The FGCU men's soccer team (4-3-1, 1-1 ASUN) four-game unbeaten streak came to close Saturday night as the Eagles fell to Lipscomb (2-7-0, 1-1 ASUN), 3-2. With the loss, the Eagles are now 9-5-1 against the Bison.
"Credit to Lipscomb, they had a deserved lead, then lost momentum in the game, but came back and finished stronger than we did," said head coach Jesse Cormier. "We're disappointed in our ability to get a complete performance in a key conference game. We'll learn from it provide more early energy and quality while maintaining the high standards we expect from ourselves in all phases of the game."
Trailing 1-0, junior Shak Adams showed off his speed taking his defender one on one down the left side of the pitch as his cross into the box found sophomore Chris Clement on the far post for the one-time strike in the 35th minute. It was the Eagles first shot on goal and despite trailing 7-3 in shots at the half, they would strike just under 20 minutes into the second period.
Following a foul, Clement sailed a ball into the five-yard box from about 30 yards. As the Lipscomb keeper came off his line, the ball was mishandled and found the foot of junior Joao Burti for the score in the 63rd minute – his second of the year.
As the Eagles held a 2-1 edge, the Bisons continued to press and found an equalizer of their own in the 77th minute off the right foot of senior Ryan Birchfield from inside the penalty area. It would take just five minutes before Lipscomb struck again, as freshman Daniel Zapata gave the home side the lead and the game-winner.
It’s really exciting for us to get this victory,” sophomore Ben Locke said, who scored the opening goal. “We’ve been working hard for a long time and a lot of things this season have not gone our way, so it was important for us to get a result where we felt we deserved it.
“Most of the losses we’ve had this season, we came away from it feeling like we should have won. It was just a big win for us.”
Redshirt sophomore Gustavo Vasconcelos produced six saves in the losing effort.
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FGCU VB @ North Alabama Recap
In the wake of the moment, the FGCU volleyball team (11-5, 4-0 A-SUN) shutout North Alabama (2-10, 0-3 A-SUN) for the first ever matchup between the two teams as the Eagles won 3-0 (25-21, 25-8, 25-18) at Flowers Hall in Florence, Alabama.
With this win, head coach Matt Botsford earned his 100th career win with the Eagles and became the second head coach in the program's history to reach 100 wins (side note: Jaye Flood was the first).
"I'm just very thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to lead this program," Botsford said. "I'm thankful for the amazing players, both past and present, that put their heart and soul into this sport. I'm thankful for the talented coaches on our staff and appreciative of all their hard work and commitment to FGCU volleyball."
Once again on the offensive side, sophomore Cortney VanLiew lead the way for the Eagles. VanLiew would finish with a double-double of 11 kills and 10 digs. VanLiew also added an ace to the mix.
Senior Maggie inched closer to Gigi Meyer's career assists record (4,408) as she finished with 27 assists and has 4,081 career assists. Rick also added three kills and an ace on the offensive side.
Defensively, freshman Dana Axner and The Block Party came in clutch. Axner finished with 22 digs and added an ace and two assists. In addition, the Dublin, Ohio native earned her first career collegiate kill.
The Block Party combined for 29 kills and 12 blocks with senior Sharonda Pickering leading the way in kills (8) and blocks (5).
Junior Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti had seven kills and two blocks, sophomore Snowy Burnam had six kills and two blocks as well as two aces, senior Kaiti Krivdo had five kills and two blocks and junior Dani Serrano had three kills and two blocks.
"I thought North Alabama did a very good job extending plays and taking advantage of our hitters once we entered transition," Botsford said. "We looked a bit slow off the floor and were far too indecisive as attackers. There was a lot of inconsistency in our play and that will come back to haunt us if not addressed. Dana had a great match defensively, and Sharonda was effective once again, but to get where we want to go, we will need a better and cleaner team effort."
Senior Karissa Rhoades (two aces, a block and seven digs), sophomore Alayna Ryan (one assist and three digs) and freshman Chelsea Lockey (11 assists and three digs) also contributed in the match.
With her seven digs, Rhoades now has 834 career digs and is 41 away from passing Heather Van Olst (884, 2004-06) for eighth all-time.
For the Lions, no player reached double figures in kills. The closest one to reach at least 10 kills was sophomore Christina Ellwanger. Ellwanger finished with seven kills and eight digs.
Sophomore Hannah Symonds, junior Joise Maldonado and senior Malaisia Stallworth followed with five kills each.
The only double digit stats came from senior Jayden Davila-McClary (13 assists) and freshman Catie Ladner (13 digs).
In addition, the Eagles earned their 55th shutout win with Botsford at the helm.
Up Next:
The Eagles return home to the Alico Arena as they welcome Kennesaw State and Lipscomb for the weekend.
With this win, head coach Matt Botsford earned his 100th career win with the Eagles and became the second head coach in the program's history to reach 100 wins (side note: Jaye Flood was the first).
"I'm just very thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to lead this program," Botsford said. "I'm thankful for the amazing players, both past and present, that put their heart and soul into this sport. I'm thankful for the talented coaches on our staff and appreciative of all their hard work and commitment to FGCU volleyball."
Once again on the offensive side, sophomore Cortney VanLiew lead the way for the Eagles. VanLiew would finish with a double-double of 11 kills and 10 digs. VanLiew also added an ace to the mix.
Senior Maggie inched closer to Gigi Meyer's career assists record (4,408) as she finished with 27 assists and has 4,081 career assists. Rick also added three kills and an ace on the offensive side.
Defensively, freshman Dana Axner and The Block Party came in clutch. Axner finished with 22 digs and added an ace and two assists. In addition, the Dublin, Ohio native earned her first career collegiate kill.
The Block Party combined for 29 kills and 12 blocks with senior Sharonda Pickering leading the way in kills (8) and blocks (5).
Junior Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti had seven kills and two blocks, sophomore Snowy Burnam had six kills and two blocks as well as two aces, senior Kaiti Krivdo had five kills and two blocks and junior Dani Serrano had three kills and two blocks.
"I thought North Alabama did a very good job extending plays and taking advantage of our hitters once we entered transition," Botsford said. "We looked a bit slow off the floor and were far too indecisive as attackers. There was a lot of inconsistency in our play and that will come back to haunt us if not addressed. Dana had a great match defensively, and Sharonda was effective once again, but to get where we want to go, we will need a better and cleaner team effort."
Senior Karissa Rhoades (two aces, a block and seven digs), sophomore Alayna Ryan (one assist and three digs) and freshman Chelsea Lockey (11 assists and three digs) also contributed in the match.
With her seven digs, Rhoades now has 834 career digs and is 41 away from passing Heather Van Olst (884, 2004-06) for eighth all-time.
For the Lions, no player reached double figures in kills. The closest one to reach at least 10 kills was sophomore Christina Ellwanger. Ellwanger finished with seven kills and eight digs.
Sophomore Hannah Symonds, junior Joise Maldonado and senior Malaisia Stallworth followed with five kills each.
The only double digit stats came from senior Jayden Davila-McClary (13 assists) and freshman Catie Ladner (13 digs).
In addition, the Eagles earned their 55th shutout win with Botsford at the helm.
Up Next:
The Eagles return home to the Alico Arena as they welcome Kennesaw State and Lipscomb for the weekend.
FGCU S&D vs Florida Recap
The FGCU women's swimming (0-1) and diving team welcomed in-state foe Florida (3-0) for the first time to The Nest and battled from start to finish, ultimately dropping the season opener, 219-79, Saturday afternoon at the FGCU Aquatics Complex.
"Thank you to everyone who came to support us today," said head coach Dave Rollins. "Despite the end result, our team chemistry and support was phenomenal. Their belief in one another and competitive drive never changed. We competed well and definitely learned a few things that we can work on. We are in a great spot to start the season and are excited for next week!"
As Rollins alluded to, despite the result, the Eagle's competitive drive helped them place a swimmer and diver in the top-3 of nearly each of the 16 events held. In the first event of the day, the quartet of senior Doris Eichhorn, sophomore Petra Halmai, junior Cassidy Fry and senior Hannah Burdge placed second in the 200 medley, touching out in 1:45.76 as they were narrowly edged by UF's time of 1:44.15.
Halmai recorded a trio of top-3 finishes, placing second overall in the 100 breast (1:05.03) and also in the 200 breast (2:19.51). The Hungarian then went on to touch the pads in a time of 2:07.26 in the 200 individual medley (IM) for third place.
Senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen produced a pair of second-place finishes for the Eagles, first in the 200 fly with a time of 2:02.68 and followed it up in the 100 fly touching out in 56.52 seconds. In addition, junior Elizabeth Zeiger claimed second in the 500 free (5:04.40) as well as the 200 IM (2:06.82).
Other notable times include senior Gracie Redding coming up one second short of her season best last year in the 50 free with a time of 23.55 seconds this afternoon, while Eichhorn placed third in the 100 backstroke with a swim of 57.45 seconds.
In the diving portion of the meet, sophomore Melissa Novak's score of 258.75 on the 1-meter dive gave her a third overall finish as she turned a second-place result on the 3-meter dive with a score of 290.77.
Fellow sophomore Megan Wakefield also scored points for the Green and Blue in the 1-meter (246.75) and the 3-meter (246.30).
Up Next:
FGCU will travel across Alligator Alley for the TYR Classic hosted by FIU next Friday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. and will then welcome the Panthers and UNF the following day at noon for dual meets. The matchup against the Ospreys will be the first of three conference matchup set for this year.
"Thank you to everyone who came to support us today," said head coach Dave Rollins. "Despite the end result, our team chemistry and support was phenomenal. Their belief in one another and competitive drive never changed. We competed well and definitely learned a few things that we can work on. We are in a great spot to start the season and are excited for next week!"
As Rollins alluded to, despite the result, the Eagle's competitive drive helped them place a swimmer and diver in the top-3 of nearly each of the 16 events held. In the first event of the day, the quartet of senior Doris Eichhorn, sophomore Petra Halmai, junior Cassidy Fry and senior Hannah Burdge placed second in the 200 medley, touching out in 1:45.76 as they were narrowly edged by UF's time of 1:44.15.
Halmai recorded a trio of top-3 finishes, placing second overall in the 100 breast (1:05.03) and also in the 200 breast (2:19.51). The Hungarian then went on to touch the pads in a time of 2:07.26 in the 200 individual medley (IM) for third place.
Senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen produced a pair of second-place finishes for the Eagles, first in the 200 fly with a time of 2:02.68 and followed it up in the 100 fly touching out in 56.52 seconds. In addition, junior Elizabeth Zeiger claimed second in the 500 free (5:04.40) as well as the 200 IM (2:06.82).
Other notable times include senior Gracie Redding coming up one second short of her season best last year in the 50 free with a time of 23.55 seconds this afternoon, while Eichhorn placed third in the 100 backstroke with a swim of 57.45 seconds.
In the diving portion of the meet, sophomore Melissa Novak's score of 258.75 on the 1-meter dive gave her a third overall finish as she turned a second-place result on the 3-meter dive with a score of 290.77.
Fellow sophomore Megan Wakefield also scored points for the Green and Blue in the 1-meter (246.75) and the 3-meter (246.30).
Up Next:
FGCU will travel across Alligator Alley for the TYR Classic hosted by FIU next Friday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. and will then welcome the Panthers and UNF the following day at noon for dual meets. The matchup against the Ospreys will be the first of three conference matchup set for this year.
FGCU XC: Paul Short Run Recap
The FGCU men's and women's cross country teams finished in 25th (women) and 31st (men) in the 45th annual Paul Short Run, hosted by Lehigh University. The individual winner of the meet for the women was senior Siobhan Quinn of Canisus College, and the overall winner of the meet was Siena College. On the men's side, redshirt junior Peter Seufer, Jr of Virginia Tech won the overall meet as an individual and Utah State would win the overall meet.
"The men's team qualified for the Elite Gold race, while the outcome was not what we wanted, we had a few newcomers step up which was good to see," said head coach Cassandra Goodson. "We have a lot to learn from this experience. The women's team qualified for the Brown race. Overall the women helped each other when they were on the course, which we work on in practice. Both teams are very young and eager to get stronger as a team."
On the women's side, senior Carley Lutzow paved the way with a third place finish in a time of 21:25. The time was just 23 tenths of a second short of the first place overall runner. This was Lutzow's second race of the season – she opened up the 2018 slate capturing first at the FAU Invite nearly one month ago.
In the men's field, sophomore Lucas Kiprotich paced the Green and Blue in the 8k race, etching a time of 25:34 for a 90th place finish. Not too far behind him was grad student Ronny Greenup, who crossed the finish line with a mark of 25:52 for a 133 finish. After five runners, the men collected 837 points, placing them 31st out of 41 squads in the field.
Lutzow's time today gave her another spot inside the FGCU record book among the top 6k results. Coming into today the senior held the No. 3 time (21:14.90) and now holds the No. 5 time. Meanwhile, Kiprotich also landed in the record books for top 8k times among FGCU sophomores as his mark put him fourth overall.
"It's always nice to see our teams improve our record books," added Goodson. Carley and Lucas both work very hard and care deeply about these teams. It's great to see their hard work pay off"
Up Next:
The Eagles will have about two weeks off before heading up to Tallahassee, FL to compete in the FSU Invitational. It will be the last regular season meet for FGCU before traveling to the Bronx, NY for the A-SUN Championships which take place on Friday, Oct. 26.
"The men's team qualified for the Elite Gold race, while the outcome was not what we wanted, we had a few newcomers step up which was good to see," said head coach Cassandra Goodson. "We have a lot to learn from this experience. The women's team qualified for the Brown race. Overall the women helped each other when they were on the course, which we work on in practice. Both teams are very young and eager to get stronger as a team."
In the men's field, sophomore Lucas Kiprotich paced the Green and Blue in the 8k race, etching a time of 25:34 for a 90th place finish. Not too far behind him was grad student Ronny Greenup, who crossed the finish line with a mark of 25:52 for a 133 finish. After five runners, the men collected 837 points, placing them 31st out of 41 squads in the field.
Lutzow's time today gave her another spot inside the FGCU record book among the top 6k results. Coming into today the senior held the No. 3 time (21:14.90) and now holds the No. 5 time. Meanwhile, Kiprotich also landed in the record books for top 8k times among FGCU sophomores as his mark put him fourth overall.
"It's always nice to see our teams improve our record books," added Goodson. Carley and Lucas both work very hard and care deeply about these teams. It's great to see their hard work pay off"
Up Next:
The Eagles will have about two weeks off before heading up to Tallahassee, FL to compete in the FSU Invitational. It will be the last regular season meet for FGCU before traveling to the Bronx, NY for the A-SUN Championships which take place on Friday, Oct. 26.
FGCU S&D vs Florida Preview
The FGCU women's swimming and diving team will be tested right from the start as the Eagles host Power 5 Conference member Florida for the first time in program history at the FGCU Aquatics Center, Saturday morning, to kick off the 2018-19 slate.
Saturday's meeting will mark the third time both squads have faced each other as the Gators took last season's dual, 175-123. Despite the loss, the Eagles captured four events to then #15-ranked Florida.
"It's exciting to welcome a team like Florida to The Nest for the first time!" said head coach Dave Rollins. "There is a lot of nervous energy and excitement on the deck for our meet on Saturday, but it will be a lot of fun to challenge ourselves this early in the season. Florida has been the gold standard for swimming in our state for a long time and if we want to be competitive on a national level, we have to challenge ourselves every opportunity we have. Looking forward to seeing the team compete and support one another as we get the season started!"
The Eagles return more than half their roster this year and have their sights set on capturing a fifth consecutive Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) crown and will try to make it 10 overall by year's end, after going 7-2 last year and 2-0 in CCSA action. Senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen represented the Green and Blue at NCAA Championships in March – making it seven times FGCU has sent a team or individual to the Championships – as she looks to build off her junior year.
In the aforementioned CCSA meet, senior Gracie Redding took home the Eagles' sixth straight Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the meet, while coach Rollins earned his second consecutive Coach of the Year award, the program's eighth overall.
In late June, the program tied a record with nine honorees on the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) list as Elmgreen garnered First Team honors and returners, Redding and fellow seniors Hannah Burdge, Doris Eichhorn and Linda Shaw, juniors Cassidy Fry and Elizabeth Zeiger and sophomore Rebecca Moynihan, received honorable mention plaudits.
Scouting the Gators:
After finishing #17 in the polls last season, Florida begins the year with a new head coach as Jeff Poppell was elevated from an associate head coach after two seasons. The Gators commenced their season on Thursday at FAU, defeating the Owls 226-71. Earlier Friday afternoon, UF visited Miami, coming out on top, 184-95 as they are now 2-0 coming into Fort Myers.
The Gators return a pair of All-Americans in Sherridon Dressel (200-yard backstroke) and Brooke Madden (1 and 3-meter dive). Taylor Ault also returns to UF as she was named Second Team All-SEC and All-SEC freshman last season.
Schedule of Events vs. Florida:
1. 200 Medley Relay
2. 1000 Free
3. 200 Free
4. 100 Back
5. 100 Breast
6. 200 Fly
7. 50 Free
8. 3m Diving
9. 100 Free
10. 200 Back
11. 200 Breast
12. 500 Free
13. 100 Fly
14. 1m Diving
15. 200 IM
16. 400 Free Relay
Saturday's meeting will mark the third time both squads have faced each other as the Gators took last season's dual, 175-123. Despite the loss, the Eagles captured four events to then #15-ranked Florida.
"It's exciting to welcome a team like Florida to The Nest for the first time!" said head coach Dave Rollins. "There is a lot of nervous energy and excitement on the deck for our meet on Saturday, but it will be a lot of fun to challenge ourselves this early in the season. Florida has been the gold standard for swimming in our state for a long time and if we want to be competitive on a national level, we have to challenge ourselves every opportunity we have. Looking forward to seeing the team compete and support one another as we get the season started!"
The Eagles return more than half their roster this year and have their sights set on capturing a fifth consecutive Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) crown and will try to make it 10 overall by year's end, after going 7-2 last year and 2-0 in CCSA action. Senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen represented the Green and Blue at NCAA Championships in March – making it seven times FGCU has sent a team or individual to the Championships – as she looks to build off her junior year.
In the aforementioned CCSA meet, senior Gracie Redding took home the Eagles' sixth straight Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the meet, while coach Rollins earned his second consecutive Coach of the Year award, the program's eighth overall.
In late June, the program tied a record with nine honorees on the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) list as Elmgreen garnered First Team honors and returners, Redding and fellow seniors Hannah Burdge, Doris Eichhorn and Linda Shaw, juniors Cassidy Fry and Elizabeth Zeiger and sophomore Rebecca Moynihan, received honorable mention plaudits.
Scouting the Gators:
After finishing #17 in the polls last season, Florida begins the year with a new head coach as Jeff Poppell was elevated from an associate head coach after two seasons. The Gators commenced their season on Thursday at FAU, defeating the Owls 226-71. Earlier Friday afternoon, UF visited Miami, coming out on top, 184-95 as they are now 2-0 coming into Fort Myers.
The Gators return a pair of All-Americans in Sherridon Dressel (200-yard backstroke) and Brooke Madden (1 and 3-meter dive). Taylor Ault also returns to UF as she was named Second Team All-SEC and All-SEC freshman last season.
Schedule of Events vs. Florida:
1. 200 Medley Relay
2. 1000 Free
3. 200 Free
4. 100 Back
5. 100 Breast
6. 200 Fly
7. 50 Free
8. 3m Diving
9. 100 Free
10. 200 Back
11. 200 Breast
12. 500 Free
13. 100 Fly
14. 1m Diving
15. 200 IM
16. 400 Free Relay
FGCU M. Soc @ Lipscomb Preview
After being rained out Tuesday night, the FGCU men's soccer team (4-2-1, 1-0 A-SUN) will focus on Lipscomb (1-7, 1-0 A-SUN) as the Eagles look to avenge last year's A-SUN Championship Semifinals loss by hitting the road for a Saturday night clash with the Bisons.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles opened up conference play in Newark as they shutout NJIT 2-0. The Eagles are currently tied for first with Lipscomb with three points each.
