FGCU BVB: Dig and Dive Beach Bash Day Two Recap

The FGCU beach volleyball team (7-5) split a pair of matches against College of Charleston (4-1) and Tusculum College (5-0) to conclude the Dig and Dive Beach Bash on Sunday.

The Eagles will now open A-SUN play with a doubleheader against No. 10 Stetson (14-4) on Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m. at Estero Community Park.

"After executing so well yesterday at the end of matches, our play wasn't as consistent today in our first match," FGCU assistant coach Chris Sweat said. "We started out well but couldn't find the consistency we needed in order to beat a team with the level of talent as College of Charleston. The girls rebounded well in our second match, which I was pleased to see."

The highlight of the day was the continued strong play of No. 3 pair in sophomores Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone, who won two more matches and improved to 10-2 on the season. Not only did they hold their opponents to single digits in three of the four sets, but they tied the record for the best 12-game start to the season since Madi Wilcox and Olivia Mesner did the same en route to a 12-2 start in 2015.

Burnam and Whetstone produced the lone victory for the Eagles against undefeated College of Charleston (12-0) by a 21-9, 21-15 result. And they did so against an Amani Dunston-Mandy Napierala tandem that entered 7-1 on the season.

In the finale, though, the Green and Blue won all 10 sets, which included seven where they held Tusculum (4-9) to single-digits. The most resounding victory came from the No. 5 pair of freshman Emma Hansen and sophomore Cortney VanLiew, who allowed just eight total points.

Redshirt sophomore Candace Lacour and junior Giovanna Borgiotti then allowed just 11 total points at the No. 4 pair to put FGCU up 2-0 through the first round.

After Whetstone and Burnam won 21-9, 21-6 at No. 3 to clinch the win, FGCU's top two pairs finished off the sweep.

Seniors Katherine Puisis and Karissa Rhoades improved to 8-4 on the season from the No. 2 pair, while senior Amanda Carroll and freshman Kirstine Garder are now 7-5 at No. 1, tying Borgiotti and Lacour for third-best on the team.

Carroll, meanwhile, now has 39 career victories, which moves her past Mackenzie Allen (2015-18) and Ashley Glickert (2015-18) for solo possession of fourth-place on the program's career wins list.

Top 5 In Career Wins
49 - Karissa Rhoades, 2016-present
46 - Madi Wilcox, 2014-17
45 - Katherine Puisis, 2016-present
39 - Amanda Carroll, 2016-present
38 - Mackenzie Allen, 2015-18
38 - Ashley Glickert, 2015-18

The Green and Blue are now 1-1 all-time against College of Charleston and 1-0 against Tusculum College.

RESULTS
College of Charleston 4, FGCU 1
1. Freed/Madison (CoC) d. Garder/Carroll 21-16, 21-12
2. Rhodes/Rachel (CoC) d. Puisis/Rhoades 21-15, 19-21, 15-12
3. Whetstone/Burnam (FGCU) d. Dunston/Napierala 21-9, 21-15
4. Manusky/Beckman (CoC) d. Lacour/Borgiotti 21-10, 21-11
5. Foley/Ehlers (CoC) d. Hansen/VanLiew 21-14, 21-12

FGCU 5, Tusculum 0
1. Carroll/Garder d. Davis/Mazur 21-19, 21-11
2. Puisis/Rhoades d. Hall/Gray 21-15, 21-8
3. Whetstone/Burnam d. Morgan/Vujosevic 21-9, 21-6
4. Lacour/Borgiotti d. Collins/Clingan 21-4, 21-7
5. Hansen/VanLiew d. Weems/Ramsey 21-5, 21-3

Next Up:
FGCU will return home to open A-SUN play with a pair of matches against No. 10 Stetson on Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m.