Last Time Out:
The Eagles closed out the regular season with one final road trip in Newark as they shutout NJIT 3-0. As a result of the win, the Eagles were named the A-SUN Regular Season Champions for the second straight year. In addition, the Eagles not only earned a spot in the A-SUN Conference Tournament, but are the number one seed and have earned a first round bye in the tournament.
New Recruits and Award Recognitions:
Before the matchups, this past Friday marked National Signing Day along with the A-SUN Conference announcing the winners of awards and members of honorable mentions. The Eagles signed two freshman so far for the 2020-21 school year, Hannah Rae Kivett and Julianna "Juju" Lentz.
Hannah Rae Kivett:
A setter from Chandler, Indiana, Kivett comes from Castle High School and is one of only 27 seniors nationally to be among PrepVolleyball.com's Senior Aces, is a three-time First Team All-Metro and All-SIAC selection. She was named her conference's player of the year as a senior and earned AVCA All-Region recognition. Throughout her career as a member of the Knights, Kivett broke her school's single-season record for assists. She played club for Evansville United under the director of Olivia Goldstein, while Daniel Watson was her coach at Castle.
"Hannah has all the tools to develop into a great collegiate setter, and I can't wait to get her in the gym to start working," Botsford said. "She has a wealth of experience within the position and knows how to run an efficient offense while understanding her role on the court. At 6-1, her height will benefit us as a blocking team and allow her to be an offensive threat as well. What really stands out is her dedication to the craft of setting. She is extremely motivated to learn and has the kind of work ethic that will accelerate her growth in a new environment."
"I chose FGCU because of their great volleyball program, coaching staff, beautiful campus and great location," Kivett said.
Juliana "Juju" Lentz:
A middle blocker from St. Brendan High School in Miami, Florida, Lentz led St. Brendan to the state semifinals for the first time in 39 years as a senior. She finished the season with 207 kills and 120 blocks while helping her team to a 25-5 record and earning all-county MVP recognition.
"Juliana possesses the type of physicality and athleticism that will make her a disruptive force at the net from the moment she walks in the gym," Botsford said. "Her combination of quickness and power off the floor is going to translate well into the offensive side of the game, and she is already showing a knack for blocking that will help our program right away. While Juliana is training a lot as a middle, she has the versatility to hit at different locations along the net, and I would expect we will look for opportunities to continue to develop those skills."
"I chose FGCU because of the amazing atmosphere and facilities on campus," Lentz said.
A-SUN Coach of the Year:
For the second straight season, head coach Matt Botsford was named A-SUN Coach of the Year. Since being named head coach for the Eagles in 2014, Botsford has compiled a combined 141 wins (95 shutouts) in all six seasons so far.
A-SUN Player of the Year:
For the second straight season, junior Cortney VanLiew was named A-SUN Player of the Year. VanLiew still leads the team with 392 kills, 26 aces, 203 digs and 48 blocks (nine solo). VanLiew had five kills, two aces, six digs and a block in the final match against NJIT.
In her career, VanLiew has 1,182 career kills in her career along with 738 career digs. VanLiew remains 28 digs shy of surpassing Chandra Lefever (765, 2006-07, 09) for 12th all-time and is in a battle with redshirt senior Amanda Carroll (1,468) to become the all-time leader in career kills. In solo blocks, VanLiew has 24 in her career and remains in a tie with Sharonda Pickering (24, 2017-18) for ninth all-time.
VanLiew was also named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team for her 3.9 GPA for the second straight season.
"Cortney has continued to evolve on the court this season, and it is evident by the strides she has made as a passer, a blocker and a server," Botsford said. "She has developed into a player that can impact the game in a variety of ways well beyond the great job she does as an attacker. To be awarded player of the year two years in a row is a remarkable achievement, and she has worked extremely hard to put herself in that position. "
A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year:
Sophomore Dana Axner was unanimously named the A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year after her defensive performance. Despite having only six digs and an ace against NJIT, Axner still has 511 digs (5.32 digs per set) and 26 aces in her name. Axner currently has 1,135 career digs and is in a neck and neck battle with Carroll (1,224 career digs) to surpass Brooke Youngquist-Sweat (1,369, 2004-07) for fourth all-time. Axner was also named a unanimous member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team.
"Dana is among the most consistent and reliable players I have ever coached and to think she is only a sophomore really speaks to kind of competitor she is," Botsford said. "The job she does for us in the libero position has influenced our entire team defense, and this season she has taken that to another level. Dana's energy is infectious on the court and her commitment to her craft has helped make us a much more well-rounded team."