Series History:
While FGCU holds a dominant 9-4-1 edge in the all-time series, nine of 13 matches have been decided by one goal. The only tie in the series came in the 2016 regular-season finale in Nashville, 1-1.
After Lipscomb won the first meeting in 2007, 2-0, FGCU claimed four-straight 2-1 victories. While the contests between the two sides have been close, they have also produced plenty of offense as there have only been four total shutouts in the 14 meetings. The aforementioned Lipscomb clean sheet in 2007, and then FGCU wins in 2013 (1-0), 2015 (4-0) and 2017 (2-0).
Earlier this week, redshirt sophomore Gustavo Vasconcelos was named the A-SUN Defensive Player of the Week of the second time this month. Between two games against Cal State Fullerton and NJIT, the Brazil native secured 12 saves while conceding just one goal in 200 minutes of action. Vasconcelos 0.96 goals against average (GAA) currently sits atop the A-SUN as he also leads the conference with 31 saves.
Inside FGCU's Lineup:
Junior Shak Adams spearheads the FGCU offense with five goals, pairing that with three assists for a team-best 13 points thus far – third in the A-SUN.
Freshman O'Vonte Mullings is right behind him tallying three goals along with a pair of assists. Through seven matches, the Eagles boast seven different scorers on their roster.
Redshirt senior Jordan Lue is the most recent player to join that list as the senior netted his first goal with the Eagles last Saturday afternoon against NJIT in the 86th minute to put the game out of reach.
The Eagles are currently ranked 32nd in the RPI standings.
Scouting Lipscomb:
It's been a rough start for the A-SUN preseason favorites. The Bisons opened their 2018 slate with a 2-0 win over Belmont, but have dropped their last six matches since. In those six losses, five matches have been decided by one goal, with three going into overtime.
Redshirt senior Logan Paynter leads the squad with three goals while dishing out one assist.
Behind him, senior Ryan Birchfield and redshirt sophomore Javier Lieja each have a pair of goals.
In between the posts, it's been a rotation with two keepers. Redshirt senior Chris Zappia (1-4) so far has started five matches, logging in 25 saves for a 1.59 GAA in over 450 minutes.
Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Luke Wilson (0-3) will enter the weekend having started three contests for the Bison, recording 15 saves, a 2.65 GAA in just over 305 minutes of play.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and livestream will be presented on Lipscomb's Facebook page.
Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_MSoccer
Lipscomb: @LipscombMSOC
Livestats link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=223776
Livestream link: https://www.facebook.com/Lipscomb-University-Mens-Soccer-Team-135921109830290/
FGCU W. Soc vs North Alabama Recap
In a wave of green, the FGCU women's soccer team (9-0-2, 3-0 A-SUN) claimed a 2-0 win against new A-SUN Conference member North Alabama (7-5, 1-1 A-SUN) in their first ever matchup at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
"We got the points we needed" head coach Jim Blankenship said. "We were a little bit impatient, but our attacking mentality was better in the second half and it earned us more chances with shots and corners. The first goal helped the momentum build and then we score another one right away."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent junior Melissa Weck to the box while North Alabama head coach Chris Walker sent senior Shelby Thornton to counter.
Despite the fact that the top two scoring teams in the A-SUN were going head to head Friday night, scoring chances were tough for the two sides to come up with in the first half. North Alabama got a couple of shots on net early, but both were easy stops for Weck to keep the game even through the first 10 minutes of action.
Sophomore Hope Van Wagner put the Eagles first shot on net in the 15th minute and junior Silvana Gordon got another in the 23rd minute, but it wasn't until nearly 15 minutes later that FGCU got another good look at goal.
With under six minutes remaining in the half, junior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen chipped a shot past the goalie from the left side of the box and it looked like the Green and Blue were going to go ahead, but the ball slid just to the right of the far post and out of bounds harmlessly to keep it a scoreless contest at the half.
Shots were 7-6 in favor of the Eagles at the break, but the Lions had four shots on to FGCU's three.
Again UNA made a push early in the half as the second began, but again Weck was up to the task, stopping an early chance to keep the Lions off the board.
FGCU tried to recreate some of their magic from the opening weekend of A-SUN play as junior Lindsey Patton put her head on a corner kick from senior Holly Fritz, but was unable to find the net to keep it a 0-0 game.
The Eagles finally broke through in the 72nd minute when another Fritz corner was perfectly lofted into the box to Boilesen, who then made the short pass to the near post to junior Evdokia "Evi Popadinova, who buried it for her ninth goal of the year to give FGCU a 1-0 lead.
"Our team is very supportive of each other, and Jim (Blakenship) does a great job talking to us as well." said Boilesen. "We have a great staff this year. They know what to do, they know what to tell us, and we just have to listen, and we did that in the second half, and that's why we scored the goals, so I'm just really happy with the team this year because it's a great mentality, great energy, and it's just awesome to be on the field with them."
The goal allowed the Eagles to exhale and they had two more chances right away before a UNA foul deep in the FGCU attacking third led to a free kick for Boilesen who found Popadinova in traffic in the box for a bouncing header that trickled in for her second goal in just six minutes to make it a 2-0 game. This was Popadinova's 10th goal of the season.
"When I score, I'm a different person after that," said Popadinova. "That's where I struggle a lot because I want that to happen immediately, but it's not always coming in the first half, so that's where I have to talk in my mind like it's gonna come, and that's the way I think I have to have the right mentality, which I'm doing well with."
The Eagles put it in cruise control from there and the Lions never threatened again as Weck (9-0-2) posted yet another clean sheet and FGCU remained unbeaten with a 2-0 victory. Weck made six saves in her seventh shutout of the year, moving her into a 5th place tie on the active NCAA list with her 25th career clean sheet.
"It was really hard in the first half," said Popadinova. "We couldn't really connect. The pace was slow, but our coaches talked to us and motivated us a lot, so we had to change and come up with a different mentality."
"I really struggled. The first half for me was really hard, but I'm glad that I slowed down, but I still expected more every time, and I'm glad we changed it."
Thornton (6-5) would earn the loss after giving up both goals and finish with six saves.
FGCU dominated the second half, finishing with a 9-3 shot advantage and a 6-1 corner advantage in the final 45 minutes.
Popadinova scored twice to become one of just six players nationally with 10 or more goals on the year.
Boilesen, the NCAA's active assist leader, added to her total with two helpers to give her a team best seven on the year while Fritz notched her 14th point with an assist of her own.
FGCU continues their best start in history at 9-0-2 and stays perfect in A-SUN action at 3-0-0 to remain atop the league standings.
UNA falls to 7-5-0 overall and 1-1-0 in A-SUN action.
Speaking of which, the Eagles are now one of eight teams left without a loss. The most recent loss was from #11 Boston College (10-2) as they fell 2-1 in overtime to Wake Forest.
#8 Texas also played and ended up in a 1-1 draw against #13 Oklahoma State.
Along with FGCU, #1 Stanford (10-0-1), #2 USC (9-0-1), #7 Georgetown (9-0-2), #8 Texas (9-0-2), #9 Washington State (10-0), #18 Colorado (9-0-2) and UC Riverside (9-0-1) also remain without a loss.
The Eagles won't have much time to celebrate the win as they gear up for rival Lipscomb (7-3-2, 2-0 A-SUN) on Sunday in a rematch of each of the past three A-SUN Championship games at 1 PM at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
"We got the points we needed" head coach Jim Blankenship said. "We were a little bit impatient, but our attacking mentality was better in the second half and it earned us more chances with shots and corners. The first goal helped the momentum build and then we score another one right away."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent junior Melissa Weck to the box while North Alabama head coach Chris Walker sent senior Shelby Thornton to counter.
Despite the fact that the top two scoring teams in the A-SUN were going head to head Friday night, scoring chances were tough for the two sides to come up with in the first half. North Alabama got a couple of shots on net early, but both were easy stops for Weck to keep the game even through the first 10 minutes of action.
Sophomore Hope Van Wagner put the Eagles first shot on net in the 15th minute and junior Silvana Gordon got another in the 23rd minute, but it wasn't until nearly 15 minutes later that FGCU got another good look at goal.
With under six minutes remaining in the half, junior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen chipped a shot past the goalie from the left side of the box and it looked like the Green and Blue were going to go ahead, but the ball slid just to the right of the far post and out of bounds harmlessly to keep it a scoreless contest at the half.
Shots were 7-6 in favor of the Eagles at the break, but the Lions had four shots on to FGCU's three.
Again UNA made a push early in the half as the second began, but again Weck was up to the task, stopping an early chance to keep the Lions off the board.
FGCU tried to recreate some of their magic from the opening weekend of A-SUN play as junior Lindsey Patton put her head on a corner kick from senior Holly Fritz, but was unable to find the net to keep it a 0-0 game.
The Eagles finally broke through in the 72nd minute when another Fritz corner was perfectly lofted into the box to Boilesen, who then made the short pass to the near post to junior Evdokia "Evi Popadinova, who buried it for her ninth goal of the year to give FGCU a 1-0 lead.
"Our team is very supportive of each other, and Jim (Blakenship) does a great job talking to us as well." said Boilesen. "We have a great staff this year. They know what to do, they know what to tell us, and we just have to listen, and we did that in the second half, and that's why we scored the goals, so I'm just really happy with the team this year because it's a great mentality, great energy, and it's just awesome to be on the field with them."
The goal allowed the Eagles to exhale and they had two more chances right away before a UNA foul deep in the FGCU attacking third led to a free kick for Boilesen who found Popadinova in traffic in the box for a bouncing header that trickled in for her second goal in just six minutes to make it a 2-0 game. This was Popadinova's 10th goal of the season.
"When I score, I'm a different person after that," said Popadinova. "That's where I struggle a lot because I want that to happen immediately, but it's not always coming in the first half, so that's where I have to talk in my mind like it's gonna come, and that's the way I think I have to have the right mentality, which I'm doing well with."
The Eagles put it in cruise control from there and the Lions never threatened again as Weck (9-0-2) posted yet another clean sheet and FGCU remained unbeaten with a 2-0 victory. Weck made six saves in her seventh shutout of the year, moving her into a 5th place tie on the active NCAA list with her 25th career clean sheet.
"It was really hard in the first half," said Popadinova. "We couldn't really connect. The pace was slow, but our coaches talked to us and motivated us a lot, so we had to change and come up with a different mentality."
"I really struggled. The first half for me was really hard, but I'm glad that I slowed down, but I still expected more every time, and I'm glad we changed it."
Thornton (6-5) would earn the loss after giving up both goals and finish with six saves.
FGCU dominated the second half, finishing with a 9-3 shot advantage and a 6-1 corner advantage in the final 45 minutes.
Popadinova scored twice to become one of just six players nationally with 10 or more goals on the year.
Boilesen, the NCAA's active assist leader, added to her total with two helpers to give her a team best seven on the year while Fritz notched her 14th point with an assist of her own.
FGCU continues their best start in history at 9-0-2 and stays perfect in A-SUN action at 3-0-0 to remain atop the league standings.
UNA falls to 7-5-0 overall and 1-1-0 in A-SUN action.
Speaking of which, the Eagles are now one of eight teams left without a loss. The most recent loss was from #11 Boston College (10-2) as they fell 2-1 in overtime to Wake Forest.
#8 Texas also played and ended up in a 1-1 draw against #13 Oklahoma State.
Along with FGCU, #1 Stanford (10-0-1), #2 USC (9-0-1), #7 Georgetown (9-0-2), #8 Texas (9-0-2), #9 Washington State (10-0), #18 Colorado (9-0-2) and UC Riverside (9-0-1) also remain without a loss.
The Eagles won't have much time to celebrate the win as they gear up for rival Lipscomb (7-3-2, 2-0 A-SUN) on Sunday in a rematch of each of the past three A-SUN Championship games at 1 PM at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
FGCU VB @ NJIT Recap
In strong fashion, the FGCU volleyball team (10-5, 3-0 A-SUN) made short work to NJIT (2-15, 0-3) as the Eagles shut out the Highlanders 3-0 (25-9, 25-6, 25-15) at the NJIT Wellness and Events Center.
In addition to the win against the Highlanders, Botsford earned his 99th career win and is one game closer to earning win 100
Offensively, sophomore Cortney VanLiew lead the way. VanLiew finished with a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs. This was her fifth double-double of the season and her 11th in her career. VanLiew also added five blocks and one assist.
Senior Maggie Rick also played a big role on the offensive end. Rick would end up with 16 assists, two aces and six digs. With her 16 assists, Rick now has 4,044 career assists and is 365 shy of eclipsing Gigi Meyer's program record (4,408, 2011-14).
Following Rick, freshman Chelsea Lockey finished with 14 assists, five digs and one ace.
Defensively, it was freshman Dana Axner and the Block Party (seniors Kaiti Krivdo and Sharonda Pickering, juniors Daniele "Dani" Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti and sophomore Snowy Burnam) that paved the way.
Axner finished with 14 digs, two aces and five assists.
The Block Party combined a season-high 24 block assists (Krivdo: 6, Pickering: 3, Serrano: 6, Burnam: 4) tied for the fifth-most in program history and the fourth-most in the Division-I era (2007-present). The squad also had a combined 26 kills (Krivdo: 2, Pickering: 5, Serrano: 5, Borgiotti: 6, Burnam: 8).
In addition, Serrano pushed her career block assist total up to 222, which is 21 shy of moving past Ashley Yance (242, 2005-09) for second most in program history.
Other players that contributed were senior Karissa Rhoades and sophomore Alayna Ryan.
Rhoades added three kills, an ace and nine digs. Rhoades' nine digs put her at 827 career digs through Friday, which is ninth in program history and 48 shy of passing Heather Van Olst (884, 2004-06) in eighth.
Ryan added one dig to the mix.
"Tonight was a very clean match, and it started with a great defensive effort and service pressure," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Our block was really effective throughout and our middles did an nice job working hard to control the net. Kaiti and Dani have been working extremely hard in that regard and the last few matches you can see the impact it is having."
No one on the Highlanders reached kills or assists in double figures. Senior Iva Mandic was the closest as she finished with six kills while junior Liz Benson had six assists.
The only stat in double figures came from junior Adriana Nieto as she finished with 14 digs
"Overall what stood out, aside from the execution level, was the focus each player displayed through all three sets," Botsford said. "We played very good assignment volleyball and were able to play to our strengths."
In addition to the win against the Highlanders, Botsford earned his 99th career win and is one game closer to earning win 100
Offensively, sophomore Cortney VanLiew lead the way. VanLiew finished with a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs. This was her fifth double-double of the season and her 11th in her career. VanLiew also added five blocks and one assist.
Senior Maggie Rick also played a big role on the offensive end. Rick would end up with 16 assists, two aces and six digs. With her 16 assists, Rick now has 4,044 career assists and is 365 shy of eclipsing Gigi Meyer's program record (4,408, 2011-14).
Following Rick, freshman Chelsea Lockey finished with 14 assists, five digs and one ace.
Defensively, it was freshman Dana Axner and the Block Party (seniors Kaiti Krivdo and Sharonda Pickering, juniors Daniele "Dani" Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti and sophomore Snowy Burnam) that paved the way.
Axner finished with 14 digs, two aces and five assists.
The Block Party combined a season-high 24 block assists (Krivdo: 6, Pickering: 3, Serrano: 6, Burnam: 4) tied for the fifth-most in program history and the fourth-most in the Division-I era (2007-present). The squad also had a combined 26 kills (Krivdo: 2, Pickering: 5, Serrano: 5, Borgiotti: 6, Burnam: 8).
In addition, Serrano pushed her career block assist total up to 222, which is 21 shy of moving past Ashley Yance (242, 2005-09) for second most in program history.
Other players that contributed were senior Karissa Rhoades and sophomore Alayna Ryan.
Rhoades added three kills, an ace and nine digs. Rhoades' nine digs put her at 827 career digs through Friday, which is ninth in program history and 48 shy of passing Heather Van Olst (884, 2004-06) in eighth.
Ryan added one dig to the mix.
"Tonight was a very clean match, and it started with a great defensive effort and service pressure," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Our block was really effective throughout and our middles did an nice job working hard to control the net. Kaiti and Dani have been working extremely hard in that regard and the last few matches you can see the impact it is having."
No one on the Highlanders reached kills or assists in double figures. Senior Iva Mandic was the closest as she finished with six kills while junior Liz Benson had six assists.
The only stat in double figures came from junior Adriana Nieto as she finished with 14 digs
"Overall what stood out, aside from the execution level, was the focus each player displayed through all three sets," Botsford said. "We played very good assignment volleyball and were able to play to our strengths."
FGCU is now 7-0 all-time against NJIT and has never dropped a set against the Highlanders. They'll be back in action on Sunday at North Alabama at 1 p.m. It will be the first-ever match between the two teams.
FGCU VB @ NJIT, North Alabama Preview
The FGCU volleyball team (9-5, 2-0 A-SUN) wrap up their four-match road trip as they travel to Newark, New Jersey and face NJIT (2-14, 0-2 A-SUN) on Sept. 28 at 6 PM at the NJIT Wellness and Event Center before finishing in Florence, Alabama to face the new A-SUN Conference member, North Alabama (2-9, 0-2 A-SUN) on Sept. 30 at 1 PM at Flowers Hall to continue A-SUN Conference play.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles began their part of conference play in Jacksonville as they shutout both Jacksonville and UNF.
Offensively, sophomore Cortney VanLiew had 20 kills in last weekend's straight-set win over North Florida as she eclipsed 500 for her career and now sits at 505, which is the 10th most in the program's Division-I era. VanLiew currently leads the team with 197 kills and 12 aces.
Ms. 4,000:
Senior Maggie Rick currently has 343 assists this and was the second setter in program history to reach 4,000 career assists (first: Gigi Meyer: 4,408). In fact, Rick (4,028) is on pace to surpass Meyer for most all-time in career assists. In the series in Jacksonville, Rick had 41 assists.
Block Party:
The Block Party (seniors Pickering and Kaiti Krivdo, juniors Daniele "Dani" Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti, sophomore Snowy Burnam, and freshman Tori Morris) have lead the way in blocks. The squad have a combined 188 blocks this season. In Jacksonville, the Block Party had 23 blocks in Jacksonville (7 @ JU, 16 @ UNF).
Swinging the Ax:
Freshman Dana Axner has been hot this season. The Dublin, Ohio native already set a DI program-record 39 digs and a season-high seven assists in a five-set match against West Virginia and was recently named the A-SUN Freshman of the week after her 23 dig performance in Jacksonville. Axner has 215 digs (4.39 per set), along with 58 assists and nine aces.
Botsford's 100 Milestone:
Entering his fifth season head coach Matt Botsford closes in on getting his 100th win. The matches against JU and UNF were his 97th and 98th wins, and if the Eagles get wins 99 and 100 for Botsford, he will be the second FGCU head volleyball coach in the program's history to reach 100 wins (Jaye Flood, 103).
Scouting NJIT:
The Highlanders are led by senior libero Adriana Nieto, who leads the A-SUN in total digs (288) and digs per set (5.33). She was one of three non-FGCU players on this year's preseason all-conference team.
NJIT's lone wins came against Delaware State on Sept. 1 and its most recent outing against Fairleigh Dickinson on Sept. 25 – both in four sets.
Series History:
Against the Highlanders, the Eagles are 6-0 overall. Last time, the Eagles swept the Highlanders at home and away.
Scouting North Alabama:
As noted, this will be the first time FGCU plays North Alabama. The Lions, who compiled an 82-22 record overall and a 47-9 mark in Gulf South Conference play over the past three years to close out their Division-II era, have struggled in the transition to Division-I.
The team's lone wins came against Tennessee State and UNC Asheville in the Chattanooga Classic.
North Alabama has opened A-SUN play with a pair of straight-set losses to Lipscomb and Kennesaw State, and they've dropped 14 straight sets overall dating back to a second set victory over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 7.
As a team, the Lions rank last in the A-SUN in total blocks (61), while FGCU has exactly twice as many (122). In addition, North Alabama averages a conference-worst 11.9 points per set, while the Eagles check in at a conference-best 17.2 points per set.
