning All-Tournament Team MVP of the Stetson Invitational, Martinez joined Reid as a member of the All-Conference USA Second Team.
Kame, an outside hitter from Paramaribo, Suriname, led the team in kills (375) and kills per set (3.87). Kame not only joined Martinez on the Stetson Invitational All-Tournament Team, but was also named a member of the C-USA All-Conference First Team and C-USA All-Academic Team.
The Owls have signed only junior Massiel Matos so far. The outside hitter from Higuey, Dominican Republic spent the last two seasons with NJCAA Region 8 Miami-Dade College.
Matos was named a two-time NJCAA All-American, AVCA National Player of the Year and NJCAA Tournament MVP while leading the Sharks to back-to-back NJCAA national championships. She will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Owls.
Scouting New Mexico State:
The Aggies are coming off of a 21-8 record with a 12-2 record in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). They would fall in the WAC Tournament Semifinals against Cal St. Bakersfield.
The Aggies are led by Mike Jordan, who enters his 21st season as head coach.
The Aggies will lose outside hitters Jordan Abalos and Kassandra Tohm, middle blocker Sasha-Lee Thomas and liberos Ariadnne Sierra and Kaylee Neal as they graduated.
Key returners for the Aggies include seniors Briana Ainsworth and Tatyana Battle and sophomores Lia Mosher and Natalie Mikels.
Ainsworth, a setter from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, led the team with 639 assists and was fourth on the team with 18 aces last season.
Battle, an outside hitter from Albuquerque, was the only player on the Aggies that started all of her matches she played in. Battle finished second on the team with 324 kills and third on the team in aces (19). Battle was named a member of the All-WAC First Team.
Mosher, a middle blocker from Ruidoso, New Mexico, lead the team with 104 blocks and a 1.06 block per set ratio. Mosher was named a member of the WAC All-Freshman Team.
After rotating with Ainsworth, Mikels, a setter from Jenks, Oklahoma, was second on the team with 576 assists and second in aces.
The Aggies will have three freshman join the team: Krysten Garrison, Cat Kelly and Brittany Welch.
Scouting New Mexico:
In contrast to their state rival, the Lobos did not have such a great season last year. The Lobos finished 16-16 overall with a 7-11 record in the Mountain West Conference. They would not make it to the postseason.
The Lobos are led by Jeff Nelson. Nelson enters his 12th season as head coach.
The Lobos will lose outside hitter/libero Ashley Kelsey as she graduated, but key returners for the Lobos include junior Lauren Twitty, redshirt seniors Victoria Spragg and Mariessa Carrasco and senior Mercedes Pacheco.
Twitty, an outside hitter from Broadlands, Virginia, lead the team in kills (412) and digs (301) and was second on the team in aces (20) last season. She was named a member of the All-Mountain West Volleyball Team while being one of two players to start all 32 matches.
Spragg, a middle blocker from Belen, New Mexico., lead the team defensively with 115 blocks while being third on the team in kills (243).
Like Twitty, Carrasco, a middle blocker from San Angelo, Texas, started all 32 matches for the Lobos. Carrasco was second on the team in blocks (101) and second on the team in kills (258).
Pacheco, the libero/defensive specialist from Albuquerque was third on the team with 242 digs and 18 aces.
The Lobos have signed two freshman, including Sabrina Bianco, and four transfers: Jaclyn Inclan [Arizona], Tai Bierria [Memphis], Makayla Tam [Grossmont College- California Community College Athletic Association], and Fiona Harding [South Dakota State].
Bianco, a setter from Bowie High School in Austin, Texas, started all four years where she helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back Bi-District and District 16-6A championships, an Area Volleyball Championship and a third-round appearance in the playoffs in 2016 and four-straight 6A University Interscholastic League State Playoff appearances. As a result, Bianco was named two-time district setter MVP, two-time First-Team All-District and 2014 District Newcomer of the Year, the 2016 Bowie Team MVP and a two-time Bowie Offensive MVP.
