The third-seeded FGCU beach volleyball team (18-11) nearly pulled off a stunner against No. 8 nationally-ranked Stetson (29-8) in the A-SUN championship game, but suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss on Saturday at Cooper Beach to end the season.
"I am so proud of this group for their effort, focus and resiliency," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "This weekend we got a chance to see them display each of those characteristics. To come through the loser's bracket and find ourselves in the championship match with an opportunity to win, that speaks to their belief in one another."
The Eagles opened the day with a 3-2 come-from-behind win over second-seeded North Florida. After the Ospreys took the No. 1 pair to take the lead, seniors Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis produced a 21-12, 21-19 win at No. 2 to even it up. Sophomores Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone then captured a thrilling clincher, 21-15, 18-21, 15-11, to send the Eagles to their second championship match in three seasons.
"The UNF match was really rewarding and it felt appropriate that we would have to beat them if we wanted a shot in the final," Botsford said. "They are a very talented group and having edged us 3-2 on Thursday, we were expecting another close one. We got big performances across the board and it was great to see Snowy and Kayla cap the victory for our team."
In the championship, the first crucial win came at the No. 4 pair. Junior Giovanna Borgiotti and freshman Emma Hansen let an 11-1 lead in the opening set slip away, but they found a way to win a tight second set before fighting off several match points to claim a 21-19 win in the tiebreaking set. That victory allowed the Eagles to tie the match at one apiece.
Following that, senior Amanda Carroll and freshman Kirstine Garder settled into a groove at No. 1, where they took a 21-10 opening set before fending off Stetson to claim a 22-20 second set. The other two pairs then went three sets, and Stetson claimed both. FGCU's best chance at finishing off the upset came in the second set at No. 3, but Rachel Noble and Ana Costa won 21-19 to force a third set.
The two-set sweep of Stetson's Sunniva Helland-Hansen and Carly Perales at No. 1 was just their ninth two-set loss in nearly three-plus years together and the first to an unranked team. The others include No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 USC, No. 3 Florida State and No. 4 LSU in 2019, No. 8 South Carolina, No. 10 LSU and No. 11 FIU in 2018 and No. 10 Grand Canyon in 2017.
The duo of sophomores Cortney VanLiew and Alayna Ryan finished 3-3 in the tournament, which included a big come-from-behind 19-21, 21-16, 15-13 win over North Florida in Saturday.
Stetson, who has now won three consecutive A-SUN championships, entered the match having won 12 straight and not dropping a match since March 30.
"We of course want to congratulate Stetson, who has been such a great representative of ASUN beach volleyball over the past few years," Botsford said.
Burnam and Whetstone were named to the all-tournament team after tallying a 5-1 record over the weekend. The saw a nine-match winning streak snapped in the final, which is the second-longest in program history. Their five victories, though, is the most postseason wins in program history in one year, and the duo is now 7-3 all-time in the A-SUN tournament. They finished with the best season in program history at 24-5 overall.
FGCU's All-Tournament Team History
Snowy Burnam/Kayla Whetstone - 2019
Giovanna Borgiotti/Ashley Glickert - 2018
Madi Wilcox/Leigh Pudwill - 2017
Madi Wilcox/Elisa Anne Aldrich - 2016
Mackenzie Allen/Caroline Jordan - 2015
Kaitlin Holm/Whitney Masters - 2014, 2013
FGCU's senior class finishes as the winningest in program history at 59-39. They produced four straight double-digit winning seasons for the first time and set a new single-season wins record with 18 this year. Also, the trio of Rhoades, Puisis and Carroll will leave as the top three individuals in career wins.
"I want to thank our seniors who have had such a huge impact on our beach program," Botsford said. "They have poured themselves into this team, and we wouldn't be where we are had it not been for their efforts."
Notes
Carroll picked up her 50th career victory with the win over Stetson, which was her third career win over a ranked team. Meanwhile, Garder (Halden, Norway/Topvolley Norge) closes her rookie campaign with a freshman record 18 victories. Her four victories this weekend is the most for a freshman in one postseason in program history, as well.
Rhoades closes her career with an 8-8 record in postseason play, which ties Borgiotti for the most such wins in program history.
The Eagles are now 14-16 all-time in postseason play, but they're 10-8 over the past four seasons alone. They nearly became the first school in A-SUN history to win both the indoor and beach volleyball championship.
Full Tournament Results
Thursday
Match 1: No. 4 Coastal Carolina d. No. 5 Austin Peay 5-0
Match 2: No. 3 FGCU d. No. 6 North Alabama 5-0
Match 3: No. 1 Stetson d. No. 4 Coastal Carolina 4-1
Match 4: No. 2 North Florida d. No. 3 FGCU 3-2
Friday
Match 5: No. 3 FGCU d. No. 5 Austin Peay 3-0
Match 6: No. 4 Coastal Carolina d. No. 6 North Alabama 3-0
Match 7: No. 1 Stetson d. No. 2 North Florida 3-1
Match 8: No. 3 FGCU d. No. 4 Coastal Carolina 3-2
Saturday
Match 9: No. 3 FGCU d. No. 2 North Florida 3-2
Championship: No. 1 Stetson d. No. 3 FGCU 3-2
FULL RESULTS
FGCU 3, North Florida 2
1. Pase/Howard (UNF) d. Carroll/Garder 21-14, 21-11
2. Puisis/Rhoades (FGCU) d. Harrison/Cain 21-12, 21-19
3. Burnam/Whetstone (FGCU) d. McCarty/DeBolt 21-15, 18-21- 15-11
4. Roskic/Workman (UNF) d. Hansen/Borgiotti 23-21, 21-17
5. VanLiew/Ryan (FGCU) d. Smith/Galinis 19-21, 21-16, 15-13
Stetson 3, FGCU 2
1. Carroll/Garder (FGCU) d. Perales/Helland-Hansen 21-10, 22-20
2. Dunn/Thomas (Stetson) d. Puisis/Rhoades 21-15, 19-21, 15-5
3. Noble/Costa (Stetson) d. Burnam/Whetstone 18-21, 21-19, 15-11
4. Hansen/Borgiotti (FGCU) d. Krahn/Richardson 21-23, 21-17, 21-19
5. Ingram/Birker (Stetson) d. VanLiew/Ryan 21-16, 22-20
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