How to Keep Up:
Both matches will have livestats available and will air livestream. In the match against NJIT, it will air on the Highlander Sports Network for free, but will not have audio for it, while in the match against North Alabama it will be on the UNA Lion Vision for free.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
NJIT: @NjitVolleyball
UNA: @UNA_Volleyball
Links to Livestats:
https://www.njithighlanders.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/una/
Links to Livestream:
https://www.njithighlanders.com/watch/?Live=304&type=Live
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/una/
Last Time Out:
The Eagles began their part of conference play in Jacksonville as they shutout both Jacksonville and UNF.
Offensively, sophomore Cortney VanLiew had 20 kills in last weekend's straight-set win over North Florida as she eclipsed 500 for her career and now sits at 505, which is the 10th most in the program's Division-I era. VanLiew currently leads the team with 197 kills and 12 aces.
Ms. 4,000:
Senior Maggie Rick currently has 343 assists this and was the second setter in program history to reach 4,000 career assists (first: Gigi Meyer: 4,408). In fact, Rick (4,028) is on pace to surpass Meyer for most all-time in career assists. In the series in Jacksonville, Rick had 41 assists.
Block Party:
The Block Party (seniors Pickering and Kaiti Krivdo, juniors Daniele "Dani" Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti, sophomore Snowy Burnam, and freshman Tori Morris) have lead the way in blocks. The squad have a combined 188 blocks this season. In Jacksonville, the Block Party had 23 blocks in Jacksonville (7 @ JU, 16 @ UNF).
Swinging the Ax:
Freshman Dana Axner has been hot this season. The Dublin, Ohio native already set a DI program-record 39 digs and a season-high seven assists in a five-set match against West Virginia and was recently named the A-SUN Freshman of the week after her 23 dig performance in Jacksonville. Axner has 215 digs (4.39 per set), along with 58 assists and nine aces.
Entering his fifth season head coach Matt Botsford closes in on getting his 100th win. The matches against JU and UNF were his 97th and 98th wins, and if the Eagles get wins 99 and 100 for Botsford, he will be the second FGCU head volleyball coach in the program's history to reach 100 wins (Jaye Flood, 103).
Scouting NJIT:
The Highlanders are led by senior libero Adriana Nieto, who leads the A-SUN in total digs (288) and digs per set (5.33). She was one of three non-FGCU players on this year's preseason all-conference team.
NJIT's lone wins came against Delaware State on Sept. 1 and its most recent outing against Fairleigh Dickinson on Sept. 25 – both in four sets.
Series History:
Against the Highlanders, the Eagles are 6-0 overall. Last time, the Eagles swept the Highlanders at home and away.
Scouting North Alabama:
As noted, this will be the first time FGCU plays North Alabama. The Lions, who compiled an 82-22 record overall and a 47-9 mark in Gulf South Conference play over the past three years to close out their Division-II era, have struggled in the transition to Division-I.
The team's lone wins came against Tennessee State and UNC Asheville in the Chattanooga Classic.
North Alabama has opened A-SUN play with a pair of straight-set losses to Lipscomb and Kennesaw State, and they've dropped 14 straight sets overall dating back to a second set victory over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 7.
As a team, the Lions rank last in the A-SUN in total blocks (61), while FGCU has exactly twice as many (122). In addition, North Alabama averages a conference-worst 11.9 points per set, while the Eagles check in at a conference-best 17.2 points per set.
How to Keep Up:
Both matches will have livestats available and will air livestream. In the match against NJIT, it will air on the Highlander Sports Network for free, but will not have audio for it, while in the match against North Alabama it will be on the UNA Lion Vision for free.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
NJIT: @NjitVolleyball
UNA: @UNA_Volleyball
Links to Livestats:
https://www.njithighlanders.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/una/
Links to Livestream:
https://www.njithighlanders.com/watch/?Live=304&type=Live
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/una/
FGCU XC: Paul Short Run Preview
The FGCU men's and women's cross country teams prepare for their next meet as they compete in the Paul Short Run in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, hosted by Lehigh University. The meet will take place on the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles competed in the Fordham Fiasco on Sept. 8. The men finished third out of 13 teams, while the women finished seventh.
On the men's side, it was sophomore Lucas Kiprotich that had the best finish. Kiprotich finished third with a time of 26:07.58. Other runners on the men's team that finished in the top 25 are grad student Ronny Greenup (18th- 27:03.76), freshman Austin Redondo (21st- 27:13.45) and sophomore Boniface Mutai (23rd- 27:21.17).
On the women's side, freshman Jillian Felton lead the way with a 22nd place finish with a time of 20:08.36.
Meet Breakdown and History:
The men's 8k race will begin at 11 a.m. while the women's 6k race will commence at 1 p.m.
This will be the 45th taking of the Paul Short Run and will feature 6,000 runners from nearly 450 colleges and high schools expected to compete this year, the largest intercollegiate cross country meet in the nation.
Overall, 131 colleges and universities will be competing in the meet from the NCAA level (58 NCAA DI, 25 NCAA DII, 48 NCAA DIII), United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA: Albany College of Pharmacy and PSU-Brandywine), NAIA (Ave Maria) and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS: University of Guleph, a university from Guleph, Ontario, Canada).
Also competing with FGCU from the A-SUN will be UNF.
I mean that is a lot of teams participating. Obviously I know Ave Maria and UNF are competing, and I'm surprised that there are NCAA DII and DIII teams I know about including Concord (DII), St. Leo (DII), Ithaca (DII), Rochester (DIII) and NYIT (DIII).
Teams Participating:
Adelphi (NCAA DII)
Albany
Albany College of Pharmacy (USCAA)
Albright (NCAA DIII)
Allegheny (NCAA DIII)
Alvernia (NCAA DIII)
American
American Int’l (NCAA DII)
Amherst (NCAA DIII)
Army West Point
Ave Maria (NAIA DII)
Binghamton
Boston U
Bucknell
Buffalo
Buffalo State
Cabrini (NCAA DIII)
Campbell
Canisius
Carnegie Mellon (NCAA DIII)
Centenary (N.J.) (NCAA DIII)
Charleston (W.V.) (NCAA DII)
Charleston Southern
Christopher Newport (NCAA DIII)
Coast Guard (NCAA DIII)
Coastal Carolina
Col. of Charleston
Colgate
Columbia
Concord (NCAA DII)
Connecticut
Cornell
Cortland St. (NCAA DIII)
Davis & Elkins (NCAA DII)
Delaware Valley (NCAA DIII)
East Carolina
East Stroudsburg (NCAA DII)
Eastern (NCAA DIII)
Elizabethtown (NCAA DIII)
Felician (NCAA DII)
FGCU
Fordham
Gannon (NCAA DII)
Geneva (NCAA DIII)
George Washington
Georgia
Georgian Court (NCAA DII)
Gettysburg (NCAA DIII)
Goldey-Beacom (NCAA DIII)
Guelph (Canadian Interuniversity Sport)
Gwynedd-Mercy (NCAA DIII)
Hartford
Haverford (NCAA DIII)
High Point
Hofstra
Holy Cross
Indiana (Pa.) (NCAA DII)
Iona
Ithaca (NCAA DIII)
Jefferson (Pa.) (NCAA DIII)
Johns Hopkins
Keystone (NCAA DIII)
King’s (Pa.) (NCAA DIII)
Kutztown (NCAA DII)
La Salle
Lafayette
Lehigh (host)
Lynchburg (NCAA DIII)
Manhattan
Mansfield (NCAA DII)
Marist
Marshall
Middlebury (NCAA DIII)
Misericordia (NCAA DIII)
Molloy (NCAA DII)
Mount Olive (NCAA DII)
Mount St. Mary’s
Muhlenberg (NCAA DIII)
New Hampshire
New Paltz St. (NCAA DIII)
Niagara
North Florida
Nyack (NCAA DII)
NYIT (NCAA DII)
NYU (NCAA DIII)
Oberlin (NCAA DIII)
Ole Miss
Oneonta (NCAA DIII)
Pace (NCAA DIII)
Penn
Piedmont (NCAA DIII)
Post (NCAA DII)
PSU-Brandywine (USCAA)
Queen’s University (NCAA DII)
Ramapo (NCAA DIII)
Regis (Colo.) (NCAA DII)
Richmond
Rider
Roanoke (NCAA DIII)
Rochester (NCAA DIII)
Rutgers-Camden (NCAA DIII)
Rutgers-Newark (NCAA DIII)
San Diego
Saint Francis University
Saint Leo (NCAA DII)
Scranton (NCAA DIII)
Seton Hill (NCAA DII)
Shippensburg (NCAA DII)
Siena
So. Conn. St. (NCAA DII)
Springfield (NCAA DIII)
St. Joseph’s (Pa.)
Stockton (NCAA DIII)
Stony Brook
Swarthmore (NCAA DIII)
TCNJ (NCAA DIII)
Temple
Trinity (NCAA DIII)
Tufts (NCAA DIII)
U. of Sciences (NCAA DII)
UMass Lowell
UMBC
Ursinus (NCAA DIII)
Utah State
VCU
Vermont
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
Wesleyan (NCAA DIII)
West Chester (NCAA DII)
Widener (NCAA DIII)
William and Mary
Yale
Last Time Out:
The Eagles competed in the Fordham Fiasco on Sept. 8. The men finished third out of 13 teams, while the women finished seventh.
On the men's side, it was sophomore Lucas Kiprotich that had the best finish. Kiprotich finished third with a time of 26:07.58. Other runners on the men's team that finished in the top 25 are grad student Ronny Greenup (18th- 27:03.76), freshman Austin Redondo (21st- 27:13.45) and sophomore Boniface Mutai (23rd- 27:21.17).
On the women's side, freshman Jillian Felton lead the way with a 22nd place finish with a time of 20:08.36.
Meet Breakdown and History:
The men's 8k race will begin at 11 a.m. while the women's 6k race will commence at 1 p.m.
This will be the 45th taking of the Paul Short Run and will feature 6,000 runners from nearly 450 colleges and high schools expected to compete this year, the largest intercollegiate cross country meet in the nation.
Overall, 131 colleges and universities will be competing in the meet from the NCAA level (58 NCAA DI, 25 NCAA DII, 48 NCAA DIII), United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA: Albany College of Pharmacy and PSU-Brandywine), NAIA (Ave Maria) and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS: University of Guleph, a university from Guleph, Ontario, Canada).
Also competing with FGCU from the A-SUN will be UNF.
I mean that is a lot of teams participating. Obviously I know Ave Maria and UNF are competing, and I'm surprised that there are NCAA DII and DIII teams I know about including Concord (DII), St. Leo (DII), Ithaca (DII), Rochester (DIII) and NYIT (DIII).
Teams Participating:
Adelphi (NCAA DII)
Albany
Albany College of Pharmacy (USCAA)
Albright (NCAA DIII)
Allegheny (NCAA DIII)
Alvernia (NCAA DIII)
American
American Int’l (NCAA DII)
Amherst (NCAA DIII)
Army West Point
Ave Maria (NAIA DII)
Binghamton
Boston U
Bucknell
Buffalo
Buffalo State
Cabrini (NCAA DIII)
Campbell
Canisius
Carnegie Mellon (NCAA DIII)
Centenary (N.J.) (NCAA DIII)
Charleston (W.V.) (NCAA DII)
Charleston Southern
Christopher Newport (NCAA DIII)
Coast Guard (NCAA DIII)
Coastal Carolina
Col. of Charleston
Colgate
Columbia
Concord (NCAA DII)
Connecticut
Cornell
Cortland St. (NCAA DIII)
Davis & Elkins (NCAA DII)
Delaware Valley (NCAA DIII)
East Carolina
East Stroudsburg (NCAA DII)
Eastern (NCAA DIII)
Elizabethtown (NCAA DIII)
Felician (NCAA DII)
FGCU
Fordham
Gannon (NCAA DII)
Geneva (NCAA DIII)
George Washington
Georgia
Georgian Court (NCAA DII)
Gettysburg (NCAA DIII)
Goldey-Beacom (NCAA DIII)
Guelph (Canadian Interuniversity Sport)
Gwynedd-Mercy (NCAA DIII)
Hartford
Haverford (NCAA DIII)
High Point
Hofstra
Holy Cross
Indiana (Pa.) (NCAA DII)
Iona
Ithaca (NCAA DIII)
Jefferson (Pa.) (NCAA DIII)
Johns Hopkins
Keystone (NCAA DIII)
King’s (Pa.) (NCAA DIII)
Kutztown (NCAA DII)
La Salle
Lafayette
Lehigh (host)
Lynchburg (NCAA DIII)
Manhattan
Mansfield (NCAA DII)
Marist
Marshall
Middlebury (NCAA DIII)
Misericordia (NCAA DIII)
Molloy (NCAA DII)
Monmouth
Moravian (NCAA DIII)Mount Olive (NCAA DII)
Mount St. Mary’s
Muhlenberg (NCAA DIII)
New Hampshire
New Paltz St. (NCAA DIII)
Niagara
North Florida
Nyack (NCAA DII)
NYIT (NCAA DII)
NYU (NCAA DIII)
Oberlin (NCAA DIII)
Ole Miss
Oneonta (NCAA DIII)
Pace (NCAA DIII)
Penn
Piedmont (NCAA DIII)
Post (NCAA DII)
PSU-Brandywine (USCAA)
Queen’s University (NCAA DII)
Ramapo (NCAA DIII)
Regis (Colo.) (NCAA DII)
Richmond
Rider
Roanoke (NCAA DIII)
Rochester (NCAA DIII)
Rutgers-Camden (NCAA DIII)
Rutgers-Newark (NCAA DIII)
San Diego
Saint Francis University
Saint Leo (NCAA DII)
Scranton (NCAA DIII)
Seton Hill (NCAA DII)
Shippensburg (NCAA DII)
Siena
So. Conn. St. (NCAA DII)
Springfield (NCAA DIII)
St. Joseph’s (Pa.)
Stockton (NCAA DIII)
Stony Brook
Swarthmore (NCAA DIII)
TCNJ (NCAA DIII)
Temple
Trinity (NCAA DIII)
Tufts (NCAA DIII)
U. of Sciences (NCAA DII)
UMass Lowell
UMBC
Ursinus (NCAA DIII)
Utah State
VCU
Vermont
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
Wesleyan (NCAA DIII)
West Chester (NCAA DII)
Widener (NCAA DIII)
William and Mary
Yale
100 is the Charm: Botsford's Journey to 100
While he edges closer to his 100th career victory as FGCU’s head volleyball coach Matt Botsford took time to reflect on the well-traveled road that brought him to this point.
Originally from California before residing in South Bend, Ind., Botsford was a standout player at Tri-State University (now Trine University) from 1995-98. There with the Thunder, he was a two-year captain and became the program’s all-time leader in kills, digs and blocks while being named an All-American Scholar Athlete his senior year.
“Volleyball always seemed like such a dynamic and fluid sport to me,” said Botsford, who will try for wins No. 99 and 100 this weekend when his FGCU Eagles visit New Jersey Institute of Technology and North Alabama. “I was attracted to the explosiveness of the game and the coordination of six players at such a limited playing space.”
After finishing his playing career at Tri-State at age 21, Botsford started his coaching career as interim head coach for both the men’s and women’s volleyball programs for his alma mater from November 1998 through June 1999.
After his half-year tenure as the Thunder's interim head coach, Botsford bounced around as an assistant coach with NCAA Division II Indianapolis (1999-2000), IUPUI (2001-2004), Miami (2004-2008; he served as recruiting coordinator), Notre Dame (2008-11; he served as the lead recruiter) and Colorado State (2012-14). During his tenure at Miami, Botsford received his master’s degree in business administration at Indianapolis.
During the offseason with IUPUI, Botsford began playing professional beach volleyball tours from 1998-2003 with the Midwest Professional Volleyball Association and the Extreme Volleyball Professionals League. He was named the EVPL’s Rookie of the Year in 2000. Botsford’s last pro volleyball stint was with the Vingaker Volleyball Club in Sweden from 2002-03.
“I got a late start in the sport. I didn’t begin playing until I was 18. So at the conclusion of my college career, I felt like I still had another level that I could reach,” said Botsford, who has also run FGCU’s beach volleyball program since his hiring in 2014. “I wasn’t ready to stop playing so I continued to train with a focus on going overseas for indoor. During the offseason, I continued to compete regionally on the beach side, since that is actually where I got my start.”
At Miami, Botsford helped solidify two of the highest-ranked recruiting classes in the relatively short history of the program, signing at least one top-100-rated player in each of his final three years and the Hurricanes’ first top-50 recruit. He coached two All-Americans and five All-ACC players, including Lane Carico, the 2011 ACC Player of the Year who was a key cog on three consecutive NCAA tournament teams.
During Miami’s offseason in 2007, Botsford scored a major opportunity: an assistant coach position for the USA Select Program. He helped train elite volleyball players in preparation for the U.S. national team. Botsford was also head coach of the USA Silver team, which won a bronze medal in the HP Global Championships.
“USA volleyball has done a great job of creating a pipeline for our youth players to be identified early by the national programs,” said Botsford. “But equally important is the opportunity they continue to present young coaches. I had an amazing experience working along some of the best coaches in the country and got the chance to really absorb the methods and philosophies that were being utilized.”
At Notre Dame, Botsford produced recruiting classes in 2010 and ’11 that media outlets ranked as the 13th and 15th best in the nation, respectively. The Fighting Irish made the NCAA tournament in 2009 after winning the Big East title and going 14-0 in conference play. In total, Botsford coached two All-Americans and six All-Big East performers, including the conference’s 2010 Freshman of the Year, Andrea McHugh.
At Colorado State, Botsford helped guide the Rams to two straight conference championships and NCAA tournament berths while also recording a program-best 27 consecutive wins in 2013.
Botsford continued to stay busy in his offseasons. While with Colorado State, he landed the head coaching job for Lindesberg Volley — part of Sweden’s Elite Series. He guided the club to its first-ever league title and automatic representation in European Cup play. Botsford coached four players who went on to play for Sweden’s national team.
“Each opportunity provided a chance to learn from someone new,” Botsford said. “I wanted the opportunity to watch how different coaches handled similar problems, so I could begin to form my own coaching philosophy.”
After his three-season tenure at Colorado State, Botsford was hired as the third head volleyball coach for FGCU on Feb. 10, 2014.
“My opportunity at FGCU actually came while I was at Colorado State,” said Botsford. “CSU has one of the most successful programs in the county along with one of the best fan bases that I have ever experienced. I was very happy and had a great mentor in Tom Hilbert; so I wasn’t actively looking for a new job. But, when the FGCU opportunity came about, it made sense to look closely at it.”
“I knew that if I was going to leave, it would take a very special place that I believed had the resources to sustain a winning program. FGCU checked all the boxes and I knew we could attract high level student-athletes here.”
On Aug. 29, 2014, Botsford made his coaching debut with the Eagles indoor volleyball team at the Miami Hurricane Invitational. In his first match, the Eagles defeated Florida A&M, 3-2. The 2014 team had players such as Olivia Mesner, Gigi Meyer (daughter of Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer), Vanessa Benke and Eleonora Kazarian (now Williams).
“I will always remember the group of seniors that I inherited,” said Botsford. “They were so focused and determined, I knew we would be able win right away.
“I think a lot of people expected that to be a down year for FGCU volleyball, but those players were not going to let that happen. They gave everything they had, and were so receptive of the coaching. They approached every practice with such intent and passion and just wanted to keep improving.”
Caroline Jordan played for FGCU from 2013-16. It didn’t take long for her to see where the Eagles were headed under Botsford’s leadership.
“We were all very excited that Coach Botsford was chosen as the new head coach,” Jordan said. “He brought with him a new intensity and passion for being the best. His attention to detail and competitive drills motivates us all to get better."
“It was great to be on the team that got him his first win as an Eagle. We knew it would be his first of many wins and it set a great tone for the season.”
Since Botsford’s arrival at FGCU, the Eagles have been a perennial contender for the Atlantic Sun title, winning at least 10 conference games each season from 2014-17.