Inclan, a setter listed as a redshirt freshman from Tucson, transferred from the University of Arizona, but did not play in any matches for the Wildcats. Inclan will have all four years of eligibility remaining.
Bierria, an outside hitter from Marietta, Georgia, transferred from Memphis, where she was second in kills (233) for the Tigers in 25 matches as a sophomore. Bierria will be listed as a junior for the Lobos with two years of eligibility remaining.
Tam, an outside hitter from Sacramento, transferred from Grossmont College, a junior college from the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) where she averaged 1.38 kills per set. Tam will be listed as a junior for the Lobos with two years of eligibility remaining.
Harding, a middle blocker from Lincoln, Nebraska, spent her freshman and redshirt freshman year at South Dakota State. There she played eight sets in five matches. Harding will be listed as a redshirt sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining.
Scouting Eastern Kentucky:
The Colonels are coming off of a 13-19 overall record with a 10-6 record in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They would defeat former A-SUN Conference member Belmont in the OVC quarterfinals before falling to Austin Peay in the semifinals.
The Colonels are led by Lori Duncan. Duncan enters her 20th season as head coach.
The Colonels will lose outside hitters Celina Sanks and Nikki Drost, middle blocker Ciera Koons and defensive specialist Mallory Maxwell as they graduated.
Key returners for the Colonels include seniors Cassie Knutson and Chloe Rojas and junior Kaylin Johnson.
Knutson, a setter/right side hitter from San Diego, led the team in assists (318) and second in kills (160) and third in aces (14) and digs (115). She was named a member on the All-OVC Second Team and All-OVC Tournament Team.
Rojas, a defensive specialist from St. Charles, Illinois, lead the team in digs (354) and second in aces (16). Rojas was named OVC Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the All-OVC First Team and CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team.
Johnson, a middle blocker from McKeesport, Pennsylvania, led the team with 100 blocks and was fourth in kills (124).
The Colonels have signed four freshman to the team: Anna Cvelbar, Mikayla Logan, Kierstin Schade and Sydney Schoen as well as two transfers: Lindsey Wilkins and Natalie Burchesky.
Cvelbar, a setter out of Euclid, Ohio, joins EKU from Lake Catholic High School. Cvelbar was named to the Under Armour All-American Watch List, All-District Honorable Mention and North Coast League First Team.
Logan, a middle blocker from Wexford, Pennsylvania, joins from North Allegheny High School. Logan was named Second Team All-Section and helped the Tigers become 4A WPIAL Champions and PIAA Champions as well as being a three-time Section Champion.
Schade, a middle blocker from Irwin, Pennsylvania, joins EKU from Hempfield Area Senior High School. Schade was a second team all-section selection. Schade collected first team all-section honors her final two seasons and First Team All-WPIAL honors her senior year.
Schoen, a libero/defensive specialist from Colombus, Indiana, joins EKU from Hauser High School. Schoen owns the career (361) and single-season (125) ace records, is second in career digs (1,509) and third in career kills (865). She was a three-time all-state and all-conference selection, a two-time all-area selection and was the recipient of the Indiana High School Athletic Association Mental Attitude Award during her senior campaign. Schoen was team MVP and captain each of her last two seasons.
Wilkins, an outside hitter from Lexington, Kentucky, spent her freshman year at Indiana State University where she racked up 29 kills in 22 sets for the Sycamores. Wilkins joins the Colonels with three years of eligibility remaining.
Burchesky, a middle blcoer from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania spent three seasons with Ohio University. In 2015, Burchesky was named to the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship team after taking a redshirt season. Burchesky set five single-match career-highs last season with the Bobcats: kills (3), attacks (6), solo blocks (3), total blocks (5) and points (4.0). Burchesky joins EKU with two years of eligibility remaining.
Scouting Albany:
The Great Danes are coming off last season of a 11-15 overall record with a 11-1 record in the American East Conference (AEC). They would fall in the AEC semifinals to Stony Brook, but received an invitation to the NIVC before falling to Syracuse in the first round.
