The FGCU beach volleyball team (12-9, 2-4 A-SUN) made history while putting up a pair of sweeps over Mercer University (7-6, 2-6 A-SUN) on Friday at Dolphin Beach on the campus of Jacksonville University.
"Two sweeps after coming off a disappointing loss is a big step in the right direction for us," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "We need to keep it moving into Jacksonville on Saturday and put ourselves in good shape for a conference tournament bid."
The Green and Blue will conclude its regular season on Saturday with a pair of matches against Jacksonville (1-9, 0-6 A-SUN). Following that, FGCU will await its postseason fate as it tries to earn one of four at-large bids in the A-SUN tournament. Stetson and Coastal Carolina have already clinched the conference's automatic bids.
On Friday, the No. 3 duo of sophomores Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone didn't allow more than 15 points in any of their four sets against Mercer, improving its win total to 17 and tying the program's single-season record established by seniors Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis last year.
Single Season Wins Leaders
17 - Kayla Whetstone/Snowy Burnam - 2019 (17-4 .810)
17 - Katherine Puisis/Karissa Rhoades - 2018 (17-8 .680)
16 - Giovanna Borgiotti/Ashley Glickert- 2018 (16-9 .640)
16 - Snowy Burnam/Kayla Whetstone - 2018 (16-10 .615)
15 - Elisa Anne Aldrich/Madi Wilcox - 2016 (15-4 .789)
15 - Karissa Rhoades/ Katherine Puisis - 2019 (15-6, .714)
15 - Karissa Rhoades/ Katherine Puisis - 2017 (15-9 .625)
On top of that, Burnam and Whetstone reached the win total four matches faster than their now-senior counterparts did.
Single Season Winning Percentage Leaders
.810 - Snowy Burnam/Kayla Whetstone - 2019 (17-4)
.789 - Madi Wilcox/Elisa Anne Aldrich - 2016 (15-4)
.714 - Karissa Rhoades/Katherine Puisis - 2019 (15-6)
.680 - Katherine Puisis/Karissa Rhoades - 2018 (17-8)
.640 - Giovanna Borgiotti/Ashley Glickert - 2018 (16-9)
Puisis and Rhoades, meanwhile, became the first pair in program history to achieve at least 15 wins in three consecutive seasons. The duo lost its first set of the day, but fought back to win 15-9 in the final set and then swept the day's finale - improving to 15-6 this season.
Senior Amanda Carroll teamed with freshman Kirstine Garder to win all four sets on Friday at the No. 1 pair. She now has a career-high 13 victories this year, while Garder is three wins shy of matching the program's freshman wins record set by Burnam and Whetstone last year. Carroll also needs just two more wins to give this year's team the top three spots in career victories.
Career Wins Leaders
56 - Karissa Rhoades, 2016-present
52 - Katherine Puisis, 2016-present
46 - Madi Wilcox, 2014-17
45 - Amanda Carroll, 2016-present
39 - Giovanna Borgiotti, 2017-present
38 - Mackenzie Allen, 2015-18
38 - Ashley Glickert, 2015-18
Career Winning Percentage Leaders
.702 - Kayla Whetstone - 2018-19 (33-14)
.702 - Snowy Burnam - 2018-19 (33-14)
.634 - Katherine Puisis - 2016-19 (52-30)
.629 - Karissa Rhoades - 2016-19 (56-33)
.590 - Madi Wilcox - 2014-17 (46-32)
.557 - Giovanna Borgiotti - 2017-19 (39-31)
.536 - Amanda Carroll - 2016-19 (45-39)
.463 - Mackenzie Allen - 2015-18 (38-44)
.458 - Ashley Glickert - 2015-18 (38-45)
.435 - Caroline Jordan - 2014-17 (30-39)
Sophomores Cortney VanLiew and Alayna Ryan also won each of their four sets. The duo are now 6-7 together this year, while VanLiew eclipsed double-digit victories overall (11) for the first time in her nearly two-year career.
Junior Giovanna Borgiotti and redshirt sophomore Candace Lacour are now 13-8 in their first season together. Borgiotti has put herself just one win shy of becoming the fifth player in program history with at least 40 victories.
Updated A-SUN Standings
North Division
Stetson - 26-8, 8-0
North Florida - 19-12, 6-2
FGCU - 12-9, 2-4
Mercer - 7-6, 2-6
Jacksonville - 1-9, 0-6
South Division
Coastal Carolina - 19-9, 8-0
North Alabama - 9-9, 3-3
Morehead State - 13-6, 3-3
Austin Peay - 13-12, 4-4
Jacksonville State - 3-13, 0-8
A-SUN Schedule/Results
Friday
Coastal Carolina d. Jacksonville State 5-0, 5-0
FGCU d. Mercer 5-0, 5-0
Saturday
FGCU @ Jacksonville (DH)
Morehead State @ North Alabama (DH)
RESULTS
FGCU 5, Mercer 0
1. Carroll/Garder d. Gibson/Garanich 21-19, 21-16
2. Rhoades/Puisis d. Merchant/Ogden 16-21, 21-16, 15-9
3. Burnam/Whetstone d. McIntosh/Boeve 21-11, 21-14
4. Lacour/Borgiotti d. Keeling/Wissmach 23-21, 21-19
5. Ryan/VanLiew d. Gibson/Nunley 21-17, 21-15
FGCU 5, Mercer 0
1. Carroll/Garder d. Gibson/Garanich 21-17, 21-17
2. Puisis/Rhoades d. Ogden/Merchant 21-17, 21-15
3. Whetstone/Burnam d. McIntosh/Boeve 21-15, 21-14
4. Borgiotti/Lacour d. Keeling/Wissmach 13-21, 21-12, 15-10
5. Ryan/VanLiew d. Nunley/Gibson 21-18, 21-16
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