Also, a slew of FGCU players have enjoyed standout seasons both athletically and academically under Botsford’s guidance. His teams have produced 15 A-SUN all-conference selections and six members of the A-SUN’s all-academic team.
Two current Eagles share in those accolades: senior Amanda Carroll (who’s won A-SUN Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year) and sophomore Snowy Burnam (last year’s A-SUN Freshman of the Year).
FGCU’s breakout season under Botsford came in 2016. The Eagles went 27-6 overall and 11-3 in conference before losing to Lipscomb in the A-SUN championship match. One of the biggest moments from that season was when the Eagles defeated Indiana in five sets.
“I don’t know if I provided inspiration, but I did make sure that each (player) knew what they were capable of,” Botsford said. “All of our players have talent, so the real measuring stick is going to be what they do with that talent.
“Our job is to help them as best we can, to try and put them in positions where they can succeed. Provide the direction and resources and then see who is going to take full advantage.”
The first head coach of the FGCU volleyball program was Jaye Flood, who reached the 100-win plateau during her tenure from 2004-07. Flood earned her first win at FGCU on Aug. 27, 2004 when the Eagles were an NCAA Division II independent. Her 100th win came on Oct. 26, 2007 as FGCU was making its transition to Division I. (Side note: FGCU’s second volleyball coach, Dave Nichols, narrowly missed the 100-win milestone. He had 99 Ws before Botsford took over the program.)
Off the court, Jordan said Botsford enjoys having fun with his team, especially on the road.
“My best memories are actually from off the court,” Jordan said. “Coach Botsford made the team feel like a family and took us on awesome adventures in each city we traveled to. Anywhere we went, we got to experience local food (covered in ranch if you are coach) and new sights.”
FGCU began this year’s A-SUN slate this past weekend in Jacksonville, where they swept Jacksonville and North Florida — for Botsford, wins 97 and 98. Wins at NJIT on Friday and at new A-SUN member North Alabama on Sunday will get Botsford to the milestone.
“I am so excited for him to have that opportunity,” said Jordan. “I don't think anyone ever doubted he would take this program in a great direction and I'm sure he has many, many wins to come.”
“I feel appreciative for the opportunity that I was presented,” said Botsford. “I feel grateful for all the players that have made FGCU their home. This really is a special place and I am so honored to be a part of it.”
Originally from California before residing in South Bend, Ind., Botsford was a standout player at Tri-State University (now Trine University) from 1995-98. There with the Thunder, he was a two-year captain and became the program’s all-time leader in kills, digs and blocks while being named an All-American Scholar Athlete his senior year.
“Volleyball always seemed like such a dynamic and fluid sport to me,” said Botsford, who will try for wins No. 99 and 100 this weekend when his FGCU Eagles visit New Jersey Institute of Technology and North Alabama. “I was attracted to the explosiveness of the game and the coordination of six players at such a limited playing space.”
After finishing his playing career at Tri-State at age 21, Botsford started his coaching career as interim head coach for both the men’s and women’s volleyball programs for his alma mater from November 1998 through June 1999.
After his half-year tenure as the Thunder's interim head coach, Botsford bounced around as an assistant coach with NCAA Division II Indianapolis (1999-2000), IUPUI (2001-2004), Miami (2004-2008; he served as recruiting coordinator), Notre Dame (2008-11; he served as the lead recruiter) and Colorado State (2012-14). During his tenure at Miami, Botsford received his master’s degree in business administration at Indianapolis.
During the offseason with IUPUI, Botsford began playing professional beach volleyball tours from 1998-2003 with the Midwest Professional Volleyball Association and the Extreme Volleyball Professionals League. He was named the EVPL’s Rookie of the Year in 2000. Botsford’s last pro volleyball stint was with the Vingaker Volleyball Club in Sweden from 2002-03.
“I got a late start in the sport. I didn’t begin playing until I was 18. So at the conclusion of my college career, I felt like I still had another level that I could reach,” said Botsford, who has also run FGCU’s beach volleyball program since his hiring in 2014. “I wasn’t ready to stop playing so I continued to train with a focus on going overseas for indoor. During the offseason, I continued to compete regionally on the beach side, since that is actually where I got my start.”
At Miami, Botsford helped solidify two of the highest-ranked recruiting classes in the relatively short history of the program, signing at least one top-100-rated player in each of his final three years and the Hurricanes’ first top-50 recruit. He coached two All-Americans and five All-ACC players, including Lane Carico, the 2011 ACC Player of the Year who was a key cog on three consecutive NCAA tournament teams.
During Miami’s offseason in 2007, Botsford scored a major opportunity: an assistant coach position for the USA Select Program. He helped train elite volleyball players in preparation for the U.S. national team. Botsford was also head coach of the USA Silver team, which won a bronze medal in the HP Global Championships.
“USA volleyball has done a great job of creating a pipeline for our youth players to be identified early by the national programs,” said Botsford. “But equally important is the opportunity they continue to present young coaches. I had an amazing experience working along some of the best coaches in the country and got the chance to really absorb the methods and philosophies that were being utilized.”
At Notre Dame, Botsford produced recruiting classes in 2010 and ’11 that media outlets ranked as the 13th and 15th best in the nation, respectively. The Fighting Irish made the NCAA tournament in 2009 after winning the Big East title and going 14-0 in conference play. In total, Botsford coached two All-Americans and six All-Big East performers, including the conference’s 2010 Freshman of the Year, Andrea McHugh.
At Colorado State, Botsford helped guide the Rams to two straight conference championships and NCAA tournament berths while also recording a program-best 27 consecutive wins in 2013.
Botsford continued to stay busy in his offseasons. While with Colorado State, he landed the head coaching job for Lindesberg Volley — part of Sweden’s Elite Series. He guided the club to its first-ever league title and automatic representation in European Cup play. Botsford coached four players who went on to play for Sweden’s national team.
“Each opportunity provided a chance to learn from someone new,” Botsford said. “I wanted the opportunity to watch how different coaches handled similar problems, so I could begin to form my own coaching philosophy.”
After his three-season tenure at Colorado State, Botsford was hired as the third head volleyball coach for FGCU on Feb. 10, 2014.
“My opportunity at FGCU actually came while I was at Colorado State,” said Botsford. “CSU has one of the most successful programs in the county along with one of the best fan bases that I have ever experienced. I was very happy and had a great mentor in Tom Hilbert; so I wasn’t actively looking for a new job. But, when the FGCU opportunity came about, it made sense to look closely at it.”
“I knew that if I was going to leave, it would take a very special place that I believed had the resources to sustain a winning program. FGCU checked all the boxes and I knew we could attract high level student-athletes here.”
On Aug. 29, 2014, Botsford made his coaching debut with the Eagles indoor volleyball team at the Miami Hurricane Invitational. In his first match, the Eagles defeated Florida A&M, 3-2. The 2014 team had players such as Olivia Mesner, Gigi Meyer (daughter of Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer), Vanessa Benke and Eleonora Kazarian (now Williams).
“I will always remember the group of seniors that I inherited,” said Botsford. “They were so focused and determined, I knew we would be able win right away.
“I think a lot of people expected that to be a down year for FGCU volleyball, but those players were not going to let that happen. They gave everything they had, and were so receptive of the coaching. They approached every practice with such intent and passion and just wanted to keep improving.”
Caroline Jordan played for FGCU from 2013-16. It didn’t take long for her to see where the Eagles were headed under Botsford’s leadership.
“We were all very excited that Coach Botsford was chosen as the new head coach,” Jordan said. “He brought with him a new intensity and passion for being the best. His attention to detail and competitive drills motivates us all to get better."
“It was great to be on the team that got him his first win as an Eagle. We knew it would be his first of many wins and it set a great tone for the season.”
Since Botsford’s arrival at FGCU, the Eagles have been a perennial contender for the Atlantic Sun title, winning at least 10 conference games each season from 2014-17.
Also, a slew of FGCU players have enjoyed standout seasons both athletically and academically under Botsford’s guidance. His teams have produced 15 A-SUN all-conference selections and six members of the A-SUN’s all-academic team.
Two current Eagles share in those accolades: senior Amanda Carroll (who’s won A-SUN Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year) and sophomore Snowy Burnam (last year’s A-SUN Freshman of the Year).
FGCU’s breakout season under Botsford came in 2016. The Eagles went 27-6 overall and 11-3 in conference before losing to Lipscomb in the A-SUN championship match. One of the biggest moments from that season was when the Eagles defeated Indiana in five sets.
“I don’t know if I provided inspiration, but I did make sure that each (player) knew what they were capable of,” Botsford said. “All of our players have talent, so the real measuring stick is going to be what they do with that talent.
“Our job is to help them as best we can, to try and put them in positions where they can succeed. Provide the direction and resources and then see who is going to take full advantage.”
The first head coach of the FGCU volleyball program was Jaye Flood, who reached the 100-win plateau during her tenure from 2004-07. Flood earned her first win at FGCU on Aug. 27, 2004 when the Eagles were an NCAA Division II independent. Her 100th win came on Oct. 26, 2007 as FGCU was making its transition to Division I. (Side note: FGCU’s second volleyball coach, Dave Nichols, narrowly missed the 100-win milestone. He had 99 Ws before Botsford took over the program.)
Off the court, Jordan said Botsford enjoys having fun with his team, especially on the road.
“My best memories are actually from off the court,” Jordan said. “Coach Botsford made the team feel like a family and took us on awesome adventures in each city we traveled to. Anywhere we went, we got to experience local food (covered in ranch if you are coach) and new sights.”
FGCU began this year’s A-SUN slate this past weekend in Jacksonville, where they swept Jacksonville and North Florida — for Botsford, wins 97 and 98. Wins at NJIT on Friday and at new A-SUN member North Alabama on Sunday will get Botsford to the milestone.
“I am so excited for him to have that opportunity,” said Jordan. “I don't think anyone ever doubted he would take this program in a great direction and I'm sure he has many, many wins to come.”
“I feel appreciative for the opportunity that I was presented,” said Botsford. “I feel grateful for all the players that have made FGCU their home. This really is a special place and I am so honored to be a part of it.”
FGCU W. Soc vs North Alabama, Lipscomb Preview
The FGCU women's soccer team (8-0-2, 2-0 A-SUN) return home for A-SUN Conference play as they prepare to face new A-SUN member, North Alabama (7-4, 1-0 A-SUN) on Sept. 28 at 7 PM and Lipscomb (6-3-2, 2-0 A-SUN) on Sept. 30 at 1 PM at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
Scouting Lipscomb:
A-SUN Standings:
1. FGCU 6 (2-0-0) 8-0-2
2. Kennesaw State 3 (1-1-0) 8-3-1
3. NJIT 3 (1-1-0) 7-3-1
4. North Alabama 3 (1-0-0) 7-4-0
5. Lipscomb 3 (1-0-0) 6-3-2
6. Jacksonville 3 (1-1-0) 1-8-1
7. North Florida 1 (0-1-1) 5-4-1
8. Stetson 1 (0-1-1) 3-5-3
9. Liberty 0 (0-2-0) 1-9-0
How to Keep Up:
Last Time Out:
After finishing non-conference play 6-0-2 including three big wins against Alabama (4-2), Michigan (3-2) and Ohio State (1-0), the Eagles began A-SUN Conference play on the road in Jacksonville. The Eagles Slaughtered JU 6-0 and clipped UNF 4-0.
Currently, the Eagles are in first place in the standings.
Currently, the Eagles are in first place in the standings.
A-SUN LOD:
Once again, the Eagles' offense was led by juniors Evdokia "Evi" Popadinova and Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen aka the A-SUN Legion of Doom (LOD).
Popadinova not only leads the team in goals (8), but she also leads for the most goals in the A-SUN this season. The Bulgarian had one goal in both games against JU and UNF. Popadinova also has six assists for the season including one against JU.
Boilesen is currently tied for second in goals (5), and like Popadinova, the Brazilian also had a goal in both games against JU and UNF. Boilesen also has five assists in her name including one against UNF.
Unexpected Wild Card Players:
Two players that have been impressive lately for the Eagles are freshmen Kara Kyramarios and Alyssa Abbondandolo.
After an impressive outing in practice, Kyramarios has been in good spirits in the starting lineup. The Titusville native, who enrolled at FGCU spring 2018, has started four of her seven games. In her first start against FIU, Kyramarios scored her first collegiate goal not even five minutes into the first half. In the game against JU, Kyramarios had an assist for the game.
Unexpectedly, Abbondandolo has played strongly off the bench. The Cape Coral native has two goals including one against UNF in the last 20 minutes of the second half.
A New Hope:
Another player that is off to a fresh start is sophomore Hope Van Wagner. After scoring her first goal in the opener against Georgia Southern, Van Wagner was trying to find her rhythm, and miraculously it showed up in Jacksonville against JU as she scored two goals in the 6-0 win.
The Avon, Indiana native currently has three goals while logging in 505 minutes.
(Holly)wood Impact:
Along with the A-SUN Legion of Doom, senior midfielder Holly Fritz has made impact on her own. The Cape Coral native who transferred from Florida State last season is currently is tied for second on team in goals with Boilesen (5) and has two assists.
Fritz was recently named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. The CLASS Award is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, in which focuses on the total student-athlete, encouraging students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Candidates are compared using four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
"Holly has just about every good quality you can say about a person" head coach Jim Blankenship said. "She is extremely driven and self-motivated. She wants to be the best at everything and is able to bring that quality out of her teammates as well so that they can do it together. She is a perfectionist in every piece of her life. She is a 4.0 student, makes sure every touch at practice is with a purpose, and is always in the right place on the field during games. She is our team captain, our leader, the person that everyone goes to when they need something. Despite having a fully loaded plate herself, she is quite accommodating in that role, always taking time to help a teammate whether that be on the field or off the field."
In addition, Fritz was named FGCU Athletics Scholar-Athlete of the Month.
"I am proud of her, this is absolutely everything that she stands for on and off the field," said Blankenship. "It means a lot to our program for her to receive this, it represents us well since all of our players know it is student first before athlete."
The Avon, Indiana native currently has three goals while logging in 505 minutes.
(Holly)wood Impact:
Along with the A-SUN Legion of Doom, senior midfielder Holly Fritz has made impact on her own. The Cape Coral native who transferred from Florida State last season is currently is tied for second on team in goals with Boilesen (5) and has two assists.
Fritz was recently named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. The CLASS Award is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, in which focuses on the total student-athlete, encouraging students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Candidates are compared using four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
"Holly has just about every good quality you can say about a person" head coach Jim Blankenship said. "She is extremely driven and self-motivated. She wants to be the best at everything and is able to bring that quality out of her teammates as well so that they can do it together. She is a perfectionist in every piece of her life. She is a 4.0 student, makes sure every touch at practice is with a purpose, and is always in the right place on the field during games. She is our team captain, our leader, the person that everyone goes to when they need something. Despite having a fully loaded plate herself, she is quite accommodating in that role, always taking time to help a teammate whether that be on the field or off the field."
"I am proud of her, this is absolutely everything that she stands for on and off the field," said Blankenship. "It means a lot to our program for her to receive this, it represents us well since all of our players know it is student first before athlete."
Weck City:
Junior Melissa Weck (8-0-2) leads the way in the box. Weck has allowed only six goals this season, but in reality, it was four because own goals should not count. Weck also has 36 saves and six shutouts in her name. In the series in Jacksonville, Weck combined for four saves against JU and UNF.
Weck remains third all-time in career shutouts and is five away from surpassing Stephanie Powers (31, 2008-11) for second all-time. Weck has 24.3 shutouts in her career.
Deep Defense:
Along with Weck, the defense has been on top of their game thanks to senior Camille Knudstrup, juniors Opal Curless and Lindsey Patton and sophomore Zoey Spitzer. The Squad has allowed only four goals to go through.
This week Patton, who played both games in her hometown in Jacksonville, was named A-SUN Defensive Player of the Week, the third in her career. Patton currently has two goals, both of which came in the series in Jacksonville.
"We are happy for Lindsey" head coach Jim Blankenship said. "She has been stellar in the back line for us for a long time. It is well-deserved recognition. For her to earn this after playing two games in her hometown this weekend is phenomenal as well."
Elite Nine:
Nine teams in the nation are left without a loss:
FGCU, #1 Stanford (8-0-1), #2 USC (8-0-1), #7 Georgetown (8-0-2), #8 Texas (9-0-2), #9 Washington State (8-0), #18 Colorado (9-0-1), Boston College (10-0), and UC Riverside (9-0-1). FGCU, Georgetown and UC Riverside are the only non-Power 5 Conference teams left without a loss.
To be honest, I thought it eight because I didn't even know that UC Riverside was one of the teams that had no losses. It threw me off guard for some strange reason.
Stanford (vs UCLA), USC (@ California), Georgetown (vs Depaul), Washington State (vs Oregon State), Colorado (@ Arizona State) and #11 Boston College (@ Wake Forest) will play on Sept. 27 in their season matchups. Texas (vs Oklahoma State) will play on Sept. 28 an UC Riverside (@Cal State Fullerton) will play on Sept. 30.
Polls:
Two weeks ago, the Eagles received 37 points in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, but then dropped to two after the draw against Loyola Chicago. They now have three points in receiving votes in the poll.
In the United Soccer Coaches South Region Poll, the Eagles are ranked #5 in the nation.
The Eagles remain at #25 in this week's Hero Sports poll following the two wins, but in the NCAA RPI, the Eagles surprisingly dropped six spots to #47, again, despite two wins by a combined 10-0 score.
A-SUN vs. Power 5:
The final results of the A-SUN vs Power 5 schools:
FGCU vs Alabama (W: 4-2), Michigan (W: 3-2), Ohio State (W: 1-0) 3-0
Lipscomb vs Miami (L:1-0), Kentucky (W: 1-0) 1-1
JU vs RV Vanderbilt (L: 3-0), Pittsburgh (L: 2-1), Miami (T: 1-1 2OT) 0-2-1
UNF: N/A
Stetson vs LSU (L: 2-0), Miami (T: 1-1 2OT), 0-1-1
North Alabama vs RV Vanderbilt (L:4-0) 0-1
Kennesaw State vs Alabama (L: 6-0), Georgia (W: 2-1) 1-1
NJIT: N/A
Liberty vs LSU (L:1-0), #4 Virginia (L: 6-0), Clemson (L: 5-0) 0-3
Deep Defense:
Along with Weck, the defense has been on top of their game thanks to senior Camille Knudstrup, juniors Opal Curless and Lindsey Patton and sophomore Zoey Spitzer. The Squad has allowed only four goals to go through.
This week Patton, who played both games in her hometown in Jacksonville, was named A-SUN Defensive Player of the Week, the third in her career. Patton currently has two goals, both of which came in the series in Jacksonville.
"We are happy for Lindsey" head coach Jim Blankenship said. "She has been stellar in the back line for us for a long time. It is well-deserved recognition. For her to earn this after playing two games in her hometown this weekend is phenomenal as well."
Elite Nine:
Nine teams in the nation are left without a loss:
FGCU, #1 Stanford (8-0-1), #2 USC (8-0-1), #7 Georgetown (8-0-2), #8 Texas (9-0-2), #9 Washington State (8-0), #18 Colorado (9-0-1), Boston College (10-0), and UC Riverside (9-0-1). FGCU, Georgetown and UC Riverside are the only non-Power 5 Conference teams left without a loss.
To be honest, I thought it eight because I didn't even know that UC Riverside was one of the teams that had no losses. It threw me off guard for some strange reason.
Stanford (vs UCLA), USC (@ California), Georgetown (vs Depaul), Washington State (vs Oregon State), Colorado (@ Arizona State) and #11 Boston College (@ Wake Forest) will play on Sept. 27 in their season matchups. Texas (vs Oklahoma State) will play on Sept. 28 an UC Riverside (@Cal State Fullerton) will play on Sept. 30.
Polls:
Two weeks ago, the Eagles received 37 points in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, but then dropped to two after the draw against Loyola Chicago. They now have three points in receiving votes in the poll.
In the United Soccer Coaches South Region Poll, the Eagles are ranked #5 in the nation.