A-SUN Freshman of the Year:
The A-SUN Freshman of the Year award was earned by Erin Shoemaker. Shoemaker was second on the team with 215 kills and 39 blocks (seven solo). Shoemaker was also named a member of the A-SUN All-Freshman Team. Shoemaker became the third straight and fifth player overall in program history to win the conference's top freshman award, joining Axner (2018), Burnam (2017), Amanda Carroll (2015) and Jill Hopper (2011).
"I'm always so impressed by any freshman that can come in and find a way to contribute immediately," Botsford said. "That is a tough task for anyone. To see what Erin has been able to do on the court for us and how quickly she has done it, has been pretty amazing. She has already shown the ability to be a terminating player on the offensive end and she continues to make great strides as a blocker. Considering that we have used her along every position in the front row, her versatility has been a welcome and valued addition to this team."
A-SUN Setter of the Year:
Kennesaw's senior Lexi Broadwater was named A-SUN Setter of the Year for the second straight season. Broadwater has been one of the most dominant setters in the country this year, ranked second in the NCAA for assists per set (11.98) and fourth for total assists (1,246). She is one of 10 players in the country to average over 11.5 assists per set. The Fayetteville, Ga., native is one of four setters in the conference to record over 1,000 assists on the season. Apart from setting others up for success, Broadwater has tallied her fair share of points as well with 53 kills, 23 total blocks and 29 aces to go along with 173 digs to round out a stellar season.
A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Liberty's Amelia Johnson was named the A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Johnson is the first Liberty player since Becca Haraf in 2012 (Big South) to be named a conference scholar-athlete of the year and is the fourth scholar-athlete of the year in program history. Johnson has had a breakthrough season this year. She is in the top 50 nationally with an A-SUN-leading 406 kills. During conference play, she led the A-SUN with 4.20 kills per set. She posted two 29-kill matches in league play, the first Lady Flame in rally-scoring history to score 29 or more kills twice in a career. Johnson has posted 23 double-digit kill matches (13 in A-SUN play) and a team-high-tying eight double-doubles (four in A-SUN). She is the first Liberty player since Caroline Douglas (2014) to score 400 or more kills in a season. Johnson carried a 4.0 GPA as an interdisciplinary studies major and is currently pursuing a master's degree in public health.
A-SUN All-Conference First Team:
Along with VanLiew and Axner, five other members were named to the A-SUN All-Conference First Team:
Broadwater (Kennesaw State)
Johnson (Liberty)
Lauren Chastang (Kennesaw State)
Quin Sutphin (Kennesaw State)
Anna Gregg (Liberty)
Serrano is fourth on the team in kills (197) and leads the team in blocks (109, 16 solo). Against NJIT, Serrano had four kills and five blocks (one solo). In her career, Serrano has 812 career kills (eighth all-time) and is 26 shy of surpassing Ericka Fonseca (837, 2005-06) for seventh all-time. Meanwhile in blocks, Serrano needs three to surpass Meredith Hardy (ETSU, 2010-13, 474.0) as the A-SUN's all-time leader in blocks.
"Dani has had another spectacular season, as we have grown to expect," Botsford said. "She is such a smart player and reads the game so well. It really is a joy to watch her compete. The impact she has on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball is what has made her such an indispensable part of this unit for so long, and this year was no different. With four years of experience as a starter, she always seems to grasp the moment and understands how to influence a match in a positive way."
Burnam has 199 kills in her name along with 26 aces, 207 digs and 64 blocks (three solo). Burnam had 11 kills, an ace, two digs and a block against NJIT. In her career, Burnam has 644 career kills, 578 career digs and 177 career blocks (165th career block assists). Burnam is six kills shy of surpassing Jelena Simic (649, 2009, 2011) for 14th all-time, 22 digs shy of becoming the 17th Eagle to reach 600 digs and 23 to surpass Christine Pinder (603, 2012-13) for 16th all-time, three block assists to surpass Kaitlin Holm (167, 2011-13) for 10th all-time and 19 total blocks from surpassing Devon Watts (195, 2004-05) for ninth all-time.
"Snowy is a player who seems to get better every time she is out on the court," Botsford said. "Whether it is a practice or a match, you can see her processing the experience and how it influences her performance the next time out. This season she has made major strides as a blocker to complement a quality offensive game that really helps to free up some of our other hitters. Snowy is also one of our top point scorers from the service line along with being a very effective primary passer. She really does it all for us and helps to stabilize every phase of the game for this team."
