The FGCU volleyball team (12-3, 2-1 A-SUN) will continue conference play with a two-match jaunt up the state to battle North Florida (6-10, 0-2 A-SUN) on Friday at 7 p.m. and Stetson (2-10, 0-3 A-SUN) on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Eagles have performed well against the two teams, with a 43-8 combined record all-time. Against North Florida, FGCU has won eight of the past 10 in the series, but the Ospreys have claimed two of the past three outings on their home court in five-set fashion (2016 and 2017). The Green and Blue are 21-2 against Stetson, having lost on the road just once (Oct. 29, 2011). FGCU has also won 11 straight in the series while dropping only seven sets during that stretch.
More recently, FGCU is coming off a pair of straight set wins over North Alabama and Lipscomb this past weekend in a historic weekend for junior Cortney VanLiew. The junior outside hitter became the fourth player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills in the win over Lipscomb. She joined redshirt senior Amanda Carroll (1,424, 2015-present), Brooke Youngquist Sweat (1,173, 2004-07) and Olivia Mesner (1,132, 2011-14) - thus making this year's team the first one in program history with two 1,000 kill producers.
VanLiew's 22 kills against Lipscomb on Sunday is the most in program history for a three-set match against an A-SUN opponent. She topped her own record of 20 that was set on Sept. 22 of last season. In fact, those are the only two 20-plus kill performances in a three-set conference match.
On Friday, VanLiew totaled 16 kills over 20 attempts with just one error in just two sets. Not only did her kill output match North Alabama's entire team combined, but her .750 attack percentage was the best in the program's Division I era (2007-present) among players with at least 20 attempts.
Meanwhile, sophomore Dana Axner continued her torrid start to the season as the sophomore libero tallied at least 15 digs in all three matches last week, including 24 over three sets against Liberty. She closed the week with 15 digs against both North Alabama and Lipscomb while averaging six per set for the week. Her output against Liberty represented the third most in a three-set A-SUN regular season match in program history.
Axner has now tallied at least 10 digs in eight straight and 14 of 15 this year. She's totaled 261 overall at an A-SUN-best rate of 5.12 per set and is now up to 885 in her career, which is 63 short of passing Gigi Meyer (947, 2011-14) for fifth-most in the program's Division I era.
Her play led to a third A-SUN defensive player of the week selection of the season, which gives her four in a career - the most in program history and just one shy of matching Jacksonville's Mayara Prestes for the most in ASUN history. It also signifies the seventh weekly award of the season for the FGCU volleyball team over the first month plus of the season, which is the most among any A-SUN school.
Sophomore Chelsey Lockey reached 1,000 career assists this past week and has totaled 569 this year. She has at least 20 in every match and ranks 14th nationally in assists per set with 11.16. An all-around performer, she has four double-doubles this year in assists and digs, led by a 41-assist, 14-dig performance against Kentucky on Sept. 13.
Senior Daniele Serrano continued to pad her program-record block totals as she now sits just two solo blocks shy of owning every career record. Also sitting fourth in A-SUN history in total blocks, Serrano is one solo block shy of Olivia Mesner (62, 2011-14) for the most in program history. She also needs 11 more total blocks to surpass Rachel Templin (422.0, Campbell, 2003-06) for the third-most in conference history. In addition, Serrano has 711 kills in her career (9th all-time) and is 15 shy of passing Jill Hopper for eighth all-time.
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