The Eagles remain at #25 in this week's Hero Sports poll following the two wins, but in the NCAA RPI, the Eagles surprisingly dropped six spots to #47, again, despite two wins by a combined 10-0 score.
A-SUN vs. Power 5:
The final results of the A-SUN vs Power 5 schools:
FGCU vs Alabama (W: 4-2), Michigan (W: 3-2), Ohio State (W: 1-0) 3-0
Lipscomb vs Miami (L:1-0), Kentucky (W: 1-0) 1-1
JU vs RV Vanderbilt (L: 3-0), Pittsburgh (L: 2-1), Miami (T: 1-1 2OT) 0-2-1
UNF: N/A
Stetson vs LSU (L: 2-0), Miami (T: 1-1 2OT), 0-1-1
North Alabama vs RV Vanderbilt (L:4-0) 0-1
Kennesaw State vs Alabama (L: 6-0), Georgia (W: 2-1) 1-1
NJIT: N/A
Liberty vs LSU (L:1-0), #4 Virginia (L: 6-0), Clemson (L: 5-0) 0-3
Scouting UNA:
Friday marks the first all-time matchup between FGCU and North Alabama. As announced on December 8, 2016, North Alabama joined the A-SUN after transferring from the NCAA DII Gulf South Conference bringing all 13 sports with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Big South Conference as an independent team.
Since UNA has moved from NCAA DII to DI, they will not be eligible to participate in any of the national tournaments, but they will be eligible to participate in the conference tournaments.
All of the sports for UNA, including the football team, will comply to the four-year transitional period to be eligible as a full time member (until the 2022-23 season).
All of the sports for UNA, including the football team, will comply to the four-year transitional period to be eligible as a full time member (until the 2022-23 season).
The Lions are coming off of winning their opening game at home against Kennesaw State by a score of 2-1. In their non-conference 6-4 with their best outing against Jackson State where the Lions won 7-1.
Offensively, junior Shelby Wall and senior Kylie Huey are the main factors of scoring. Wall currently leads the team in goals (6) while Huey is second (5). In the opening conference game, Wall scored on of the two goals.
For goalkeepers, senior Shelby Thornton (6-3) has allowed 10 goals and has 32 saves. Against Kennesaw, Thornton gave up one goal and had seven saves.
Currently, the Lions sit in a four-way tie for second place with Lipscomb*, Kennesaw and NJIT (*side note: subject to change for Lipscomb against Stetson.)
Currently, the Lions sit in a four-way tie for second place with Lipscomb*, Kennesaw and NJIT (*side note: subject to change for Lipscomb against Stetson.)
Scouting Lipscomb:
The Lady Bison finished their non-conference season 5-3-2 including a 2-1 win over Power 5 Kentucky.
The Lady Bison are coming off of opening conference on the road as they defeated NJIT 5-1 and a 2-0 win at Stetson.
The Lady Bison are coming off of opening conference on the road as they defeated NJIT 5-1 and a 2-0 win at Stetson.
Offensively, junior Olivia Doak leads the Lady Bison with five goals and five assists. In the game against NJIT, Doak scored a goal and added an assist.
Redshirt senior Kate Mason has started all 11 matches and has given up 12 goals with 48 saves. Against NJIT, Mason gave up one goal and had seven saves.
Series History:
Overall, the Eagles are 10-1-3 against the Lady Bison. Last season, the Lady Bison defeated FGCU 1-0 at the FGCU Soccer Complex on Sept. 29, 2017 on a penalty shot for their lone win.
The Eagles returned the favor by defeating the Lady Bison 3-2 in double overtime in the A-SUN Women's Soccer Championship Finals to punch their ticket to the 2017 NCAA National Tournament. In fact, the Eagles have won three-straight years against Lipscomb in the A-SUN Women's Soccer Championship Finals (2015 5-0; 2016 2-0; 2017 3-2).
The Eagles returned the favor by defeating the Lady Bison 3-2 in double overtime in the A-SUN Women's Soccer Championship Finals to punch their ticket to the 2017 NCAA National Tournament. In fact, the Eagles have won three-straight years against Lipscomb in the A-SUN Women's Soccer Championship Finals (2015 5-0; 2016 2-0; 2017 3-2).
A-SUN Standings:
1. FGCU 6 (2-0-0) 8-0-2
2. Kennesaw State 3 (1-1-0) 8-3-1
3. NJIT 3 (1-1-0) 7-3-1
4. North Alabama 3 (1-0-0) 7-4-0
5. Lipscomb 3 (1-0-0) 6-3-2
6. Jacksonville 3 (1-1-0) 1-8-1
7. North Florida 1 (0-1-1) 5-4-1
8. Stetson 1 (0-1-1) 3-5-3
9. Liberty 0 (0-2-0) 1-9-0
How to Keep Up:
Both games will have livestats available and will air on Facebook Live on the FGCU women's soccer Facebook page.
Fans can also keep up with the teams on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_WSoccer
North Alabama: @UNASoccer
Lipscomb: @LipscombWSOC
Promotions:
In the game against North Alabama, it is ruled as a greenout, so marketing is encouraging students and fans to wear green to the game.
In the game against Lipscomb, it is ruled as a blueout, and like the greenout, marketing is encouraging students and fans to wear blue to the game.
Other promotions are as listed:
1. Poster Signing: Stay after the game to have your poster signed by the players (North Alabama)
2. Dirty Bird Pickup: Students can sign up to be Dirty Birds or pick up their gear (both games)
3. Cups For Corners: FGCU cups thrown into the student section for corner kicks (North Alabama)
4. Pink Sales: 2018-19 pink shirts on sale. All proceeds benefit the ACS (both games)
5. Housing Challenge: Housing areas will compete for a winning banner in their hall (North Alabama)
6. Shirts For Shots: T-Shirts thrown out for every FGCU shot on goal (Lipscomb)
7.World Cup Night: International organizations on/off campus recognized at halftime (Lipscomb)
8. Faculty/Staff Appreciation: FGCU faculty and staff will be recognized at halftime (Lipscomb)
9. FGCU Sunglasses: Free FGCU sunglasses given out to the first 100 fans (Lipscomb)
10. Girl Scout Day: Girl Scouts will be recognized at halftime & interact with players postgame (Lipscomb)
11. Feed your Fortitude: Food trucks will be invited to sell at the game (Lipscomb)
Links to Livestats vs UNA: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=229956
Link to Livestats vs Lipscomb: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=229957
Link to livestream vs UNA and Lipscomb: https://www.facebook.com/FGCUWSoccer/
FGCU: @FGCU_WSoccer
North Alabama: @UNASoccer
Lipscomb: @LipscombWSOC
Promotions:
In the game against North Alabama, it is ruled as a greenout, so marketing is encouraging students and fans to wear green to the game.
In the game against Lipscomb, it is ruled as a blueout, and like the greenout, marketing is encouraging students and fans to wear blue to the game.
Other promotions are as listed:
1. Poster Signing: Stay after the game to have your poster signed by the players (North Alabama)
2. Dirty Bird Pickup: Students can sign up to be Dirty Birds or pick up their gear (both games)
3. Cups For Corners: FGCU cups thrown into the student section for corner kicks (North Alabama)
4. Pink Sales: 2018-19 pink shirts on sale. All proceeds benefit the ACS (both games)
5. Housing Challenge: Housing areas will compete for a winning banner in their hall (North Alabama)
6. Shirts For Shots: T-Shirts thrown out for every FGCU shot on goal (Lipscomb)
7.World Cup Night: International organizations on/off campus recognized at halftime (Lipscomb)
8. Faculty/Staff Appreciation: FGCU faculty and staff will be recognized at halftime (Lipscomb)
9. FGCU Sunglasses: Free FGCU sunglasses given out to the first 100 fans (Lipscomb)
10. Girl Scout Day: Girl Scouts will be recognized at halftime & interact with players postgame (Lipscomb)
11. Feed your Fortitude: Food trucks will be invited to sell at the game (Lipscomb)
Links to Livestats vs UNA: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=229956
Link to Livestats vs Lipscomb: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=229957
Link to livestream vs UNA and Lipscomb: https://www.facebook.com/FGCUWSoccer/
FGCU W. Soc @ UNF Recap
Juniors Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen and Evdokia "Evi" Popdinova aka the A-SUN Legion of Doom lead the way in both halves as the RV FGCU women's soccer team (8-0-2, 2-0 A-SUN) wrapped up their two-match road trip in Jacksonville by clipping UNF's wings (5-4-1, 0-1-1 A-SUN) by a score of 4-0. With the win, the Eagles are now 11-1-1 against the Ospreys.
"It was a great weekend" Blankenship said. "We got points on the road and that is what we came up here to do. I am pleased with how the kids played, it was a good overall performance. We got a chance to play a lot of people and that is going to be a strength throughout the season with everybody contributing.".
"FGCU is a very good team and we knew it was going to be a battle, said head coach Robin Confer. "We had a game plan that was working and thought we frustrated them a bit. We held them to three shots in the second half, but unfortunately those shots went in. It's tough to stay in a game when that happens.We will regroup and focus on next weekend which will be another tough two games. We like that we will be playing at home."
"This team has come a long way since the start of the season and had the longest unbeaten streak in the program's Division I era," Confer added on FGCU's record. "Our girls responded well after the 0-3 start and I know they will be ready for this weekend."
As usual, Blakenship sent junior Melissa Weck as starting goalkeeper while Confer sent redshirt sophomore Rhiannon Conelley to counter.
Going into the first half, several corner kicks and fouls occurred, and with senior Shay Jackson suspended for the game, Blakenship had sophomore Kavina Ganeshan as her replacement. Ganeshan played for 53 minutes throughout the whole match.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, Popadinova would open the flood gates first as she scored her eighth goal of the season with assists from Boilesen and fellow junior Silvana "Silv" Gordon before the first half ended.
Going into the second half, eight minutes in, sophomore Cassidy Morgan would receive a yellow card which also involved a injury substitution as freshman Avery Sweet subbed in for sophomore Hannah Menendez.
Nine minutes later, Boilesen would extend the Eagles with a header to make it 2-0 FGCU with assists from sophomore Zoey Spitzer and senior Camille Knudstrup. This was Boilesen's fifth goal of the season and her 16th career goal.
The Sao Paulo native is now tied with Gina Petracco (16, 2008-11) for 7th all-time. Boilesen needs one goal to surpass Petracco and tie with Ally Kasun (17, 2012-15) and two to surpass Kasun for 6th all-time.
73 minutes in, junior Lindsey Patton would flick another Eagles header to make it 3-0 with an assist from senior Holly Fritz. This was Patton's second goal of the season.
With 20 minutes left, freshman Alyssa Abbondandolo would seal the deal with her second goal of the season with an assist from Gordon.
Weck (8-0-2, 2-0 A-SUN) finished with her sixth shutout of the season and her 27th in her career while adding two saves. Weck remains third all-time in career shutouts and is five away from surpassing Stephanie Powers (31- 2008-11) for second all-time.
Knudstrup and Gordon had two assists each.
Conelley (5-4-1, 0-1-1 A-SUN) would end giving up all four goals and finished with three saves.
The Eagles outshot the Ospreys 15-5 (8-2 with shots on goal) and had eight corner kicks.
So far, FGCU remains as one of eight teams without a loss with seven of them being Power 5 Conference schools. Earlier today, #9 Auburn fell 3-2 to Ole Miss in SEC play.
The other losses are listed by date:
9/13: TCU (7-2-2) fell to Santa Clara
9/14: then # 2, now #7 Florida State (8-1-1) lost to UNC in ACC play and Mississippi State (8-1) lost to #9 Auburn in SEC play
9/16: then #12, now #21 Northwestern (7-2-2) fell to Minnesota in Big Ten play, then #11, now #19 Tennessee (7-1-1) fell to now #13 South Carolina in SEC play, and then #18, now #24 Kansas (7-2-2) fell to then #4, now #2 Texas A&M (10-1)
9/17: now RV UW-Milwaukee (8-1) fell to Marquette
9/20: Texas A&M fell to Arkansas and then #5, now #4 Virginia fell to Clemson.
The only other non-Power 5 Conference without a loss is Georgetown (8-0-2), who beat St. Johns in Big East play.
Up Next:
The Eagles return home for their first two conference games at home as they welcome one of the two newest members of the A-SUN, North Alabama, and Lipscomb.
"It was a great weekend" Blankenship said. "We got points on the road and that is what we came up here to do. I am pleased with how the kids played, it was a good overall performance. We got a chance to play a lot of people and that is going to be a strength throughout the season with everybody contributing.".
"FGCU is a very good team and we knew it was going to be a battle, said head coach Robin Confer. "We had a game plan that was working and thought we frustrated them a bit. We held them to three shots in the second half, but unfortunately those shots went in. It's tough to stay in a game when that happens.We will regroup and focus on next weekend which will be another tough two games. We like that we will be playing at home."
"This team has come a long way since the start of the season and had the longest unbeaten streak in the program's Division I era," Confer added on FGCU's record. "Our girls responded well after the 0-3 start and I know they will be ready for this weekend."
Going into the first half, several corner kicks and fouls occurred, and with senior Shay Jackson suspended for the game, Blakenship had sophomore Kavina Ganeshan as her replacement. Ganeshan played for 53 minutes throughout the whole match.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, Popadinova would open the flood gates first as she scored her eighth goal of the season with assists from Boilesen and fellow junior Silvana "Silv" Gordon before the first half ended.
Going into the second half, eight minutes in, sophomore Cassidy Morgan would receive a yellow card which also involved a injury substitution as freshman Avery Sweet subbed in for sophomore Hannah Menendez.
Nine minutes later, Boilesen would extend the Eagles with a header to make it 2-0 FGCU with assists from sophomore Zoey Spitzer and senior Camille Knudstrup. This was Boilesen's fifth goal of the season and her 16th career goal.
The Sao Paulo native is now tied with Gina Petracco (16, 2008-11) for 7th all-time. Boilesen needs one goal to surpass Petracco and tie with Ally Kasun (17, 2012-15) and two to surpass Kasun for 6th all-time.
73 minutes in, junior Lindsey Patton would flick another Eagles header to make it 3-0 with an assist from senior Holly Fritz. This was Patton's second goal of the season.
With 20 minutes left, freshman Alyssa Abbondandolo would seal the deal with her second goal of the season with an assist from Gordon.
Weck (8-0-2, 2-0 A-SUN) finished with her sixth shutout of the season and her 27th in her career while adding two saves. Weck remains third all-time in career shutouts and is five away from surpassing Stephanie Powers (31- 2008-11) for second all-time.
Knudstrup and Gordon had two assists each.
Conelley (5-4-1, 0-1-1 A-SUN) would end giving up all four goals and finished with three saves.
The Eagles outshot the Ospreys 15-5 (8-2 with shots on goal) and had eight corner kicks.
So far, FGCU remains as one of eight teams without a loss with seven of them being Power 5 Conference schools. Earlier today, #9 Auburn fell 3-2 to Ole Miss in SEC play.
The other losses are listed by date:
9/13: TCU (7-2-2) fell to Santa Clara
9/14: then # 2, now #7 Florida State (8-1-1) lost to UNC in ACC play and Mississippi State (8-1) lost to #9 Auburn in SEC play
9/16: then #12, now #21 Northwestern (7-2-2) fell to Minnesota in Big Ten play, then #11, now #19 Tennessee (7-1-1) fell to now #13 South Carolina in SEC play, and then #18, now #24 Kansas (7-2-2) fell to then #4, now #2 Texas A&M (10-1)
9/17: now RV UW-Milwaukee (8-1) fell to Marquette
9/20: Texas A&M fell to Arkansas and then #5, now #4 Virginia fell to Clemson.
The only other non-Power 5 Conference without a loss is Georgetown (8-0-2), who beat St. Johns in Big East play.
Up Next:
The Eagles return home for their first two conference games at home as they welcome one of the two newest members of the A-SUN, North Alabama, and Lipscomb.
FGCU M. Soc @ NJIT Recap
The FGCU men's soccer team (4-2-1, 1-0 A-SUN) opened their portion of A-SUN Conference play on the road in Newark, New Jersey as they defeated NJIT (5-3, 0-1 A-SUN). With the win, the Eagles are now 3-0 against the Highlanders.
"Another very good team win today," said head coach Jesse Cormier. "We had 20 plus guys involved today against a very competitive, mature NJIT squad who were 5-2 and the guys came together, stretched themselves and put the team first. Shak is in great form, the backline and Gustavo resisted everything that was thrown our way, including the penalty. Very proud of our collective effort."
"We had a lot of chances to score today -- a missed a pk and unfortunately we were unable to put one away," said NJIT head coach Fernando Barboto. "I thought we dominated most of the game and possession."
For goalkeepers, Cormier sent redshirt sophomore Gustavo Vasconcelos to start while Barboto sent junior Victor Pujades to counter.
After FGCU fired a pair of shots on goal through the first six minutes, the Highlanders nearly took an early advantage in the 15th minute. NJIT was awarded a penalty kick but the Brazilian made a diving save to the far right post to keep the contest knotted at zero.
Playing off junior Joao Burti, who checked into the game three minutes before, junior Shak Adams beat two defenders and the keeper to the far side to give the Green and Blue the 1-0 margin. Adams has now scored in each of the past three games with his fifth goal of the season.
Following the intermission, Vasconcelos secured his second save of the afternoon in the 56th minute to keep NJIT from scratching the board. The Brazil native would come up big once again, this time off a direct kick. In the 69th minute, Pablo Jimenez nearly tallied the equalizer as it took a diving save from Vasconcelos to keep the Eagles ahead.
As the FGCU defense continued to stand tall, the insurance for the Eagles came in the 86th minute. Playing off a corner, Adam's shot ricocheted off a defender inside the box, but redshit senior Jordan Lue was there for the tap-in, his first goal of the season and with the Eagles.
In total, NJIT recorded three shots the entire half, all secured by Vasconcelos (2-1-1) who finished the match with seven saves.
Pujades (5-3) gave up both goals and had six saves
The Eagles outshot the Highlanders 15-8 and produced six corners in the second half compared to NJIT's two.
A total of 21 members of the Eagles all saw action in the team's 2-0 triumph.
UP NEXT
FGCU will welcome cross-state foe FAU to The Nest Tuesday afternoon at 7 p.m. The Eagles lead the all-time series 5-4-1, taking the last three of four matches while outscoring the Owls 9-1 during that stretch.
"Another very good team win today," said head coach Jesse Cormier. "We had 20 plus guys involved today against a very competitive, mature NJIT squad who were 5-2 and the guys came together, stretched themselves and put the team first. Shak is in great form, the backline and Gustavo resisted everything that was thrown our way, including the penalty. Very proud of our collective effort."
"We had a lot of chances to score today -- a missed a pk and unfortunately we were unable to put one away," said NJIT head coach Fernando Barboto. "I thought we dominated most of the game and possession."
For goalkeepers, Cormier sent redshirt sophomore Gustavo Vasconcelos to start while Barboto sent junior Victor Pujades to counter.
After FGCU fired a pair of shots on goal through the first six minutes, the Highlanders nearly took an early advantage in the 15th minute. NJIT was awarded a penalty kick but the Brazilian made a diving save to the far right post to keep the contest knotted at zero.
Playing off junior Joao Burti, who checked into the game three minutes before, junior Shak Adams beat two defenders and the keeper to the far side to give the Green and Blue the 1-0 margin. Adams has now scored in each of the past three games with his fifth goal of the season.
Following the intermission, Vasconcelos secured his second save of the afternoon in the 56th minute to keep NJIT from scratching the board. The Brazil native would come up big once again, this time off a direct kick. In the 69th minute, Pablo Jimenez nearly tallied the equalizer as it took a diving save from Vasconcelos to keep the Eagles ahead.
As the FGCU defense continued to stand tall, the insurance for the Eagles came in the 86th minute. Playing off a corner, Adam's shot ricocheted off a defender inside the box, but redshit senior Jordan Lue was there for the tap-in, his first goal of the season and with the Eagles.
In total, NJIT recorded three shots the entire half, all secured by Vasconcelos (2-1-1) who finished the match with seven saves.
