FGCU Beach Volleyball @ UNF Recap

The No. 2 pair of seniors Karissa Rhoades and Katherine Puisis won both matchups on the day, but the FGCU beach volleyball team (10-9, 0-4 A-SUN) dropped a pair of 3-2 matches to North Florida (19-12, 6-2 A-SUN) on the road this afternoon.

"We had two extremely competitive matches," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "I was really pleased with the performances of all our pairs. Katie and Karissa did a great job, and we were getting to a lot of third sets. We just have to find a way to close it out."

The Eagles will look to bounce back with a pair of doubleheaders against Mercer (7-4, 2-4 A-SUN) and Jacksonville (1-9, 0-6 A-SUN) on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Following that, the team will await its postseason fate from the A-SUN tournament selection committee.

Rhoades and Puisis won a pair of thrilling, three-set matches via 15-13 and 15-12 third-set victories over UNF's Antonia Harrison and Jessi Freeman. In doing so, the duo improved to 13-6 on the season and Puisis joined her partner as one of only two players in program history to achieve 50 career wins.

Career Wins Leaders
54 - Karissa Rhoades, 2016-present
50 - Katherine Puisis, 2016-present
46 - Madi Wilcox, 2014-17
43 - Amanda Carroll, 2016-present
38 - Mackenzie Allen, 2015-18
38 - Ashley Glickert, 2015-18
37 - Giovanna Borgiotti, 2017-present

The No. 3 pair of sophomores Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone took a 16-14 third set in the opener over UNF's Nicole DeBolt and Madilyn McCarty. Despite a loss in the finale, the pair is now a team-best 15-4 this year, which puts them three victories shy of breaking the single-season wins record set last year by Puisis and Rhoades.

Single Season Wins Leaders
17 - Katherine Puisis - 2018 (17-8 .680)
17 - Karissa Rhoades - 2018 (17-8 .680)
16 - Giovanna Borgiotti - 2018 (16-9 .640)
16 - Ashley Glickert - 2018 (16-9 .640)
16 - Snowy Burnam - 2018 (16-10 .615)
16 - Kayla Whetstone - 2018 (16-10 .615)
15 - Kayla Whetstone - 2019 (15-4 .789)
15 - Snowy Burnam - 2019 (15-4 .789)
15 - Elisa Anne Aldrich - 2016 (15-4 .789)
15 - Madi Wilcox - 2016 (15-4 .789)
15 - Karissa Rhoades - 2017 (15-9 .625)
15 - Katherine Puisis - 2017 (15-9 .625)

Senior Amanda Carroll and freshman Kirstine Garder bounced back from a loss in today's first match to claim a hard-fought 22-20, 15-21, 15-11 victory in the finale. Carroll is now three victories shy of matching Madi Wilcox (46, 2014-17) for the third-most career victories, while Garder won her 11th match on the season, which puts her five short of matching the freshman wins record established by Burnam and Whetstone last year.

Updated A-SUN Standings
North Division
Stetson - 23-8, 8-0
North Florida - 19-12, 6-2
Mercer - 7-4, 2-4
FGCU - 10-9, 0-4
Jacksonville - 1-9, 0-6

South Division
Coastal Carolina - 15-9, 4-0
North Alabama - 9-7, 3-1
Morehead State - 13-6, 3-3
Austin Peay - 12-12, 4-4
Jacksonville State - 3-11, 0-6

Upcoming A-SUN Schedule
Friday
Coastal Carolina @ Jacksonville State (DH)
FGCU vs Mercer in Jacksonville (DH)

Saturday
FGCU @ Jacksonville (DH)
Morehead State @ North Alabama (DH)

RESULTS
North Florida 3, FGCU 2
1. Pase/Howard (UNF) d. Garder/Carroll 21-14, 21-16
2. Rhoades/Puisis (FGCU) d. Harrison/Freeman 22-20, 19-21, 15-13
3. Burnam/Whetstone (FGCU) d. DeBolt/McCarty 21-10, 16-21, 16-14
4. Roskic/Workman (UNF) d. Lacour/Borgiotti 17-21, 21-19, 15-13
5. Smith/Galinis (UNF) d. VanLiew/Ryan 21-18, 21-15

North Florida 3, FGCU 2
1. Carroll/Garder (FGCU) d. Pase/Howard 22-20, 15-21, 15-11
2. Puisis/Rhoades (FGCU) d. Harrison/Freeman 21-14, 16-21, 15-12
3. DeBolt/McCarty (UNF) d. Burnam/Whetstone 21-12, 21-17
4. Roskic/Workman (UNF) d. Borgiotti/Lacour 17-21, 21-18, 15-10
5. Galinis/Smith (UNF) d. VanLiew/Ryan 21-18, 19-21, 15-13