The Great Danes are lead by MJ Engstrom, who enters her 10th season as head coach for Albany.
The Great Danes will lose libero/defensive specialist Nina Holmes and middle blocker Taylor Robinson
Key players include senior Nicole Otero, redshirt junior Akuabata Okenwa, juniors Chloe Evering and Kelly Cameron, and sophomore Danielle Tedesco.
Otero, a libero from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, lead the team in digs (429) and tied for second in aces (14) and recently joined the 1,000 dig club. As a result, Otero was named the AEC Defensive Specialist of the Year for the second time and was named a member of the America East All-Conference First Team for her third all-conference selection.
Okenwa, a middle blocker from Canyon Country, California, led the team in kills (290) and was tied for second on the team in total blocks (59). Okenwa was also named a member of the America East All-Conference First Team.
Evering, an outside hitter from San Marcos, California, was second on the team in kills (210). Evering was named a member of the America East All-Academic Team.
Cameron, a setter/right side hitter from Cincinnati, led the team with 703 assists and tied with Otero in aces (14). Cameron was named a member of the America East All-Conference Second Team.
Tedesco, a middle blocker from Cazenovia, N.Y., led the team in total blocks (68) to go along with her 121 kills. Tedesco was named a member of the America East All-Rookie Team.
The Great Danes did sign eight freshman to the squad.
Scouting Western Illinois:
The Leathernecks last season went 8-20 overall with a 3-11 record in the Summit League. In the past five seasons, the Leathernecks have not gotten double-digit wins on their record since 2013.
The Leathernecks are now led by Ben Staupe, who enters his first season as head coach after eight seasons as an associate head coach at NCAA DIII University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Staupe will take the place of Kelly Richardson, the previous head coach who stepped down.
In addition to Richardson's departure, the Leathernecks will also lose outside hitter Shalyn Greenhaw as she graduated.
Key returners include redshirt sophomore Mackenzie Steckler, seniors Jaime Johnson and Shiah Sanders, sophomore Emma Norris and junior Claire Grove.
Steckler, a middle blocker/outside hitter from Wentzville, Missouri, led the Leathernecks in total blocks (99), tied for the lead in kills (236) and was second in aces (17). She earned Summit League All-League Honorable Mention. Steckler was the only player to start all 27 matches
Johnson, a setter from Champaign, Illinois, led the team in assists (803) and aces (20) and third on the team in digs (214). She was named a member of the Summit League's Academic Honor Roll.
Sanders, a right side hitter from Plymouth, Minn was fourth on the team in kills (143) and blocks (51) and fifth in digs (189). Sanders joined Johnson on the Summit League's Academic Honor Roll.
Norris, an outside hitter from North Liberty, Iowa, was third in kills (193), aces (13) and digs (208).
Grove, a defensive specialist/libero from Naperville, Illinois, led the digs (403). Grove was not only named on the Summit League's Academic Honor Roll, but was also named on the Summit League's Chancellor's List.
As far as newcomers, the Leathernecks have signed six freshman to the team, Erika Moore, Mariah Mitchell, Alaina Kline, Kaylee Mae Woodard, Kennedy Drewis and Madeline Dieter.
Moore, a defensive specialist/libero from Bloomington, Illinois, was a part of Central Catholic High School's national and state championship teams and named to her all-area and all-conference teams as well as earning her way to the top-50 Under Armour watch list.
Mitchell, a right side hitter from Wapello, Iowa was named the second team all-conference team her sophomore season and was named to the first team her junior and senior seasons at Wapello High School, earned a spot to the southeast district team her junior year, and was named the conference player of the year in her senior season.
Kline, a defensive specialist/libero from Pecatonica, Illinois (Christian Life High School), competed in the JVA and AAU tournaments with Club Fusion Volleyball out of Marengo, Illinois while playing at Christian Life High School. Kline scored a 492.9 in the AVCA VPI. She was in the top 20 percent of collegiate athletes who have completed the process.