Lockey has 1,113 assists, 26 aces, 215 digs and 55 blocks (five solo). Lockey had 36 assists, an ace, four digs and three blocks. In her career, Lockey has 1,589 career assists and remains 220 shy of surpassing Laura Manovill (1,809, 2004-05) for fourth all-time.
"I can't say enough about the job Chelsey has done this year," Botsford said. "I saw how hard she worked last spring and how committed she was to really embracing her role as our setter, but even then I expected it to take a bit more time. She showed early this season that she was ready and there was very little adjustment required before the offense became hers. She has played with a lot of poise for a sophomore in that position. Chelsey's consistency and creativity have been huge factors in our success."
Other players that joined Serrano, Burnam and Lockey are as listed:
Karlee Grover (Kennesaw State)
Casey Goodwin (Liberty)
Megan Kuper (Lipscomb)
Solimar Cestero (UNF)
A-SUN All-Freshman Team:
Joining Shoemaker on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team are as listed:
Sydney Bolding (Jacksonville)
Elena Djokovic (Stetson)
Emma Schurfranz (Kennesaw State)
Julianna Askew (UNF)
Rocio Moro (UNF)
Kaylee Oscarson (Stetson)
A-SUN All-Academic Team:
Joining VanLiew on the A-SUN All-Academic Team are as listed:
Johnson (Liberty)
Groover (Kennesaw State)
Morgan Elmore (Lipscomb)
Natalie Wehner (Jacksonville)
Hannah Morris (Liberty)
Olivia Welsch (NJIT)
"Seeing our players honored is always a proud moment, and I'm so happy for each of them," Botsford said. "These young women have worked extremely hard, and their dedication toward their own development has put them in a position where they are among the top players in our conference. Aside from the talents they each possess, it takes a special desire to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to grow those talents in the way that they have."
Tournament Seedings:
The seeds are listed as followed with the teams' overall records:
#1 FGCU (26-4)
#2 Kennesaw State (20-8)
#3 Liberty (18-10)
#4 Lipscomb (15-12)
#5 Stetson (12-14)
#6 UNF (15-27)
Jacksonville (10-21), North Alabama (4-25) and NJIT (1-31) did not qualify for the tournament due to their overall and conference records.
For Jacksonville, it was the second straight season that they have not reached the postseason.
For NJIT, this is the fifth straight year of not qualifying for the tournament. Once again, I'm not surprised that NJIT did not make the A-SUN Volleyball Tournament since they joined the A-SUN fall 2015.
Just like last season for North Alabama, it would not make much difference for them. If they would have won the conference tournament, let alone qualify for it, then they would not go to the national tournament due to the four-year transitional period and the regular season champions (FGCU) would go to the national tournament.
Scouting Kennesaw:
Offensively, Chastang leads the team with 405 kills. In the last match against Liberty, Chastang had a double-double of 21 kills and 13 digs to go along with .
Defensively, Sutphin and Brown take the reins. Sutphin is seond on the team in kills (306) while Brown is fifth (194). Both combine for 161 blocks (88 Sutphin, 81 Brown). In their last match against Liberty, Sutphin had 15 kills and three blocks while Brown had 13 kills and four blocks.
Grover leads the team with 497 digs (4.78 per set). In the last match against Liberty, Grover had 28 digs.
Scouting the Lady Bison:
Offensively, senior Maddie Phillips leads the team in kills (248) and 78 blocks. In the last match against Jacksonville, Phillips had 13 kills and three blocks.
Sophomore Garrett Joiner follows Phillips with 215 kills and 23 blocks. Joiner did not play against Jacksonville her last match.
Defensively, aside from Phillips, junior Samantha Rubal has 66 blocks in her name to go with 194 kills. In the last match against Jacksonville, Rubal had 13 kills and four blocks.
Junior Alyssa Zwolensky had 449 digs and 20 aces. Against Jacksonville, Zwolensky had 28 digs.
Scouting Liberty:
How to Keep Up to Date:
Livestats will be provided for all five matches and will air on ESPN+
Fans can also keep up on the teams' Twitter pages:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
Kennesaw: @KSUOwlsVB
Lipscomb: @LipscombVBall
Liberty: @LibertyWVB
Stetson: @StetsonVB
UNF: @OspreyVB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards.
New Recruits and Award Recognitions:
Before the matchups, this past Friday marked National Signing Day along with the A-SUN Conference announcing the winners of awards and members of honorable mentions. The Eagles signed two freshman so far for the 2020-21 school year, Hannah Rae Kivett and Julianna "Juju" Lentz.