Pujades (5-3) gave up both goals and had six saves
The Eagles outshot the Highlanders 15-8 and produced six corners in the second half compared to NJIT's two.
A total of 21 members of the Eagles all saw action in the team's 2-0 triumph.
UP NEXT
FGCU will welcome cross-state foe FAU to The Nest Tuesday afternoon at 7 p.m. The Eagles lead the all-time series 5-4-1, taking the last three of four matches while outscoring the Owls 9-1 during that stretch.
FGCU W. Golf: Lady Furman Invitational Recap- Day Three
The FGCU women's golf team fired a program-record final-round 289 to produce a ninth-place finish at the 16-team Lady Paladin Invitational hosted by Furman University on Sunday.
"Today was an awesome day for us across the board," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "Everyone played solid and contributed big time. We only had a four shot difference from our low round and our drop scores, which is very impressive. I think this is definitely something we can build off. If we set our minds to it with some hard work, this is something we can do on a regular basis."
The Green and Blue trimmed 15 strokes off their second-round score and were led by a 2-under 70 from senior Madeline Marck-Sherk. Following that, fellow senior Kelsy Holbert, sophomore Natalia Nassar and freshman Laura Edmonds each shot a 1-over 73, while junior Kate Williamson checked with a 2-over 74. The team's 289 score topped the previous program record of 290.
"We started off hot and had a few bumps in the middle of our round, but finished nicely," Trew said. "I am very proud of Natalia. She had a penalty on No. 17 that could have derailed her, but she ended up shooting 2-under on her remaining holes. Madeline played very solid for us and had her best round of the year. Kelsy, Laura and Kate had good rounds, as well."
Nassar suffered back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes, but birdied three of the next six holes to finish 3-under over her final nine.
Marck-Sherk started 4-under over the first nine holes before cruising to a season-best 2-under 70, which matched her career-low.
Holbert birdied the first and 15th holes to finish with a team-low 221 (+5), which was good for a 30th-place tie, while Nassar and Marck-Sherk tied for 35th and 43rd, respectively.
Williamson tied Marck-Sherk for the team-high in birdies with four to finish in a tie for 48th behind a 226 (+10).
Edmonds rounded out the lineup with a season-best 73 (+1) to finish at 228 (+12).
Overall, seven strokes separated Holbert and Edmonds in the lineup for the Eagles, who tallied 15 birdies overall in the final round.
Up Next:
The Eagles will be back in action Oct. 1-3 in the Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, Mo. before closing out the fall season Oct. 21-23 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. at the 41st Annual Pat Bradley Invitational.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T-30. Kelsy Holbert – 73-75-73---221 (+5)
T-35. Natalia Nassar – 71-79-73---223 (+7)
T-43. Madeline Marck-Sherk – 79-76-70---225 (+9)
T-48. Kate Williamson – 77-75-74---226 (+10)
T-62. Laura Edmonds – 77-78-73---228 (+12)
Team Standings
1. #8 – Furman – 283-283-290---856 (-8)
2. #65 - Coastal Carolina – 293-289-288---870 (+6)
3. #48 - Kennesaw State – 290-290-298---878 (+14)
4. #72 – Augusta – 295-292-292---879 (+15)
T-5. #90 – Kansas – 297-295-289---881 (+17)
T-5. #106 - North Florida – 287-302-292---881 (+17)
T-7. #74 - Kansas State – 302-298-288---888 (+24)
T-7. #67 – Memphis – 303-295-290---888 (+24)
9. #128 - FGCU – 298-304-289---891 (+27)
10. #155 - South Florida – 299-293-300---892 (+28)
11. #141 – Tulsa – 299-299-296---894 (+30)
12. #60 - Old Dominion – 297-299-299---895 (+31)
13. #150 - Georgia Southern – 304-300-296---900 (+36)
14. #151 - Georgia State – 310-304-295---909 (+45)
15. #1 - Daytona State (NJCAA) – 310-304-299---913 (+49)
16. #147 - James Madison – 308-310-301---919 (+55)
"Today was an awesome day for us across the board," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "Everyone played solid and contributed big time. We only had a four shot difference from our low round and our drop scores, which is very impressive. I think this is definitely something we can build off. If we set our minds to it with some hard work, this is something we can do on a regular basis."
The Green and Blue trimmed 15 strokes off their second-round score and were led by a 2-under 70 from senior Madeline Marck-Sherk. Following that, fellow senior Kelsy Holbert, sophomore Natalia Nassar and freshman Laura Edmonds each shot a 1-over 73, while junior Kate Williamson checked with a 2-over 74. The team's 289 score topped the previous program record of 290.
"We started off hot and had a few bumps in the middle of our round, but finished nicely," Trew said. "I am very proud of Natalia. She had a penalty on No. 17 that could have derailed her, but she ended up shooting 2-under on her remaining holes. Madeline played very solid for us and had her best round of the year. Kelsy, Laura and Kate had good rounds, as well."
Nassar suffered back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes, but birdied three of the next six holes to finish 3-under over her final nine.
Marck-Sherk started 4-under over the first nine holes before cruising to a season-best 2-under 70, which matched her career-low.
Holbert birdied the first and 15th holes to finish with a team-low 221 (+5), which was good for a 30th-place tie, while Nassar and Marck-Sherk tied for 35th and 43rd, respectively.
Williamson tied Marck-Sherk for the team-high in birdies with four to finish in a tie for 48th behind a 226 (+10).
Edmonds rounded out the lineup with a season-best 73 (+1) to finish at 228 (+12).
Overall, seven strokes separated Holbert and Edmonds in the lineup for the Eagles, who tallied 15 birdies overall in the final round.
Up Next:
The Eagles will be back in action Oct. 1-3 in the Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, Mo. before closing out the fall season Oct. 21-23 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. at the 41st Annual Pat Bradley Invitational.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T-30. Kelsy Holbert – 73-75-73---221 (+5)
T-35. Natalia Nassar – 71-79-73---223 (+7)
T-43. Madeline Marck-Sherk – 79-76-70---225 (+9)
T-48. Kate Williamson – 77-75-74---226 (+10)
T-62. Laura Edmonds – 77-78-73---228 (+12)
Team Standings
1. #8 – Furman – 283-283-290---856 (-8)
2. #65 - Coastal Carolina – 293-289-288---870 (+6)
3. #48 - Kennesaw State – 290-290-298---878 (+14)
4. #72 – Augusta – 295-292-292---879 (+15)
T-5. #90 – Kansas – 297-295-289---881 (+17)
T-5. #106 - North Florida – 287-302-292---881 (+17)
T-7. #74 - Kansas State – 302-298-288---888 (+24)
T-7. #67 – Memphis – 303-295-290---888 (+24)
9. #128 - FGCU – 298-304-289---891 (+27)
10. #155 - South Florida – 299-293-300---892 (+28)
11. #141 – Tulsa – 299-299-296---894 (+30)
12. #60 - Old Dominion – 297-299-299---895 (+31)
13. #150 - Georgia Southern – 304-300-296---900 (+36)
14. #151 - Georgia State – 310-304-295---909 (+45)
15. #1 - Daytona State (NJCAA) – 310-304-299---913 (+49)
16. #147 - James Madison – 308-310-301---919 (+55)
FGCU VB @ UNF Recap
After sweeping Jacksonville to start conference play, the FGCU volleyball team (9-5,2-0 A-SUN) wrapped up their road trip in Jacksonville as they clipped UNF(5-12, 0-3 A-SUN) 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-13). With the win, the Eagles are now 21-6 overall against the Ospreys.
"I just loved the way the team competed tonight," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Our passers did a great job, and I thought both Maggie (Rick) and Chelsey (Lockey) put their hitters in good spots. Going into that third set we felt pretty good offensively but still weren't were we needed to be on the defensive end. I thought the team's commitment to that side of the game showed up big in that set."
"We are focused on one thing at a time right now from having a competitive mentality, being aggressive and committing to what we have committed to at the beginning of the season in terms of effort and attitude," UNF head coach Kristen Wright said. "The feedback is that we need to have a balanced attack. Tonight Gabby O'Connell was hot and FGCU made an adjustment."
It was sophomore Cortney VanLiew that led the way on the offensive front. VanLiew would finish with 20 kills and was one dig shy of a double-double.
"Cortney's performance all around was very impressive," Botsford said. "She is starting to mature with her decision making and shot selection and is reading the defense extremely well."
Senior Maggie Rick would get her 15th career double-double as she finished with 19 assists and 10 digs. Rick also added two kills to the mix.
Defensively, freshman Dana Axner finished with 13 digs and a career high eight assists. Axner has had at least five assists in seven of the past 10 matches, and at least eight digs in every match this year, including double-digits in all but three.
The Block Party (senior Kaiti Krivdo and Sharonda Pickering, juniors Dani Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti and sophomore Snowy Burnam) combined for 24 kills and 16 blocks. Pickering and Borgiotti would finish with six kills each while Krivdo led the way with two solo blocks.
Not far from Rick, freshman Chelsea Lockey finished also finished with double-digits (16) and added an ace and five digs.
Other players that contributed were sophomore Alayna Ryan and senior Karissa Rhoades. Ryan had an ace while Rhoades had a kill, an ace and eight digs.
For the Ospreys, sophomore Gabby O'Connell led the way offensively with 11 kills and seven digs while junior Taryn Griffey followed with nine kills and four blocks.
Defensively, along with Griffey's four blocks, sophomores Callie Workman and Madison Donnelly finished in double digits digs (Workman: 13, Donnelly: 10).
In addition to the win against UNF, Botsford now has 98 career wins and needs two more to become the second head coach in program history to reach 100 career wins since Jaye Flood (103).
As it stands, the Eagles are currently in a three-way tie for first place in conference with Lipscomb and Liberty.
Up Next:
The Eagles continue conference play on the road as they head to Newark, New Jersey to face NJIT on Sept. 28 at 6 PM before traveling to Florence, Alabama to face new A-SUN Conference, North Alabama on Sept. 30 at 1 PM.
"I just loved the way the team competed tonight," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Our passers did a great job, and I thought both Maggie (Rick) and Chelsey (Lockey) put their hitters in good spots. Going into that third set we felt pretty good offensively but still weren't were we needed to be on the defensive end. I thought the team's commitment to that side of the game showed up big in that set."
"We are focused on one thing at a time right now from having a competitive mentality, being aggressive and committing to what we have committed to at the beginning of the season in terms of effort and attitude," UNF head coach Kristen Wright said. "The feedback is that we need to have a balanced attack. Tonight Gabby O'Connell was hot and FGCU made an adjustment."
It was sophomore Cortney VanLiew that led the way on the offensive front. VanLiew would finish with 20 kills and was one dig shy of a double-double.
"Cortney's performance all around was very impressive," Botsford said. "She is starting to mature with her decision making and shot selection and is reading the defense extremely well."
Defensively, freshman Dana Axner finished with 13 digs and a career high eight assists. Axner has had at least five assists in seven of the past 10 matches, and at least eight digs in every match this year, including double-digits in all but three.
The Block Party (senior Kaiti Krivdo and Sharonda Pickering, juniors Dani Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti and sophomore Snowy Burnam) combined for 24 kills and 16 blocks. Pickering and Borgiotti would finish with six kills each while Krivdo led the way with two solo blocks.
Not far from Rick, freshman Chelsea Lockey finished also finished with double-digits (16) and added an ace and five digs.
Other players that contributed were sophomore Alayna Ryan and senior Karissa Rhoades. Ryan had an ace while Rhoades had a kill, an ace and eight digs.
For the Ospreys, sophomore Gabby O'Connell led the way offensively with 11 kills and seven digs while junior Taryn Griffey followed with nine kills and four blocks.
Defensively, along with Griffey's four blocks, sophomores Callie Workman and Madison Donnelly finished in double digits digs (Workman: 13, Donnelly: 10).
In addition to the win against UNF, Botsford now has 98 career wins and needs two more to become the second head coach in program history to reach 100 career wins since Jaye Flood (103).
As it stands, the Eagles are currently in a three-way tie for first place in conference with Lipscomb and Liberty.
Up Next:
The Eagles continue conference play on the road as they head to Newark, New Jersey to face NJIT on Sept. 28 at 6 PM before traveling to Florence, Alabama to face new A-SUN Conference, North Alabama on Sept. 30 at 1 PM.
FGCU W. Golf: Lady Furman Invitational Recap- Day Two
Senior Kelsy Holbert and junior Kate Williamson each shot a 75 (+3) in the second round of the Lady Paladin Invitational on Saturday as the FGCU women's golf team sits in 12th place following a 304 (+16) round.
"Unfortunately, we didn't have anyone go low today as we are very capable of doing of individually and as a team," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "We were pretty consistent, which is a positive, but we definitely are losing shots on the short holes and par fives. If we can focus tomorrow on taking advantage of those holes, we can easily move up the leaderboard."
The Green and Blue sit just 11 strokes of sole possession of sixth place in a field that features eight teams ranked within the nation's top 100 by GolfStat. The tournament concludes on Sunday with 18 holes.
"With a field this strong, an off day can be tough," Trew said. "We are certainly capable of rebounding on Sunday and moving up the leaderboard."
Holbert is positioned four strokes over par with a 148 through two rounds and is locked in a tie for 28th place.
Meanwhile, sophomore Natalia Nassar is second on the team as she's tied for 40th despite a second-round 79.
Williamson improved her first-round score by two strokes and sits at 152 (+8) through two rounds, which has her tied for 52nd place.
Freshman Laura Edmonds and senior Madeline Marck-Sherk round out the lineup as both are tied for 65th place with a 155 (+11). Marck-Sherk finished with a 76 (+4) on Saturday, which was one stroke shy of the team-low.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T-28. Kelsy Holbert – 73-75---148 (+4)
T-40. Natalia Nassar – 71-79---150 (+6)
T-52. Kate Williamson – 77-75---152 (+8)
T-65. Laura Edmonds – 77-78---155 (+11)
T-65. Madeline Marck-Sherk – 79-76---155 (+11)
Team Standings
1. #8 – Furman – 283-283---566 (-10)
2. #48 - Kennesaw State – 290-290---580 (+4)
3. #65 - Coastal Carolina – 293-289---582 (+6)
4. #72 – Augusta – 295-292---587 (+11)
5. #106 - North Florida – 287-302---589 (+13)
T-6. #90 – Kansas – 297-295---592 (+16)
T-6. #155 - South Florida – 299-293---592 (+16)
8. #60 - Old Dominion – 297-299---596 (+20)
T-9. #141 – Tulsa – 299-299---598 (+22)
T-9. #67 – Memphis – 303-295---598 (+22)
11. #74 - Kansas State – 302-298---600 (+24)
12. #128 - FGCU – 298-304---602 (+26)
13. #150 - Georgia Southern – 304-300---604 (+28)
T-14. #151 - Georgia State – 310-304---614 (+38)
T-14. #1 - Daytona State (NJCAA) – 310-304---614 (+38)
16. #147 - James Madison – 308-310---618 (+42)
"Unfortunately, we didn't have anyone go low today as we are very capable of doing of individually and as a team," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "We were pretty consistent, which is a positive, but we definitely are losing shots on the short holes and par fives. If we can focus tomorrow on taking advantage of those holes, we can easily move up the leaderboard."
The Green and Blue sit just 11 strokes of sole possession of sixth place in a field that features eight teams ranked within the nation's top 100 by GolfStat. The tournament concludes on Sunday with 18 holes.
"With a field this strong, an off day can be tough," Trew said. "We are certainly capable of rebounding on Sunday and moving up the leaderboard."
Holbert is positioned four strokes over par with a 148 through two rounds and is locked in a tie for 28th place.
Meanwhile, sophomore Natalia Nassar is second on the team as she's tied for 40th despite a second-round 79.
Williamson improved her first-round score by two strokes and sits at 152 (+8) through two rounds, which has her tied for 52nd place.
Freshman Laura Edmonds and senior Madeline Marck-Sherk round out the lineup as both are tied for 65th place with a 155 (+11). Marck-Sherk finished with a 76 (+4) on Saturday, which was one stroke shy of the team-low.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T-28. Kelsy Holbert – 73-75---148 (+4)
T-40. Natalia Nassar – 71-79---150 (+6)
T-52. Kate Williamson – 77-75---152 (+8)
T-65. Laura Edmonds – 77-78---155 (+11)
T-65. Madeline Marck-Sherk – 79-76---155 (+11)
Team Standings
1. #8 – Furman – 283-283---566 (-10)
2. #48 - Kennesaw State – 290-290---580 (+4)
3. #65 - Coastal Carolina – 293-289---582 (+6)
4. #72 – Augusta – 295-292---587 (+11)
5. #106 - North Florida – 287-302---589 (+13)
T-6. #90 – Kansas – 297-295---592 (+16)
T-6. #155 - South Florida – 299-293---592 (+16)
8. #60 - Old Dominion – 297-299---596 (+20)
T-9. #141 – Tulsa – 299-299---598 (+22)
T-9. #67 – Memphis – 303-295---598 (+22)
11. #74 - Kansas State – 302-298---600 (+24)
12. #128 - FGCU – 298-304---602 (+26)
13. #150 - Georgia Southern – 304-300---604 (+28)
T-14. #151 - Georgia State – 310-304---614 (+38)
T-14. #1 - Daytona State (NJCAA) – 310-304---614 (+38)
16. #147 - James Madison – 308-310---618 (+42)
FGCU W. Soc @ JU Recap
The FGCU Women's Soccer team (7-0-2, 1-0 A-SUN) put together a dominating performance in their A-SUN opener Friday night in Jacksonville, as they clobbered Jacksonville (0-8-1, 0-1 A-SUN) 6-0. With the win, the Eagles are now 7-2-6 overall against the Dolphins. In addition, head coach Jim Blakenship earned his 150th win with the Eagles Friday.
"That's a phenomenal way to start conference play" Blankenship said. "It's important to get off on the right foot and our kids took a great mentality into the game and set the tone early and then were relentless throughout. I am very proud of them."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent his usual starter to the box, junior Melissa Weck, while Jacksonville head coach Laura Kane sent senior Brittany Hundley to counter.
In the first half, not even 10 minutes in, the Eagles would get on the board first as one half of the A-SUN Legion of Doom, junior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen, scored her fourth goal of the season with an assist from freshman Kara Kyramarios to make it 1-0 FGCU. This was Boilesen's 15th career goal and she is now two away from surpassing Gina Petracco (16) for seventh all-time in career goals.
In the 26th minute, the Eagles were on the attack again as sophomore Cassidy Morgan and junior Opal Curless played a long through ball to junior and the other half of the A-SUN Legion of Doom, junior Evdokia "Evi" Popadinova, found herself one on one with the keeper before whizzing one past her for her seventh goal of the season to put FGCU on top 2-0 before the end of the first half.
Early in the second half, it was the Hope Van Wagner show to begin. The sophomore cashed in her first chance of the night just over three minutes into the period on a silky smooth pass from Popadinova to make it 3-0. Van Wagner then launched a rocket from outside the box to the top 90 just moments later to make it a 4-0 game. These were her second and third goals of the season.
In the 73rd minute, the Eagles made a substitution as freshman Stephanie Starr came in for Weck. Starr was making her debut after graduating from Edward S. Marcus High School.
Going into the 75th minute, the Eagles drew a foul in the box on a free kick to earn a penalty kick. Senior Shay Jackson would be the one to take it for the Eagles as she tucked it into the corner of the net to put FGCU in front 5-0. This was Jackson's first goal of the season.
Jackson would end up getting a red card and was ejected for the final two minutes, which I thought was stupid because she got pushed down from a hard foul and the JU player should have got a red card not only for pushing her, but for not letting go of Jackson's foot in addition. Jackson will be suspended for the game against UNF.
The Eagles weren't done yet though. Just three minutes later, they got another chance on a corner from freshman Brianna Hatfield as she put it on the money, finding the head of the hometown girl, junior Lindsey Patton, for her first goal of the year to put the cherry on top of a 6-0 victory.
11 different Eagles were a part of the scoring on the night.