Woodard, an outside hitter/defensive specialist from Monmouth, Illinois, was a first team all-conference player her freshman, sophomore and senior year at Monmouth Roseville High School. Woodard led her team to conference championships freshman and senior year, was the conference leader in aces in 2017 with 70, named 'Athlete of the Week' in the month of October, and named to the all-tournament team at the Charger Invite three times.
Drewis, an outside hitter from Tripoli, Iowa, recently graduated from Tripoli High School. Drewis was an active member in her DECA chapter. On the court, she was a four time all-state volleyball player, first team all-conference and was tabbed to her all-tournament team in 2015.
Dieter, a middle blocker from Plainfield, Illinois, recently graduated from Plainfield North High School. Dieter collected various awards for her efforts on the court including being named to her all-conference selection and 'Athlete of the Week' as well as being tabbed as the team captain. She played with the Sports Performance Volleyball Club. As a junior, Dieter led her team to a first place finish JVA's and a third place finish the national competition.
Scouting West Virginia:
This matchup will be one of the two most toughest teams FGCU will play that come from a Power 5 Conference (Miami the other). On the other hand, their record wasn't the greatest.
The Mountaineers went 21-13 overall with a 6-10 in the Big 12 Conference. Despite not making the national tournament, the Mountaineers received an invite to the NIVC. They would defeat Maryland-East Shore (UMES) in the first round, Temple in the second round, and Syracuse in the quarterfinals before falling in the semifinals to Ole Miss.
The Mountaineers are led by Reed Sunahara. Sunahara enters his fourth year as head coach for the Mountaineers.
WVU will lose setter Emma Anderson, defensive specialist Taylor Cross, libero Gianna Gotterba, outside hitter Morgan Montgomery and middle blocker Mia Swanegan.
They also lost Payton Caffrey as she transferred to Florida State.
Key returners for the Mountaineers include juniors Erin Slinde, Natania Levak and Katelyn Evans and sophomore Alexa Hasting
Slinde, a setter from Rosemount, Minnesota, led the team in assists (941), second in aces (23) and fifth in digs (160) and total blocks (41). As a result, Slinde was named a member of the Academic All-Big 12 First Team and presented with the Mountaineer Award.
Levak, a right side hitter from Pazin, Croatia, was second on the team in total blocks (75) and third in kills (270).
Evans, an outside hitter from Palmdale, California, was fourth on the team in kills (205).
Hasting, a libero/defensive specialist from Plain City, Ohio, led the team in digs (325) and was fourth in aces (15).
In addition, the Mountaineers have signed nine freshman to the team.
Scouting FIU:
Last season, the Panthers went 6-16 overall with a 4-10 record in Conference USA (C-USA). They did not make to the postseason.
The Panthers are led by Rita Buck-Crockett, who enters her fourth season as head coach.
The Panthers will lose middle blockers Jennifer Ene and Brianna Gogins, setter Mariana De Paula Silva and outside hitter/right side hitter Taija Thomas as they graduated.
Sophomore setter/right side hitter Molly Feldmeth and junior setter Sophia Sires have also parted ways from FIU. Feldmeth transferred to Grand Canyon University while Sires quit.
Key players for the Panthers include senior Margherita Bianchin, junior Helene Thelle and sophomore Aleksandra "Sasha" Grigoreva.
Bianchin, an outside/right side hitter from Treviso, Italy, led the team in aces (21) and was second in kills (241), digs (220) and blocks (40). Bianchin was the only player to start all 22 matches.
Grigoreva, a setter from Moscow, led the team in assists (430) and was second in aces (19).
Thelle, a libero/defensive specialist from Tolvsrød, Norway, led the team in digs (297) and was tied for third in aces (15).
The Panthers will have seven upcoming freshman join the team.
Scouting Bethune-Cookman:
The Wildcats were 12-14 overall with a 9-1 record in the north division of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They would fall in the MEAC quarterfinals to former member Hampton University.