Hannah Rae Kivett:
A setter from Chandler, Indiana, Kivett comes from Castle High School and is one of only 27 seniors nationally to be among PrepVolleyball.com's Senior Aces, is a three-time First Team All-Metro and All-SIAC selection. She was named her conference's player of the year as a senior and earned AVCA All-Region recognition. Throughout her career as a member of the Knights, Kivett broke her school's single-season record for assists. She played club for Evansville United under the director of Olivia Goldstein, while Daniel Watson was her coach at Castle.
"Hannah has all the tools to develop into a great collegiate setter, and I can't wait to get her in the gym to start working," Botsford said. "She has a wealth of experience within the position and knows how to run an efficient offense while understanding her role on the court. At 6-1, her height will benefit us as a blocking team and allow her to be an offensive threat as well. What really stands out is her dedication to the craft of setting. She is extremely motivated to learn and has the kind of work ethic that will accelerate her growth in a new environment."
"I chose FGCU because of their great volleyball program, coaching staff, beautiful campus and great location," Kivett said.
Juliana "Juju" Lentz:
A middle blocker from St. Brendan High School in Miami, Florida, Lentz led St. Brendan to the state semifinals for the first time in 39 years as a senior. She finished the season with 207 kills and 120 blocks while helping her team to a 25-5 record and earning all-county MVP recognition.
"Juliana possesses the type of physicality and athleticism that will make her a disruptive force at the net from the moment she walks in the gym," Botsford said. "Her combination of quickness and power off the floor is going to translate well into the offensive side of the game, and she is already showing a knack for blocking that will help our program right away. While Juliana is training a lot as a middle, she has the versatility to hit at different locations along the net, and I would expect we will look for opportunities to continue to develop those skills."
"I chose FGCU because of the amazing atmosphere and facilities on campus," Lentz said.
A-SUN Coach of the Year:
For the second straight season, head coach Matt Botsford was named A-SUN Coach of the Year. Since being named head coach for the Eagles in 2014, Botsford has compiled a combined 141 wins (95 shutouts) in all six seasons so far.
A-SUN Player of the Year:
For the second straight season, junior Cortney VanLiew was named A-SUN Player of the Year. VanLiew still leads the team with 392 kills, 26 aces, 203 digs and 48 blocks (nine solo). VanLiew had five kills, two aces, six digs and a block in the final match against NJIT.
In her career, VanLiew has 1,182 career kills in her career along with 738 career digs. VanLiew remains 28 digs shy of surpassing Chandra Lefever (765, 2006-07, 09) for 12th all-time and is in a battle with redshirt senior Amanda Carroll (1,468) to become the all-time leader in career kills. In solo blocks, VanLiew has 24 in her career and remains in a tie with Sharonda Pickering (24, 2017-18) for ninth all-time.
VanLiew was also named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team for her 3.9 GPA for the second straight season.
"Cortney has continued to evolve on the court this season, and it is evident by the strides she has made as a passer, a blocker and a server," Botsford said. "She has developed into a player that can impact the game in a variety of ways well beyond the great job she does as an attacker. To be awarded player of the year two years in a row is a remarkable achievement, and she has worked extremely hard to put herself in that position. "
A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year:
Sophomore Dana Axner was unanimously named the A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year after her defensive performance. Despite having only six digs and an ace against NJIT, Axner still has 511 digs (5.32 digs per set) and 26 aces in her name. Axner currently has 1,135 career digs and is in a neck and neck battle with Carroll (1,224 career digs) to surpass Brooke Youngquist-Sweat (1,369, 2004-07) for fourth all-time. Axner was also named a unanimous member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team.
"Dana is among the most consistent and reliable players I have ever coached and to think she is only a sophomore really speaks to kind of competitor she is," Botsford said. "The job she does for us in the libero position has influenced our entire team defense, and this season she has taken that to another level. Dana's energy is infectious on the court and her commitment to her craft has helped make us a much more well-rounded team."
A-SUN Freshman of the Year:
The A-SUN Freshman of the Year award was earned by Erin Shoemaker. Shoemaker was second on the team with 215 kills and 39 blocks (seven solo). Shoemaker was also named a member of the A-SUN All-Freshman Team. Shoemaker became the third straight and fifth player overall in program history to win the conference's top freshman award, joining Axner (2018), Burnam (2017), Amanda Carroll (2015) and Jill Hopper (2011).