Van Wagner led FGCU with four points on her two goals, Popadinova had three points with a goal and an assist and Boilesen had two points with a goal.
Weck (7-0-2) made a pair of saves before giving way to Starr who had one in 16 minutes of work.
Starr would get a save for 16 minutes of play.
Hundley (0-8-1) gave up all six goals and had sight saves.
Junior Kristian Shores, who subbed in for Hundley, had one save in 10 minutes of play.
FGCU had a season high 25 shots in the win and also a season best 15 on goal. JU managed just seven, with only three of those on net.
The Eagles earned nine corners on the night, taking advantage by netting a pair of goals off set pieces.
Talking about overall records, the Eagles went from one of 18 teams to one of nine teams without a loss this season. The nine teams that lost are listed and who they lost to:
1. #2 Florida State (8-1-1) lost to UNC
2. #4 Texas A&M (10-1) lost to Arkansas
3. #5 Virginia (7-1) lost to Clemson
4. #11 Tennessee (7-1-1) lost to South Carolina
5. #12 Northwestern (7-1-2) lost to Minnesota
6. #18 Kansas (7-1-2) lost to #4 Texas A&M
7. Mississippi State (8-1) lost to #9 Auburn
8. TCU (7-1-1) lost to Butler
9. UW-Milwaukee (7-1) lost to Marquette
*subject to change on Tuesday, Sept 25
Up Next:
The Eagles will return to action on Sunday in Jacksonville as they travel crosstown to take on North Florida (5-3-1) for conference play.
"That's a phenomenal way to start conference play" Blankenship said. "It's important to get off on the right foot and our kids took a great mentality into the game and set the tone early and then were relentless throughout. I am very proud of them."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent his usual starter to the box, junior Melissa Weck, while Jacksonville head coach Laura Kane sent senior Brittany Hundley to counter.
In the first half, not even 10 minutes in, the Eagles would get on the board first as one half of the A-SUN Legion of Doom, junior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen, scored her fourth goal of the season with an assist from freshman Kara Kyramarios to make it 1-0 FGCU. This was Boilesen's 15th career goal and she is now two away from surpassing Gina Petracco (16) for seventh all-time in career goals.
In the 26th minute, the Eagles were on the attack again as sophomore Cassidy Morgan and junior Opal Curless played a long through ball to junior and the other half of the A-SUN Legion of Doom, junior Evdokia "Evi" Popadinova, found herself one on one with the keeper before whizzing one past her for her seventh goal of the season to put FGCU on top 2-0 before the end of the first half.
Early in the second half, it was the Hope Van Wagner show to begin. The sophomore cashed in her first chance of the night just over three minutes into the period on a silky smooth pass from Popadinova to make it 3-0. Van Wagner then launched a rocket from outside the box to the top 90 just moments later to make it a 4-0 game. These were her second and third goals of the season.
In the 73rd minute, the Eagles made a substitution as freshman Stephanie Starr came in for Weck. Starr was making her debut after graduating from Edward S. Marcus High School.
Going into the 75th minute, the Eagles drew a foul in the box on a free kick to earn a penalty kick. Senior Shay Jackson would be the one to take it for the Eagles as she tucked it into the corner of the net to put FGCU in front 5-0. This was Jackson's first goal of the season.
Jackson would end up getting a red card and was ejected for the final two minutes, which I thought was stupid because she got pushed down from a hard foul and the JU player should have got a red card not only for pushing her, but for not letting go of Jackson's foot in addition. Jackson will be suspended for the game against UNF.
The Eagles weren't done yet though. Just three minutes later, they got another chance on a corner from freshman Brianna Hatfield as she put it on the money, finding the head of the hometown girl, junior Lindsey Patton, for her first goal of the year to put the cherry on top of a 6-0 victory.
11 different Eagles were a part of the scoring on the night.
Van Wagner led FGCU with four points on her two goals, Popadinova had three points with a goal and an assist and Boilesen had two points with a goal.
Weck (7-0-2) made a pair of saves before giving way to Starr who had one in 16 minutes of work.
Starr would get a save for 16 minutes of play.
Hundley (0-8-1) gave up all six goals and had sight saves.
Junior Kristian Shores, who subbed in for Hundley, had one save in 10 minutes of play.
FGCU had a season high 25 shots in the win and also a season best 15 on goal. JU managed just seven, with only three of those on net.
The Eagles earned nine corners on the night, taking advantage by netting a pair of goals off set pieces.
Talking about overall records, the Eagles went from one of 18 teams to one of nine teams without a loss this season. The nine teams that lost are listed and who they lost to:
1. #2 Florida State (8-1-1) lost to UNC
2. #4 Texas A&M (10-1) lost to Arkansas
3. #5 Virginia (7-1) lost to Clemson
4. #11 Tennessee (7-1-1) lost to South Carolina
5. #12 Northwestern (7-1-2) lost to Minnesota
6. #18 Kansas (7-1-2) lost to #4 Texas A&M
7. Mississippi State (8-1) lost to #9 Auburn
8. TCU (7-1-1) lost to Butler
9. UW-Milwaukee (7-1) lost to Marquette
*subject to change on Tuesday, Sept 25
Up Next:
The Eagles will return to action on Sunday in Jacksonville as they travel crosstown to take on North Florida (5-3-1) for conference play.
FGCU VB @ JU Recap
The FGCU volleyball (8-5, 1-0 A-SUN) opened up their part of conference on the road as they shutout Jacksonville (1-13, 0-2 A-SUN) 3-0 (25-23, 25-8, 25-18). With the win, the Eagles are now 16-11 overall against the Dolphins.
One of the main parts was from senior Maggie Rick. Rick, who only needed 13 assists to reach finished with 22 assists along with getting two kills and six digs. As a result, Rick became the second player to reach 4,000 assists and now has 4,009 in career assists. The Alpharetta native is now 400 away from passing Gigi Meyer (4,408) as the all-time leader.
FGCU start slow as they trailed 18-14 in the opening set following six straight from the Dolphins, but soon they would take control. An ace from senior Kaitlan Krivdo tied the set at 21, and the Eagles scored six of the final eight points.
The run continued with 12 of the first 14 points in the second as they opened up a 20-4 lead and cruised to a 17-point victory.
In the final set, the Eagles led by two midway through before rattling off 10 of the final 12 points with a final kill from Krivdo.
Although none of the Eagles reached double-digits, it was sophomore Cortney VanLiew that led the charge. VanLiew had eight kills, four aces and nine digs.
The Block Party (Krivdo, fellow senior Sharonda Pickering, juniors Daniele Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti, sophomore Snowy Burnam, and freshman Tori Morris) combined a total 27 kills (Krivdo: 7, Pickering and Borgiotti: 8 each, Serrano: 4, Morris: 1) and seven blocks (Krivdo, Pickering and Burnam: 2 each, Serrano:1).
Freshman Chelsea Lockey had double digits in assists as she finished with 13 and added two kills and two digs.
Freshman Dana Axner finished with 10 digs, three assists and an ace.
Senior Karissa Rhoades and sophomore Alayna Ryan also contributed to the match. Rhoades contributed with two kills and six digs while Ryan had one ace and one dig.
Junior Mallory Mattingly led the Dolphins offensively with 11 kills while junior Natalie Wehner led on the defensive end with 13 digs.
"Our middles and Sharonda led the charge and were very effective, both blocking and attacking," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "I thought Jacksonville did a good job at the service line pressuring us out of the gate, and we will need to manage our first contact better moving forward. We have seen a lot of progress in that department, but we weren't as crisp as we have been. I was pleased with our response after a shaky start, although we need to play smarter from the opening whistle and do a better job putting our setters in position to create for our offense."
Up Next:
The Eagles will wrap up their two-match series in Jacksonville as they face UNF at 6 PM at the UNF Arena.
One of the main parts was from senior Maggie Rick. Rick, who only needed 13 assists to reach finished with 22 assists along with getting two kills and six digs. As a result, Rick became the second player to reach 4,000 assists and now has 4,009 in career assists. The Alpharetta native is now 400 away from passing Gigi Meyer (4,408) as the all-time leader.
FGCU start slow as they trailed 18-14 in the opening set following six straight from the Dolphins, but soon they would take control. An ace from senior Kaitlan Krivdo tied the set at 21, and the Eagles scored six of the final eight points.
The run continued with 12 of the first 14 points in the second as they opened up a 20-4 lead and cruised to a 17-point victory.
In the final set, the Eagles led by two midway through before rattling off 10 of the final 12 points with a final kill from Krivdo.
Although none of the Eagles reached double-digits, it was sophomore Cortney VanLiew that led the charge. VanLiew had eight kills, four aces and nine digs.
The Block Party (Krivdo, fellow senior Sharonda Pickering, juniors Daniele Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti, sophomore Snowy Burnam, and freshman Tori Morris) combined a total 27 kills (Krivdo: 7, Pickering and Borgiotti: 8 each, Serrano: 4, Morris: 1) and seven blocks (Krivdo, Pickering and Burnam: 2 each, Serrano:1).
Freshman Chelsea Lockey had double digits in assists as she finished with 13 and added two kills and two digs.
Freshman Dana Axner finished with 10 digs, three assists and an ace.
Senior Karissa Rhoades and sophomore Alayna Ryan also contributed to the match. Rhoades contributed with two kills and six digs while Ryan had one ace and one dig.
Junior Mallory Mattingly led the Dolphins offensively with 11 kills while junior Natalie Wehner led on the defensive end with 13 digs.
"Our middles and Sharonda led the charge and were very effective, both blocking and attacking," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "I thought Jacksonville did a good job at the service line pressuring us out of the gate, and we will need to manage our first contact better moving forward. We have seen a lot of progress in that department, but we weren't as crisp as we have been. I was pleased with our response after a shaky start, although we need to play smarter from the opening whistle and do a better job putting our setters in position to create for our offense."
Up Next:
The Eagles will wrap up their two-match series in Jacksonville as they face UNF at 6 PM at the UNF Arena.
FGCU W. Golf: Lady Furman Invitational Recap- Day One
Sophomore Natalia Nassar fired a 71 (-1) in her season debut, and her performance led the FGCU women's golf team to a 298 (+10) score and an eighth-place standing in the opening round of the Lady Paladin Invitational at the Furman University Golf Course on Friday.
"Overall, it was a decent start to the tournament," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "As a team you could tell we didn't have our best stuff, but I️ am proud of how we grinded it out. Nat and Kelsy both had really solid rounds today and put the team on their shoulders. Tomorrow is moving day, and we have put ourselves in a good position to move up the leaderboard."
Nassar, who missed the team's season-opening Golfweek Program Challenge, birdied her second hole and overcame an up-and-down back nine with three birdies over an eight-hole stretch to sit in a tie for seventh individually. The round represented the fourth time in her career that she shot a 71 or better, and it was one off matching her career-low of 70, which she achieved in the opening round of the Dale McNamara Invitational on April 9 of last year.
Snior Kelsy Holbert, who led the Green and Blue with a team-low 222 (+9) at the season-opening Golfweek Program Challenge, continued her fine start to the season with a 73 (+1) opening round, which has her in a tie for 20th place. Holbert stayed consistent throughout the round and picked up her lone birdie on the par-5 11th hole, which was her second of the day.
Junior Kate Williamson joined Nassar in making her season debut. After shooting +3 on her front-nine, she birdied the second hole and trimmed a stroke off her score over the final nine.
Freshman Laura Edmonds, who made her collegiate debut on Friday, and senior Madeline Marck-Sherk rounded out the lineup. Edmonds shook off a +4 over her first four holes and shot a +1 over the final 14 holes, while Marck-Sherk finished at +7.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T-7. Natalia Nassar – 71 (-1)
T-20. Kelsy Holbert – 73 (+1)
T-56. Kate Williamson – 77 (+5)
T-56. Laura Edmonds – 77 (+5)
T-73. Madeline Marck-Sherk – 79 (+7)
Team Standings (Sorted by GolfStat ranking as of June 7)
1. #8 – Furman – 283 (-5)
2. #106 - North Florida – 287 (-1)
3. #48 - Kennesaw State – 290 (+2)
4. #65 - Coastal Carolina – 293 (+5)
5. #72 – Augusta – 295 (+7)
T-6. #90 – Kansas – 297 (+9)
T-6. #60 - Old Dominion – 297 (+9)
8. #128 - FGCU – 298 (+10)
T-9. #155 - South Florida – 299 (+11)
T-9. #141 – Tulsa – 299 (+11)
11. #74 - Kansas State – 302 (+14)
12. #67 – Memphis - 303 (+15)
13. #150 - Georgia Southern – 304 (+16)
14. #147 - James Madison – 308 (+20)
T-15. #151 - Georgia State – 310 (+22)
T-15. #1 - Daytona State (NJCAA) – 310 (+22)
"Overall, it was a decent start to the tournament," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "As a team you could tell we didn't have our best stuff, but I️ am proud of how we grinded it out. Nat and Kelsy both had really solid rounds today and put the team on their shoulders. Tomorrow is moving day, and we have put ourselves in a good position to move up the leaderboard."
Nassar, who missed the team's season-opening Golfweek Program Challenge, birdied her second hole and overcame an up-and-down back nine with three birdies over an eight-hole stretch to sit in a tie for seventh individually. The round represented the fourth time in her career that she shot a 71 or better, and it was one off matching her career-low of 70, which she achieved in the opening round of the Dale McNamara Invitational on April 9 of last year.
Snior Kelsy Holbert, who led the Green and Blue with a team-low 222 (+9) at the season-opening Golfweek Program Challenge, continued her fine start to the season with a 73 (+1) opening round, which has her in a tie for 20th place. Holbert stayed consistent throughout the round and picked up her lone birdie on the par-5 11th hole, which was her second of the day.
Junior Kate Williamson joined Nassar in making her season debut. After shooting +3 on her front-nine, she birdied the second hole and trimmed a stroke off her score over the final nine.
Freshman Laura Edmonds, who made her collegiate debut on Friday, and senior Madeline Marck-Sherk rounded out the lineup. Edmonds shook off a +4 over her first four holes and shot a +1 over the final 14 holes, while Marck-Sherk finished at +7.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T-7. Natalia Nassar – 71 (-1)
T-20. Kelsy Holbert – 73 (+1)
T-56. Kate Williamson – 77 (+5)
T-56. Laura Edmonds – 77 (+5)
T-73. Madeline Marck-Sherk – 79 (+7)
Team Standings (Sorted by GolfStat ranking as of June 7)
1. #8 – Furman – 283 (-5)
2. #106 - North Florida – 287 (-1)
3. #48 - Kennesaw State – 290 (+2)
4. #65 - Coastal Carolina – 293 (+5)
5. #72 – Augusta – 295 (+7)
T-6. #90 – Kansas – 297 (+9)
T-6. #60 - Old Dominion – 297 (+9)
8. #128 - FGCU – 298 (+10)
T-9. #155 - South Florida – 299 (+11)
T-9. #141 – Tulsa – 299 (+11)
11. #74 - Kansas State – 302 (+14)
12. #67 – Memphis - 303 (+15)
13. #150 - Georgia Southern – 304 (+16)
14. #147 - James Madison – 308 (+20)
T-15. #151 - Georgia State – 310 (+22)
T-15. #1 - Daytona State (NJCAA) – 310 (+22)
FGCU VB @ JU, UNF Preview
The FGCU volleyball team (7-5) now prepare themselves for A-SUN Conference play as they open on the road in Jacksonville against JU (1-12, 0-1 A-SUN) on Sept. 21 at 7 PM at Swisher Gymnasium and UNF (5-10) on Sept 22 at 6 PM at the UNF Arena.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped up non-conference play at the VolleyKnights Invitational, hosted by UCF. They would split on day one as they beat Yale 3-1 before falling 0-3 to host and eventual tournament winner UCF before defeating Alabama State 3-0.
Ms. 4,000:
Senior setter Maggie Rick is on pace to reach 4,000 career assists. The Alpharetta native currently has 3,987 assists in her career and is 13 await from reaching that milestone as one of two players with at least 4,000. At the VolleyKnights Invitational, Rick had 55 assists, 20 digs and five kills.
Rick needs 422 assists to surpass Gigi Meyer (4,408) as the program's all-time leader.
Seventh Nation Army:
Senior Sharonda Pickering has been on a tear recently on the national circuit. The Virgin Islander is currently 7th in the nation in hitting percentage (.437). Pickering currently has 72 kills and 37 blocks. At the VolleyKnights Invitational, Pickering had 22 kills and 11 blocks and was named a member of the All-Volleyknights Invitational team.
What It Do, VanLiew:
Sophomore Cortney VanLiew has been leading the way for the Eagles on the offensive end. VanLiew currently leads the team in kills (169) and has 107 digs. In fact, VanLiew has produced 10 or more digs in six straight matches. VanLiew had 33 kills and 34 digs at the VolleyKnights Invitational.
Swinging the Ax:
Freshman Dana Axner has been on fire as the starting libero. The Dublin, Ohio native set a DI program-record 39 digs and a season-high seven assists in a five-set match against West Virginia. Axner has 192 digs (4.47 per set), along with 47 assists and seven aces this season. At the VolleyKnights Invitational, Axner had 36 digs, nine assists and two aces.
Coach 100:
Head coach Matt Botsford is in his fifth season and needs just six more victories to reach 100 in his career. Botsford has 96 wins so far and needs four more and her will be the second FGCU head volleyball coach to reach 100 wins (first: Jaye Flood).
Block Party:
The Block Party (Pickering and fellow senior Kaiti Krivdo, juniors Daniele "Dani" Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti, sophomore Snowy Burnam, and freshman Tori Morris) have lead the way in blocks. The squad has a combined 151 blocks this season.
Scouting Jacksonville:
The Dolphins will enter this weekend having lost six straight and 12 of 13 to open the season. The team's lone win came on Sept. 7 against Alabama A&M in a neutral site match in Macon, Ga.
They dropped a four-set match to Stetson in their only A-SUN match so far.
Junior Mallory Mattingly has recorded two straight matches with 20 + kills and leads the team with 182 overall this year, including 3.50 per set. However, she's attacking at just a .127 rate. Overall, Mattingly leads the team in kills, kills/set and aces (17).
In fact, as a team, the Dolphins are hitting .150, and freshman middle blocker Giao Huynh leads the team at .229.
In addition to Mattingly, grad student Sara Dyslin also has reached the century mark in kills with 120.
Defensively, junior Natalie Wehner leads the team with 143 digs. Interestingly enough, along with Mattingly's 103 digs, outside hitters are 1-2 on the team in digs.
Senior setter Lauren Petersen has the vast majority of the team's assists with 431 of 531 overall.
Sophomore middle blocker Hannah Marchand leads the team with 43 total blocks (seven solo).
Series History:
Overall, the Eagles are 15-11 against the Dolphins. Last season, the Eagles split the series with the Dolphins winning 3-0 at home and falling 3-1 in Jacksonville. In the A-SUN Conference Semifinals match, the Eagles defeated the Dolphins 3-0 to advance to the championship match.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys are coming off a straight-set victory over Bethune Cookman on Tuesday. Redshirt sophomore Gabby O'Connell notched her seventh double-double of the season with 15 kills and 10 digs, while sophomore Callie Workman had a career-high 20 digs.
Overall, UNF has three players in the top 10 of the A-SUN in kills: junior Taryn Griffey (184), freshman Solimar Cestero (128) and sophomore Devyn Wheeler (124).
Senior setter Madilyn McCarty is 33 assists away from 3,000 in her NCAA Division-I career, which started at Winthrop. She has six double-doubles this year. Half of North Florida's 16-member roster is in their first year at the school.
Series History:
The Eagles are 20-6 against the Ospreys. Last series, both teams split with FGCU winning at home and losing at UNF.