The Wildcats are led by Brittany Williams, who enters her fourth season as head coach.
Bethune will lose setter Phelan Clark, defensive specialist Rechez Lindsay, outside hitters Jai Champman and Alondra Bautista and middle blockers Rakaya Neely and Jessica Emile as they graduated.
Junior Alana Handy has also departed from the team and transferred to NCAA DII Chaminade University.
Key returners include sophomores Jordan Jefferson and Faith Landreneaux, and senior J'Nai Higgins.
Jefferson, an outside hitter from San Antonio, led the team in kills (229) and fourth in digs (227). Jefferson was named a member of the MEAC All-Freshman Team.
Landreneaux, a middle blocker from Carthege, Texas, was fifth on the team in kills (104) and second in blocks (64). Landreneaux joined Jefferson on the MEAC All-Freshman Team.
Higgins, a setter from Mission Viejo, California, was second on the team in assists (169).
The Wildcats will have six freshman and two transfers join the squad. The two transfers on the team are Shayla Eugene and Sterling Williamson.
Eugene, a libero/defensive specialist from Fort Worth, Texas, spent her last two seasons as a double transfer from Blinn College and Panola College of NJCAA Region XIV. Eugene had 55 digs in her last season with Panola.
Williamson, an outside/right side hitter from Phoenix, spent her last two seasons at Santa Fe Community College of NJCAA Region VIII. Williamson finished her last season with 220 kills and 69 blocks.
Scouting Yale:
The Bulldogs are coming off of a 16-8 record with a 10-4 record in the Ivy League. The Bulldogs fell in the conference championship match to Princeton for a chance to play in the national tournament.
The Bulldogs are led by Erin Appleman, who enters her 15th season as head coach.
The Bulldogs will lose outside hitters Kaitlyn Gibbons and Megan Rasmussen and setter Kelsey Crawford as they graduated.
Key returners for the Bulldogs include sophomore Kathryn Attar, seniors Kelley Wirth and Kate Swanson, and juniors Frances Arnautou, Izzy Simqu and Tristin Kott.
Attar, an outside hitter from Tampa, led the team in kills (240) and was second in digs (218). Attar was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year along with being named a member of the Ivy League All-Freshman Team and All-Ivy League First Team.
Wirth, an outside hitter from Moraga, California, was second on the team in kills (238) and blocks (54). Wirth was named All-Ivy League Honorable Mention and a member of the All-Ivy Fall Academic Team.
Swanson, a libero from Rancho Santa Fe, California, led the team in digs (376). Swanson was named AVCA All-East Region Honorable Mention to go along with being named Ivy League Defensive Player of the year and a member of the All-Ivy League First Team.
Arnautou, a setter from San Francisco, led the team in assists (540) and tied for first in aces (17). Along with being named a member of the All-Ivy League Second Team, Arnautou became the first Bulldog and was the only Ivy Leaguer to earn a spot on the 16-player U.S. Women's Junior National Training Team.
Simqu, a middle blocker from Westlake Village, California, led the team in blocks (74) and tied with Arnautou in aces (17).
Kott, an outside hitter from Winter Park, Florida, was third on the team in kills (187). Kott joined Arnautou on the All-Ivy League Second Team.
Scouting Alabama State:
The Hornets are coming off of a 28-11 overall record with a perfect 18-0 record in the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC). They would punch their ticket to the national tournament after winning the SWAC Tournament by defeating Texas Southern, but would fall to Florida in the first round.
The team is led by Penny Lucas-White. White enters her eighth season as head coach.
The team will lose outside hitters Brittany Brown and Ni'yesha Brown, setter Justus Tuiolosega, right side hitter Tamara Martin, and middle blocker Briana Dorsey as they graduated.
In addition, junior defensive specialist Asha Daniels has also parted ways with the team.
Key returners for the Hornets include senior Kori Kutsch and juniors Krysta Medearis, Bayle' Bennett and Payten Clark.