"I'm always so impressed by any freshman that can come in and find a way to contribute immediately," Botsford said. "That is a tough task for anyone. To see what Erin has been able to do on the court for us and how quickly she has done it, has been pretty amazing. She has already shown the ability to be a terminating player on the offensive end and she continues to make great strides as a blocker. Considering that we have used her along every position in the front row, her versatility has been a welcome and valued addition to this team."
Kennesaw's senior Lexi Broadwater was named A-SUN Setter of the Year for the second straight season. Broadwater has been one of the most dominant setters in the country this year, ranked second in the NCAA for assists per set (11.98) and fourth for total assists (1,246). She is one of 10 players in the country to average over 11.5 assists per set. The Fayetteville, Ga., native is one of four setters in the conference to record over 1,000 assists on the season. Apart from setting others up for success, Broadwater has tallied her fair share of points as well with 53 kills, 23 total blocks and 29 aces to go along with 173 digs to round out a stellar season.
A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Liberty's Amelia Johnson was named the A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Johnson is the first Liberty player since Becca Haraf in 2012 (Big South) to be named a conference scholar-athlete of the year and is the fourth scholar-athlete of the year in program history. Johnson has had a breakthrough season this year. She is in the top 50 nationally with an A-SUN-leading 406 kills. During conference play, she led the A-SUN with 4.20 kills per set. She posted two 29-kill matches in league play, the first Lady Flame in rally-scoring history to score 29 or more kills twice in a career. Johnson has posted 23 double-digit kill matches (13 in A-SUN play) and a team-high-tying eight double-doubles (four in A-SUN). She is the first Liberty player since Caroline Douglas (2014) to score 400 or more kills in a season. Johnson carried a 4.0 GPA as an interdisciplinary studies major and is currently pursuing a master's degree in public health.
A-SUN All-Conference First Team:
Along with VanLiew and Axner, five other members were named to the A-SUN All-Conference First Team:
Broadwater (Kennesaw State)
Johnson (Liberty)
Lauren Chastang (Kennesaw State)
Quin Sutphin (Kennesaw State)
Anna Gregg (Liberty)
A-SUN All-Conference Second Team:
Senior Daniele Serrano, junior Snowy Burnam and sophomore Chelsea Lockey were named members of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team. For Serrano, this was the second straight season she was named on the second team.Serrano is fourth on the team in kills (197) and leads the team in blocks (109, 16 solo). Against NJIT, Serrano had four kills and five blocks (one solo). In her career, Serrano has 812 career kills (eighth all-time) and is 26 shy of surpassing Ericka Fonseca (837, 2005-06) for seventh all-time. Meanwhile in blocks, Serrano needs three to surpass Meredith Hardy (ETSU, 2010-13, 474.0) as the A-SUN's all-time leader in blocks.
"Dani has had another spectacular season, as we have grown to expect," Botsford said. "She is such a smart player and reads the game so well. It really is a joy to watch her compete. The impact she has on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball is what has made her such an indispensable part of this unit for so long, and this year was no different. With four years of experience as a starter, she always seems to grasp the moment and understands how to influence a match in a positive way."
Burnam has 199 kills in her name along with 26 aces, 207 digs and 64 blocks (three solo). Burnam had 11 kills, an ace, two digs and a block against NJIT. In her career, Burnam has 644 career kills, 578 career digs and 177 career blocks (165th career block assists). Burnam is six kills shy of surpassing Jelena Simic (649, 2009, 2011) for 14th all-time, 22 digs shy of becoming the 17th Eagle to reach 600 digs and 23 to surpass Christine Pinder (603, 2012-13) for 16th all-time, three block assists to surpass Kaitlin Holm (167, 2011-13) for 10th all-time and 19 total blocks from surpassing Devon Watts (195, 2004-05) for ninth all-time.
"Snowy is a player who seems to get better every time she is out on the court," Botsford said. "Whether it is a practice or a match, you can see her processing the experience and how it influences her performance the next time out. This season she has made major strides as a blocker to complement a quality offensive game that really helps to free up some of our other hitters. Snowy is also one of our top point scorers from the service line along with being a very effective primary passer. She really does it all for us and helps to stabilize every phase of the game for this team."
Lockey has 1,113 assists, 26 aces, 215 digs and 55 blocks (five solo). Lockey had 36 assists, an ace, four digs and three blocks. In her career, Lockey has 1,589 career assists and remains 220 shy of surpassing Laura Manovill (1,809, 2004-05) for fourth all-time.
"I can't say enough about the job Chelsey has done this year," Botsford said. "I saw how hard she worked last spring and how committed she was to really embracing her role as our setter, but even then I expected it to take a bit more time. She showed early this season that she was ready and there was very little adjustment required before the offense became hers. She has played with a lot of poise for a sophomore in that position. Chelsey's consistency and creativity have been huge factors in our success."