How to Keep Up:
Both matches will have livestats and will air livestream on ESPN+. The app is $4.99 a month to watch all A-SUN Conference games as well as many others.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
JU: @JAX_Volleyball
UNF: @OspreyVB
Links to Livestats:
http://judolphins.com/sports/wvball/2018-19/boxscores/20180921_zmnb.xml
https://unfospreys.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Links to ESPN Livestream:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3429888/florida-gulf-coast-vs-jacksonville-w-volleyball
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3430290/florida-gulf-coast-vs-north-florida
Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped up non-conference play at the VolleyKnights Invitational, hosted by UCF. They would split on day one as they beat Yale 3-1 before falling 0-3 to host and eventual tournament winner UCF before defeating Alabama State 3-0.
Ms. 4,000:
Senior setter Maggie Rick is on pace to reach 4,000 career assists. The Alpharetta native currently has 3,987 assists in her career and is 13 await from reaching that milestone as one of two players with at least 4,000. At the VolleyKnights Invitational, Rick had 55 assists, 20 digs and five kills.
Rick needs 422 assists to surpass Gigi Meyer (4,408) as the program's all-time leader.
Seventh Nation Army:
Senior Sharonda Pickering has been on a tear recently on the national circuit. The Virgin Islander is currently 7th in the nation in hitting percentage (.437). Pickering currently has 72 kills and 37 blocks. At the VolleyKnights Invitational, Pickering had 22 kills and 11 blocks and was named a member of the All-Volleyknights Invitational team.
What It Do, VanLiew:
Sophomore Cortney VanLiew has been leading the way for the Eagles on the offensive end. VanLiew currently leads the team in kills (169) and has 107 digs. In fact, VanLiew has produced 10 or more digs in six straight matches. VanLiew had 33 kills and 34 digs at the VolleyKnights Invitational.
Swinging the Ax:
Freshman Dana Axner has been on fire as the starting libero. The Dublin, Ohio native set a DI program-record 39 digs and a season-high seven assists in a five-set match against West Virginia. Axner has 192 digs (4.47 per set), along with 47 assists and seven aces this season. At the VolleyKnights Invitational, Axner had 36 digs, nine assists and two aces.
Coach 100:
Head coach Matt Botsford is in his fifth season and needs just six more victories to reach 100 in his career. Botsford has 96 wins so far and needs four more and her will be the second FGCU head volleyball coach to reach 100 wins (first: Jaye Flood).
Block Party:
The Block Party (Pickering and fellow senior Kaiti Krivdo, juniors Daniele "Dani" Serrano and Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti, sophomore Snowy Burnam, and freshman Tori Morris) have lead the way in blocks. The squad has a combined 151 blocks this season.
The Dolphins will enter this weekend having lost six straight and 12 of 13 to open the season. The team's lone win came on Sept. 7 against Alabama A&M in a neutral site match in Macon, Ga.
They dropped a four-set match to Stetson in their only A-SUN match so far.
Junior Mallory Mattingly has recorded two straight matches with 20 + kills and leads the team with 182 overall this year, including 3.50 per set. However, she's attacking at just a .127 rate. Overall, Mattingly leads the team in kills, kills/set and aces (17).
In fact, as a team, the Dolphins are hitting .150, and freshman middle blocker Giao Huynh leads the team at .229.
In addition to Mattingly, grad student Sara Dyslin also has reached the century mark in kills with 120.
Defensively, junior Natalie Wehner leads the team with 143 digs. Interestingly enough, along with Mattingly's 103 digs, outside hitters are 1-2 on the team in digs.
Senior setter Lauren Petersen has the vast majority of the team's assists with 431 of 531 overall.
Sophomore middle blocker Hannah Marchand leads the team with 43 total blocks (seven solo).
Series History:
Overall, the Eagles are 15-11 against the Dolphins. Last season, the Eagles split the series with the Dolphins winning 3-0 at home and falling 3-1 in Jacksonville. In the A-SUN Conference Semifinals match, the Eagles defeated the Dolphins 3-0 to advance to the championship match.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys are coming off a straight-set victory over Bethune Cookman on Tuesday. Redshirt sophomore Gabby O'Connell notched her seventh double-double of the season with 15 kills and 10 digs, while sophomore Callie Workman had a career-high 20 digs.
Overall, UNF has three players in the top 10 of the A-SUN in kills: junior Taryn Griffey (184), freshman Solimar Cestero (128) and sophomore Devyn Wheeler (124).
Senior setter Madilyn McCarty is 33 assists away from 3,000 in her NCAA Division-I career, which started at Winthrop. She has six double-doubles this year. Half of North Florida's 16-member roster is in their first year at the school.
Series History:
The Eagles are 20-6 against the Ospreys. Last series, both teams split with FGCU winning at home and losing at UNF.
How to Keep Up:
Both matches will have livestats and will air livestream on ESPN+. The app is $4.99 a month to watch all A-SUN Conference games as well as many others.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
JU: @JAX_Volleyball
UNF: @OspreyVB
Links to Livestats:
http://judolphins.com/sports/wvball/2018-19/boxscores/20180921_zmnb.xml
https://unfospreys.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Links to ESPN Livestream:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3429888/florida-gulf-coast-vs-jacksonville-w-volleyball
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3430290/florida-gulf-coast-vs-north-florida
FGCU W. Golf: Lady Furman Invitational Preview
Hoping to bounce back for the next tournament, the FGCU women's golf team return to South Carolina to prepare for the Lady Paladin Invitational at the Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, South Carolina, hosted by Furman University.
"We are excited to get back on the road to Furman this weekend and be able to test our games against some of the best teams in the country," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "We have been putting in some hard work over the past week and have seen some really low scores. This should give us a boost of confidence. We are eager to show that we can play with anyone in the country."
Last Time Out:
The Eagles opened with their first tournament with the Golfweek Program Challenge in Pawley's Island, South Carolina. They began the tournament in 5th place before ending the tournament 10th out of 14 teams.
Senior Kelsey Holbert finished in the top 25 tied for 22nd with a final score of 222 (+9). In the second round, Holbert had the lowest score out of all the Eagles with a 68.
Grad student Lexie Flerlage made her debut with Eagles. The Venice, Florida native transferred from Florida State with one year of eligibility remaining.
Trew has set up the following lineup for the invitational:
1. Kelsy Holbert
2. Madeline Marck-Sherk
3. Natalia Nassar
4. Laura Edmonds
5. Kate Williamson
Nassar and Willamson are making their season debuts while Edmonds is making her collegiate debut.
Nassar is the reigning A-SUN Freshman of the Year and a member of the A-SUN All-Freshman Team while Williamson enters as a former A-SUN All-Freshman Team, an A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member and a two-time WGCA Scholar All-American.
Edmonds is coming off several wins in the South Florida Junior PGA.
Complete Field of Participants:
1 - Daytona State (NJCAA)
8 - Furman (host)
48 - Kennesaw State
50 - Texas Tech
60 - Old Dominion
65 - Coastal Carolina
67 - Memphis
72 - Augusta (NCAA DII)
74 - Kansas State
90 - Kansas
106 - North Florida
128 - FGCU
141 - Tulsa
147 - James Madison
150 - Georgia Southern
151 - Georgia State
155 - South Florida
The 54-hole tournament begins at 9 AM, and will have livestats and fans can follow the teams on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_WGolf
Admission to the tournament is free and fans are welcome.
Livestats link: https://www.birdiefire.com/tournament/52394/
"We are excited to get back on the road to Furman this weekend and be able to test our games against some of the best teams in the country," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "We have been putting in some hard work over the past week and have seen some really low scores. This should give us a boost of confidence. We are eager to show that we can play with anyone in the country."
Last Time Out:
The Eagles opened with their first tournament with the Golfweek Program Challenge in Pawley's Island, South Carolina. They began the tournament in 5th place before ending the tournament 10th out of 14 teams.
Senior Kelsey Holbert finished in the top 25 tied for 22nd with a final score of 222 (+9). In the second round, Holbert had the lowest score out of all the Eagles with a 68.
Grad student Lexie Flerlage made her debut with Eagles. The Venice, Florida native transferred from Florida State with one year of eligibility remaining.
Trew has set up the following lineup for the invitational:
1. Kelsy Holbert
2. Madeline Marck-Sherk
3. Natalia Nassar
4. Laura Edmonds
5. Kate Williamson
Nassar and Willamson are making their season debuts while Edmonds is making her collegiate debut.
Nassar is the reigning A-SUN Freshman of the Year and a member of the A-SUN All-Freshman Team while Williamson enters as a former A-SUN All-Freshman Team, an A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member and a two-time WGCA Scholar All-American.
Edmonds is coming off several wins in the South Florida Junior PGA.
Complete Field of Participants:
1 - Daytona State (NJCAA)
8 - Furman (host)
48 - Kennesaw State
50 - Texas Tech
60 - Old Dominion
65 - Coastal Carolina
67 - Memphis
72 - Augusta (NCAA DII)
74 - Kansas State
90 - Kansas
106 - North Florida
128 - FGCU
141 - Tulsa
147 - James Madison
150 - Georgia Southern
151 - Georgia State
155 - South Florida
The 54-hole tournament begins at 9 AM, and will have livestats and fans can follow the teams on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_WGolf
Admission to the tournament is free and fans are welcome.
Livestats link: https://www.birdiefire.com/tournament/52394/
FGCU W, Soc @ JU, UNF Preview
The RV FGCU women's soccer team (6-0-2) are now preparing for A-SUN Conference play as they begin in Jacksonville at Southern Oak Stadium against JU (0-7-1) on Sept. 21 at 7 PM and at Hodges Stadium to face UNF (5-3-1) on Sept. 23 at 1 PM.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off of a four-game road trip in three states where they finished 2-0-2. They began in Ohio, where they defeated Power 5 Conference member RV Ohio State 1-0 before ending up in a scoreless draw against Dayton. The Eagles traveled back to Florida and slaughtered FIU 5-1 before traveling to Chicago for 1-1 draw against Loyola Chicago.
A-SUN Legion of Doom:
Juniors Evdokia "Evi" Popadinova and Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen aka the A-SUN Legion of Doom are still among the top scorers for FGCU.
Currently, Popadinova leads the team in goals (6).
In the games against Ohio State, Popadinova scored the lone goal that gave FGCU the win. In the game against FIU, the Bulgarian native scored a goal as part of the 5-1 win.
Although she was struggling briefly, Boilesen is still make her mark offensively. The Sao Paulo native currently has three goals and two assists. Her third goal came in the game against FIU.
In addition, Boilesen's goal against FIU was her 14th career goal and she is now three away from passing Gina Petracco (16, 2008-11) for 7th all-time.
National Weck City Week:
Junior goalkeeper Melissa Weck (6-0-2) currently has four shutouts to her name as well as 32 saves. In the series in Ohio, Weck had six saves against Ohio State and one against Dayton, four saves against FIU and eight saves against Loyola Chicago.
Weck was recently named the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Week and the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week, the first FGCU player in program history to receive these accolades.
"I am proud of her and all she has done for us this year. She has been a difference maker in some big games," Jim Blankenship said on Weck winning the Top Drawer Soccer weekly accolade. "She is playing with a lot of confidence right now, this award is well deserved."
"Weck has put her heart and soul into this program and her hard work is paying off," Blankenship said on Weck winning the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week. "Obviously earning this award says a lot about what she has done, but it is also big for the program. It takes a lot of people to make something like this happen."
(Holly)wood:
Along with the A-SUN Legion of Doom, senior midfielder Holly Fritz has also been on a hot start on her own. The Cape Coral native who transferred from Florida State last season is currently is second on team with five goals. Fritz scored her fifth goal of the season in the draw against Loyola Chicago.
Earlier this week, Fritz was named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. The Senior CLASS Award is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. The award focuses on the total student-athlete, encouraging students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Candidates are compared using four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
"Holly has just about every good quality you can say about a person" said Blankenship. "She is extremely driven and self-motivated. She wants to be the best at everything and is able to bring that quality out of her teammates as well so that they can do it together. She is a perfectionist in every piece of her life. She is a 4.0 student, makes sure every touch at practice is with a purpose, and is always in the right place on the field during games. She is our team captain, our leader, the person that everyone goes to when they need something. Despite having a fully loaded plate herself, she is quite accommodating in that role, always taking time to help a teammate whether that be on the field or off the field."
National Polls:
Last week, the Eagles received 37 votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, and their RPI ranking is #44 in the nation, however because they tied in the game against Loyola Chicago, their vote count dropped from 37 to two, but they still have votes in the poll.
In addition, the Eagles went from #3 to #5 in the United Soccer Coaches South Region poll and from #16 to #25 in the Hero Sports poll.
Scouting JU:
The Dolphins are coming off finishing their most previous game against Charleston Southern falling 2-1 in overtime. Originally, the Dolphins were scheduled to play the Citadel this past Friday, but the game was cancelled due to the arrival Hurricane Florence.
Currently, the Dolphins sit dead last out of all the members of the A-SUN.
Offensively, the team as a whole have only scored five goals.
Senior Brittany Hundley (0-5-1) has given up 12 goals with 36 saves. In the overtime game against Charleston Southern, Hundley had six saves.
Overall, the Eagles are 6-2-6 against the Dolphins. Last season, the Eagles defeated the Dolphins 5-0 in Jacksonville.
The Dolphins last win against the Eagles was on Nov. 10, 2013 where the Dolphins defeated the Eagles 5-3 in penalty kicks in the A-SUN Conference Championship.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys ended their portion of non-conference with a 9-0 win over NAIA Webber International. Originally, their last game was supposed to be against Wofford College, however, just like JU, it was cancelled due to the arrival of Hurricane Florence.
Currently, UNF sits 5th overall in conference as they
Offensively, sophomore Thais Reiss and freshman Kendra Hoffman lead the way. Both have four goals each. In the game against Webber, Hoffman had two goals and an assist while Reiss had one goal and two assists.
In the box, redshirt sophomore Rhiannon Conelley (5-3) has given up eight goals and has 24 saves. Connelley has four shutouts this season including the 9-0 win against Webber.
The Eagles are 10-1-1 overall against the Ospreys. Last season, the Eagles defeated the Ospreys 3-0 at home. The Ospreys lone win was on Oct. 5, 2012 where they defeated the Eagles 2-0.
A-SUN Conference Standings so far:
1. FGCU 6-0-2
2. Kennesaw State 7-2-1
3. NJIT 6-2-1
4. North Florida 5-3-0
5. North Alabama 6-4-0
6. Lipscomb 5-3-2
7. Stetson 3-4-2
8. Liberty 1-7-0
9. Jacksonville 0-7-1
How to Keep Up:
Both games will have livestats available.
The game against UNF will air livestream on their Facebook page.
Fans can also keep up with the teams on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_WSoccer
JU: @OspreyWSOC
UNF: @JAX_WSOC
Link to livestream vs UNF: https://www.facebook.com/northfloridaospreys
Links to livestats:
http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wsoc/2018-19/boxscores/20180921_bye1.xml
https://unfospreys.com/sidearmstats/wsoc
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off of a four-game road trip in three states where they finished 2-0-2. They began in Ohio, where they defeated Power 5 Conference member RV Ohio State 1-0 before ending up in a scoreless draw against Dayton. The Eagles traveled back to Florida and slaughtered FIU 5-1 before traveling to Chicago for 1-1 draw against Loyola Chicago.
A-SUN Legion of Doom:
Juniors Evdokia "Evi" Popadinova and Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen aka the A-SUN Legion of Doom are still among the top scorers for FGCU.
Currently, Popadinova leads the team in goals (6).
In the games against Ohio State, Popadinova scored the lone goal that gave FGCU the win. In the game against FIU, the Bulgarian native scored a goal as part of the 5-1 win.
Although she was struggling briefly, Boilesen is still make her mark offensively. The Sao Paulo native currently has three goals and two assists. Her third goal came in the game against FIU.
In addition, Boilesen's goal against FIU was her 14th career goal and she is now three away from passing Gina Petracco (16, 2008-11) for 7th all-time.
National Weck City Week:
Junior goalkeeper Melissa Weck (6-0-2) currently has four shutouts to her name as well as 32 saves. In the series in Ohio, Weck had six saves against Ohio State and one against Dayton, four saves against FIU and eight saves against Loyola Chicago.
Weck was recently named the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Week and the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week, the first FGCU player in program history to receive these accolades.
"I am proud of her and all she has done for us this year. She has been a difference maker in some big games," Jim Blankenship said on Weck winning the Top Drawer Soccer weekly accolade. "She is playing with a lot of confidence right now, this award is well deserved."
"Weck has put her heart and soul into this program and her hard work is paying off," Blankenship said on Weck winning the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week. "Obviously earning this award says a lot about what she has done, but it is also big for the program. It takes a lot of people to make something like this happen."
(Holly)wood:
Along with the A-SUN Legion of Doom, senior midfielder Holly Fritz has also been on a hot start on her own. The Cape Coral native who transferred from Florida State last season is currently is second on team with five goals. Fritz scored her fifth goal of the season in the draw against Loyola Chicago.
Earlier this week, Fritz was named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. The Senior CLASS Award is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. The award focuses on the total student-athlete, encouraging students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Candidates are compared using four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
"Holly has just about every good quality you can say about a person" said Blankenship. "She is extremely driven and self-motivated. She wants to be the best at everything and is able to bring that quality out of her teammates as well so that they can do it together. She is a perfectionist in every piece of her life. She is a 4.0 student, makes sure every touch at practice is with a purpose, and is always in the right place on the field during games. She is our team captain, our leader, the person that everyone goes to when they need something. Despite having a fully loaded plate herself, she is quite accommodating in that role, always taking time to help a teammate whether that be on the field or off the field."
National Polls:
Last week, the Eagles received 37 votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, and their RPI ranking is #44 in the nation, however because they tied in the game against Loyola Chicago, their vote count dropped from 37 to two, but they still have votes in the poll.
In addition, the Eagles went from #3 to #5 in the United Soccer Coaches South Region poll and from #16 to #25 in the Hero Sports poll.
Scouting JU:
The Dolphins are coming off finishing their most previous game against Charleston Southern falling 2-1 in overtime. Originally, the Dolphins were scheduled to play the Citadel this past Friday, but the game was cancelled due to the arrival Hurricane Florence.
Currently, the Dolphins sit dead last out of all the members of the A-SUN.
Offensively, the team as a whole have only scored five goals.
Senior Brittany Hundley (0-5-1) has given up 12 goals with 36 saves. In the overtime game against Charleston Southern, Hundley had six saves.
Overall, the Eagles are 6-2-6 against the Dolphins. Last season, the Eagles defeated the Dolphins 5-0 in Jacksonville.
The Dolphins last win against the Eagles was on Nov. 10, 2013 where the Dolphins defeated the Eagles 5-3 in penalty kicks in the A-SUN Conference Championship.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys ended their portion of non-conference with a 9-0 win over NAIA Webber International. Originally, their last game was supposed to be against Wofford College, however, just like JU, it was cancelled due to the arrival of Hurricane Florence.
Currently, UNF sits 5th overall in conference as they
Offensively, sophomore Thais Reiss and freshman Kendra Hoffman lead the way. Both have four goals each. In the game against Webber, Hoffman had two goals and an assist while Reiss had one goal and two assists.
In the box, redshirt sophomore Rhiannon Conelley (5-3) has given up eight goals and has 24 saves. Connelley has four shutouts this season including the 9-0 win against Webber.
The Eagles are 10-1-1 overall against the Ospreys. Last season, the Eagles defeated the Ospreys 3-0 at home. The Ospreys lone win was on Oct. 5, 2012 where they defeated the Eagles 2-0.
A-SUN Conference Standings so far:
1. FGCU 6-0-2
2. Kennesaw State 7-2-1
3. NJIT 6-2-1
4. North Florida 5-3-0
5. North Alabama 6-4-0
6. Lipscomb 5-3-2
7. Stetson 3-4-2
8. Liberty 1-7-0
9. Jacksonville 0-7-1
How to Keep Up:
Both games will have livestats available.
The game against UNF will air livestream on their Facebook page.
Fans can also keep up with the teams on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_WSoccer
JU: @OspreyWSOC
UNF: @JAX_WSOC
Link to livestream vs UNF: https://www.facebook.com/northfloridaospreys
Links to livestats:
http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wsoc/2018-19/boxscores/20180921_bye1.xml
https://unfospreys.com/sidearmstats/wsoc
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