Kutsch, a setter from Torrance, California, led the team in assists (851) was third in aces (37) and fourth in digs (266). The 2015 SWAC Newcomer of the Year was named on the All-SWAC First Team.
Medearis, an outside hitter/middle blocker from Memphis, was third on the team in kills (276) and fourth in blocks (73). Medearis was named a member of the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team prior to the 2017 season.
Bennett, an outside hitter from Crete, Illinois, was second on the team in kills (319), fourth in digs (266) and fifth in aces (21) and blocks (51).
Clark, a middle blocker from Baton Rogue, was second in blocks (118) and fifth in kills (217). Clark was named a member of the All-SWAC Second Team.
The Hornets have signed eight freshman and two transfers. The two transfers are sophomore Imanie Williams and junior Taira Cottingham.
Williams, an outside hitter from Hutto, Texas, spent her freshman year at Nicholls State. Despites Nicholls' 4-25 record, Williams led the Colonels in kills (242). She joins the Hornets with three years of eligibility remaining.
Cottingham, an outside hitter from Fort Collins, Colorado, spent her freshman year at East Carolina. She played in 10 matches with only three kills before transferring. Cottingham will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Non-Conference Series Histories:
The matches against New Mexico, Eastern Kentucky, Albany, Western Illinois, West Virginia and Yale will be the first time FGCU will play them.
In the series between FGCU and FAU, the Eagles are 3-6 against the Owls. The Owls defeated FGCU 3-1 in the Homewood Suites Sunshine State Classic last season. Last time FGCU beat FAU was in the FAU Invitational in 2016 where the Eagles won 3-2.
In the series between UCF and FGCU, UCF leads 3-1 overall. The lone win FGCU had against the Golden Knights was in 2008 at UCF. This season, the Eagles and the Golden Knights will play each other twice.
In the series between the Hurricanes and the Eagles, FGCU is 0-3 against Miami.
In the series against FIU, the Eagles are 8-5 overall. Last season, the Eagles swept the series against the Panthers at home in the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Invitational and on the road at FIU.
This will be the second time FGCU plays New Mexico State and Alabama State. The first time FGCU and New Mexico State played was in 2008 where the Eagles were shutout by the Aggies in the Hotel Encanto Volleyball Classic. Against Alabama State, the first time was at the 2014 FGCU Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Classic where the Eagles shutout the Hornets 3-0.
FGCU will start their season opener after Eagle Revolution on the road as they will play in the Hurricane Invitational hosted by Miami. The classic will also include FAU and UCF. Those three matches will be the first of the Eagles' season on August 24-25. They will play FAU at 10 A.M. and UCF at 4:30 P.M. on the 24th before wrapping up the Invitational against host Miami at 11 A.M.
The next weekend, they will remain on the road and participate in the New Mexico Invitational, hosted by New Mexico. That invitational will also feature Eastern Kentucky and New Mexico State. The Eagles will play New Mexico State at 12:30 P.M. EST and host New Mexico at 9:30 P.M. EST on August 31 before wrapping up against Eastern Kentucky at 5:15 P.M. EST.
"Having a chance to play in New Mexico is something we have been working on for a couple years," Botsford said. "I know it means a lot to Amanda (Carroll), and we really wanted to make sure she got the chance to compete back in Albuquerque."
"I'm really excited that we will get another opportunity to play a Power-5 team on our home court," Botsford said. "West Virginia is a talented bunch, and I think that should be a good one for the fans."
The Eagles will return on another road trip as they will play in UCF Invitational hosted by UCF. This will also feature Yale and Alabama State. They will play Yale at 1:30 P.M. and host UCF for the second time at 8 P.M. on September 14th and wrap up playing playing Alabama State at 3 P.M. on September 15th before starting conference.
With the season opener on the road, two interesting facts comes in play: FGCU is 11-2 when playing home opening matches, but 8-6 overall in all season openers, home and away. I think this season is gonna be something for the FGCU volleyball team and I'm really looking forward to it.
Pt. 2 will talk about the conference schedule for the volleyball team.
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