Other players that joined Serrano, Burnam and Lockey are as listed:
Karlee Grover (Kennesaw State)
Casey Goodwin (Liberty)
Megan Kuper (Lipscomb)
Solimar Cestero (UNF)
A-SUN All-Freshman Team:
Joining Shoemaker on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team are as listed:
Sydney Bolding (Jacksonville)
Elena Djokovic (Stetson)
Emma Schurfranz (Kennesaw State)
Julianna Askew (UNF)
Rocio Moro (UNF)
Kaylee Oscarson (Stetson)
A-SUN All-Academic Team:
Joining VanLiew on the A-SUN All-Academic Team are as listed:
Johnson (Liberty)
Groover (Kennesaw State)
Morgan Elmore (Lipscomb)
Natalie Wehner (Jacksonville)
Hannah Morris (Liberty)
Olivia Welsch (NJIT)
"Seeing our players honored is always a proud moment, and I'm so happy for each of them," Botsford said. "These young women have worked extremely hard, and their dedication toward their own development has put them in a position where they are among the top players in our conference. Aside from the talents they each possess, it takes a special desire to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to grow those talents in the way that they have."
Tournament Seedings:
The seeds are listed as followed with the teams' overall records:
#1 FGCU (26-4)
#2 Kennesaw State (20-8)
#3 Liberty (18-10)
#4 Lipscomb (15-12)
#5 Stetson (12-14)
#6 UNF (15-27)
Jacksonville (10-21), North Alabama (4-25) and NJIT (1-31) did not qualify for the tournament due to their overall and conference records.
For Jacksonville, it was the second straight season that they have not reached the postseason.
For NJIT, this is the fifth straight year of not qualifying for the tournament. Once again, I'm not surprised that NJIT did not make the A-SUN Volleyball Tournament since they joined the A-SUN fall 2015.
Just like last season for North Alabama, it would not make much difference for them. If they would have won the conference tournament, let alone qualify for it, then they would not go to the national tournament due to the four-year transitional period and the regular season champions (FGCU) would go to the national tournament.
Scouting Kennesaw:
Offensively, Chastang leads the team with 405 kills. In the last match against Liberty, Chastang had a double-double of 21 kills and 13 digs to go along with .
Defensively, Sutphin and Brown take the reins. Sutphin is seond on the team in kills (306) while Brown is fifth (194). Both combine for 161 blocks (88 Sutphin, 81 Brown). In their last match against Liberty, Sutphin had 15 kills and three blocks while Brown had 13 kills and four blocks.
Grover leads the team with 497 digs (4.78 per set). In the last match against Liberty, Grover had 28 digs.
Scouting the Lady Bison:
Offensively, senior Maddie Phillips leads the team in kills (248) and 78 blocks. In the last match against Jacksonville, Phillips had 13 kills and three blocks.
Sophomore Garrett Joiner follows Phillips with 215 kills and 23 blocks. Joiner did not play against Jacksonville her last match.
Defensively, aside from Phillips, junior Samantha Rubal has 66 blocks in her name to go with 194 kills. In the last match against Jacksonville, Rubal had 13 kills and four blocks.
Junior Alyssa Zwolensky had 449 digs and 20 aces. Against Jacksonville, Zwolensky had 28 digs.
Scouting Liberty:
Offensively, Johnson, Goodwin and Gragg lead the Lady Flames on the offensive front. Johnson leads the team with 404 kills and 28 aces, while Goodwin is behind with 290 kills and Gragg with 243 kills.
Defensively, junior Macy Phillips leads the team in digs (472) while Gragg leads with 107 blocks.
Scouting the Lady Hatters:
Stetson clinched a spot in the A-SUN Tournament after shutting out NJIT. At one point, the Lady Hatters had an eight-match winning streak before the Eagles snapped it.
Offensively, senior Evi Deisa and Djokovic pave the way for the Hatters.
Redshirt junior Brianna Schmid also plays key for the Lady Hatters' defense as she leads in blocks (89). Against NJIT, the transfer from Robert Morris had two blocks and four kills.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys clinched the last spot in the A-SUN Tournament after sweeping North Alabama.
Cestero leads the Ospreys with 410 kills and 138 digs. Cestero had 21 kills and eight digs against North Alabama.
Senior Taryn Griffey has 347 kills and 80 blocks. Griffey had 14 kills and a block against North Alabama.
Redshirt sophomore Gabby O'Connell is third on the team with 228 kills while adding 105 digs. O'Connell had 10 kills and five digs against North Alabama.
Askew lead the team with 1,265 assists and 194 digs. Askew had a double-double of 49 assists and 10 digs against UNA.
Series History:
Against the Owls, the Eagles are 16-11 overall. FGCU defeated Kennesaw on October 13 at the Alico Arena, but then lost 3-1 at the KSU Convocation Center on November 8 to split the series. The win against the Owls helped the Eagles gain sole possession of first place.
FGCU is 11-16 overall against the Lipscomb. The Eagles swept the Lady Bison at home on September 29 before travelling to the Allen Arena on November 10 for their fourth sweep against Lipscomb overall (2012, 2017, 2018). Both matches were won by a score of 3-0.
The Eagles are 24-6 against the Ospreys. The Eagles shutout the Ospreys 3-0 at the UNF Arena on October 4 and at the Alico Arena on November 3 by a score of 3-0.
The Eagles are 23-2 overall against the Lady Hatters where they defeated them 3-1 on the road on October 5 and at home on senior night on November 1.
A-SUN Tournament Breakdown:
The A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament is a three-day single elimination tournament from Friday, November 21 to Sunday, November 23 and will take place at the Alico Arena.
FGCU and Kennesaw State are the top two seeds in the tournament (#1 FGCU, #2 KSU) and as a result, they will have a first-round bye and await the winners of the quarterfinals matches from the #3 to #6 seeds.
The Eagles will await #4 Lipscomb and #5 Stetson, while the Owls await #3 Liberty and #6 UNF.
Lipscomb and Stetson will play at 5 P.M. and Liberty and UNF will follow at 7:30 P.M. on November 21.
What's at Stake:
The winners of quarterfinals will play at 5 P.M. (vs FGCU) and 7:30 P.M. (vs Kennesaw) on November 16 before the semifinalists play in the championship final on November 17 at 7 P.M. The winner of the tournament will represent the A-SUN and punch their ticket to the 2019 NCAA National Volleyball Tournament.
The runner-up can decide whether they will or will not compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament (NIVC), which is basically the volleyball version of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). If the runner-up is the regular season champions, then they will automatically be in the tournament, should they decide to do so.
History Lesson of NIVC:
The NIVC started in 1989 as a 20-team tournament and ended in 1995. The inaugural champion was Wisconsin. The Badgers were the last champions in the tournament before shutting down and being defunct. In 2016, the NCAA brought back the tournament as a 64-team tournament. In last year's NIVC, Ole Miss was the inaugural champions of the revamp of the tournament after they defeated Texas Tech 3-0. Last year, Iowa State won the 2018 NIVC Tournament after defeating Tulane 3-0.
The list of champions:
1989 – Wisconsin
1990 – Houston
1991 – Kentucky
1992 – Washington State
1993 – Louisiana State
1994 – Cal-State Northridge
1995 – Wisconsin
2017- Ole Miss
2018- Iowa State
NIVC Breakdown:
The NIVC is simply like this:
1. 64 DI teams from all 32 conferences that did not get berths in the NCAA Tournament will be in line for their opportunity for the postseason.
2. Teams offered an automatic berth shall be the team that is the highest-finishing team in its conference’s regular-season standings, and not selected for the NCAA Tournament in which their overall record is not a criteria. There will, however, be a list of tiebreakers and other criteria involved.
3. The NIVC will give 32 at-large berths to the top teams available. Any team from a Division I conference, or a Division I independent team, will be considered.
4. It is a single-elimination tournament that will feature 32 first-round matches, followed by 16 second-round matches, eight third-round matches, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal matches, and the championship. It's similar to the MNIT and WNIT in college basketball.
5. The 32-40 team field will be announced late Sunday, December 1. The first and second rounds will start December 5-7 with the championship ending Tuesday, December 17.
Stetson clinched a spot in the A-SUN Tournament after shutting out NJIT. At one point, the Lady Hatters had an eight-match winning streak before the Eagles snapped it.
Offensively, senior Evi Deisa and Djokovic pave the way for the Hatters.
Deisa leads the team in kills (285) and aces (34), while Djokovic is second on the team in kills (226) and is tied in blocks (102). In the match against NJIT, Deisa had eight kills and two aces while Djokovic had 13 kills and three blocks
Defensively, juniors Chelcie Spence and Naina Ivanova leads the team with a combined 881 digs (Spence: 427, Ivanova: 444). Against NJIT, Spence had 17 digs while Ivanova was held to seven.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys clinched the last spot in the A-SUN Tournament after sweeping North Alabama.
Cestero leads the Ospreys with 410 kills and 138 digs. Cestero had 21 kills and eight digs against North Alabama.
Senior Taryn Griffey has 347 kills and 80 blocks. Griffey had 14 kills and a block against North Alabama.
Redshirt sophomore Gabby O'Connell is third on the team with 228 kills while adding 105 digs. O'Connell had 10 kills and five digs against North Alabama.
Askew lead the team with 1,265 assists and 194 digs. Askew had a double-double of 49 assists and 10 digs against UNA.
Series History:
Against the Owls, the Eagles are 16-11 overall. FGCU defeated Kennesaw on October 13 at the Alico Arena, but then lost 3-1 at the KSU Convocation Center on November 8 to split the series. The win against the Owls helped the Eagles gain sole possession of first place.
FGCU is 11-16 overall against the Lipscomb. The Eagles swept the Lady Bison at home on September 29 before travelling to the Allen Arena on November 10 for their fourth sweep against Lipscomb overall (2012, 2017, 2018). Both matches were won by a score of 3-0.
The Eagles are 24-6 against the Ospreys. The Eagles shutout the Ospreys 3-0 at the UNF Arena on October 4 and at the Alico Arena on November 3 by a score of 3-0.
The Eagles are 23-2 overall against the Lady Hatters where they defeated them 3-1 on the road on October 5 and at home on senior night on November 1.
A-SUN Tournament Breakdown:
The A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament is a three-day single elimination tournament from Friday, November 21 to Sunday, November 23 and will take place at the Alico Arena.
FGCU and Kennesaw State are the top two seeds in the tournament (#1 FGCU, #2 KSU) and as a result, they will have a first-round bye and await the winners of the quarterfinals matches from the #3 to #6 seeds.
The Eagles will await #4 Lipscomb and #5 Stetson, while the Owls await #3 Liberty and #6 UNF.
Lipscomb and Stetson will play at 5 P.M. and Liberty and UNF will follow at 7:30 P.M. on November 21.
What's at Stake:
The winners of quarterfinals will play at 5 P.M. (vs FGCU) and 7:30 P.M. (vs Kennesaw) on November 16 before the semifinalists play in the championship final on November 17 at 7 P.M. The winner of the tournament will represent the A-SUN and punch their ticket to the 2019 NCAA National Volleyball Tournament.
The runner-up can decide whether they will or will not compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament (NIVC), which is basically the volleyball version of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). If the runner-up is the regular season champions, then they will automatically be in the tournament, should they decide to do so.
History Lesson of NIVC:
The NIVC started in 1989 as a 20-team tournament and ended in 1995. The inaugural champion was Wisconsin. The Badgers were the last champions in the tournament before shutting down and being defunct. In 2016, the NCAA brought back the tournament as a 64-team tournament. In last year's NIVC, Ole Miss was the inaugural champions of the revamp of the tournament after they defeated Texas Tech 3-0. Last year, Iowa State won the 2018 NIVC Tournament after defeating Tulane 3-0.
The list of champions:
1989 – Wisconsin
1990 – Houston
1991 – Kentucky
1992 – Washington State
1993 – Louisiana State
1994 – Cal-State Northridge
1995 – Wisconsin
2017- Ole Miss
2018- Iowa State
NIVC Breakdown:
The NIVC is simply like this:
1. 64 DI teams from all 32 conferences that did not get berths in the NCAA Tournament will be in line for their opportunity for the postseason.
2. Teams offered an automatic berth shall be the team that is the highest-finishing team in its conference’s regular-season standings, and not selected for the NCAA Tournament in which their overall record is not a criteria. There will, however, be a list of tiebreakers and other criteria involved.
3. The NIVC will give 32 at-large berths to the top teams available. Any team from a Division I conference, or a Division I independent team, will be considered.
4. It is a single-elimination tournament that will feature 32 first-round matches, followed by 16 second-round matches, eight third-round matches, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal matches, and the championship. It's similar to the MNIT and WNIT in college basketball.
5. The 32-40 team field will be announced late Sunday, December 1. The first and second rounds will start December 5-7 with the championship ending Tuesday, December 17.
Livestats will be provided for all five matches and will air on ESPN+
Fans can also keep up on the teams' Twitter pages:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
Kennesaw: @KSUOwlsVB
Lipscomb: @LipscombVBall
Liberty: @LibertyWVB
Stetson: @StetsonVB
UNF: @OspreyVB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards.
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