The FGCU softball team will welcome four programs to the Nest this weekend hosting the FGCU Invitational, starting with a single game first versus Furman Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Last Time Out:
FGCU opened the 2020 season this past weekend going 4-1 in three days. During that stretch, freshman Johneisha Rowe batted .545, scored four runs while stealing three bases. In the circle, Marissa Mesiemore and Sarah Lawton each collected two wins. Lawton is 2-0 and holds a 0.70 ERA. Meanwhile, Hope Hernandez produced a team best four RBI over the weekend.
Scouting Furman:
The Paladins are 1-2 at the moment as they opened their season in Atlanta in the Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech. Natalie Morgan hit .500 (4-for-8) with four RBI. In the circle, Morgan Smith has the lone victory, making three appearances in two starts.
This will be the first meeting between both programs.
Scouting #24 Arkansas:
The Razorbacks produced a 4-1 record this past weekend in New Mexico at the Troy Cox Classic. Sydney Parr led the offensive attack hitting .556 with 10 hits and four RBI. Arkansas has three players with at least six RBI. In the circle, four Razorbacks have seen action as Autumn Storms is 3-0 and has yet to concede a run. The squad is coming off a 38-win season in 2019 where it made the NCAA Tournament for a third-straight year.
FGCU and Arkansas have met one time prior to this weekend (2012, Arkansas defeated FGCU, 14-7).
Scouting Memphis:
The Tigers enter the Nest with a 3-2 record as they competed in the Hawaii Classic last weekend. In five starts, Sara Ann Davidson recorded a .455 average at the dish, driving in four runners. Memphis used five pitchers over the three-day stretch, led by Chyanne Ellett who went 2-1 in 11.2 innings of work.
FGCU trails the all-time series, 1-2. Last season, FGCU came out on top, 5-0.
Scouting UIC:
Illinois-Chicago will be opening its 2020 season in Southwest Florida this weekend. Last year, the Flames turned in a 32-23 overall record, going 20-4 in the Horzion League. Kayla Wedl returns for her senior year as she batted .453, leading the team in RBI (61), triples (four) and home runs (15). In the circle, Allie Trudeau collected a team-best 12 wins, making 23 starts in 33 appearances.
This will be the second meeting between FGCU and UIC – the Eagles claimed a 4-3 victory back in 2016 at home.
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FGCU Softball: FGCU Kickoff Classic Day One Recap
The FGCU softball team (2-0) walked away two wins Friday night, first taking down Delaware (1-1), 4-1 and capped off the night with a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win over Boston College (1-1) at the FGCU Softball Complex.
"Tonight was two very different games. The results were great for us in both cases but they couldn't have started any differently," said head coach David Deiros. "We took the big lead early and had to go ahead and fight off [Delaware's] advances in the last three innings. Boston College then took the lead and we just kept on battling and came away with the win in extra innings."
FGCU 4 | Delaware 1
FGCU wasted no time getting on the board scoring two runs on two hits. A pair of walks by Sammi Poehlman and Johneisha Rowe and a sac bunt single by Haley Morrell loaded the bags. Two batters later, Marissa Mesiemore roped a double to left for the 2-0 lead.
In the second frame, FGCU produced three hits on two runs. Mikenzie Vaughn started off the inning with a double to left-center as she was moved to third on a sac bunt by Kacie Huber. McKenna Batterton stepped in and laced a single up the middle scoring Vaughn and pinch-runner Maddy Johnson.
Mesiemore continued to roll, keeping the Blue Hens hitless until the fifth inning where eventually, they scored their lone run.
The Bushnell, Fla., native came away with FGCU's first victory of 2020 as she tossed a complete four-hit game, fanning eight batters.
FGCU 4 | Boston College 3
BC jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second and made it 3-0 in the third. FGCU responded though, in its own bottom half with two runs on one hit. Reedy Davenport sparked the inning reaching on an error as Abbey Thomas then walked. Batterton's fielder's choice bunt to the pitcher loaded the bags. Hope Hernandez's single up the middle gave the Green and Blue's its first hit along with two runs.
Davenport tied the game for FGCU with a double to left, bringing Poehlman in who reached on a single and scored from second after swiping the bag.
With the International Tiebreaker Rule now in effect – the last batter out of the previous inning gets placed on second – Ahnie Jumper was now in scoring position to start the eighth. BC intentionally walked Batterton as a sac bunt from Hernandez moved them to second and third. On the very next pitch, Jumper gave FGCU the walk-off win coming home on a wild pitch.
Sarah Lawton picked up the win after tossing three innings of work yielding just one hit, one walk, while fanning four batters. Davenport led the team at the plate with two hits, meanwhile, Hernandez ended the game with two RBI.
Up Next:
FGCU returns tomorrow night facing Georgetown (0-2) at 6 p.m. and end the night facing LIU (1-1) at 8:15 pm.
"Tonight was two very different games. The results were great for us in both cases but they couldn't have started any differently," said head coach David Deiros. "We took the big lead early and had to go ahead and fight off [Delaware's] advances in the last three innings. Boston College then took the lead and we just kept on battling and came away with the win in extra innings."
FGCU 4 | Delaware 1
FGCU wasted no time getting on the board scoring two runs on two hits. A pair of walks by Sammi Poehlman and Johneisha Rowe and a sac bunt single by Haley Morrell loaded the bags. Two batters later, Marissa Mesiemore roped a double to left for the 2-0 lead.
In the second frame, FGCU produced three hits on two runs. Mikenzie Vaughn started off the inning with a double to left-center as she was moved to third on a sac bunt by Kacie Huber. McKenna Batterton stepped in and laced a single up the middle scoring Vaughn and pinch-runner Maddy Johnson.
Mesiemore continued to roll, keeping the Blue Hens hitless until the fifth inning where eventually, they scored their lone run.
The Bushnell, Fla., native came away with FGCU's first victory of 2020 as she tossed a complete four-hit game, fanning eight batters.
FGCU 4 | Boston College 3
BC jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second and made it 3-0 in the third. FGCU responded though, in its own bottom half with two runs on one hit. Reedy Davenport sparked the inning reaching on an error as Abbey Thomas then walked. Batterton's fielder's choice bunt to the pitcher loaded the bags. Hope Hernandez's single up the middle gave the Green and Blue's its first hit along with two runs.
Davenport tied the game for FGCU with a double to left, bringing Poehlman in who reached on a single and scored from second after swiping the bag.
With the International Tiebreaker Rule now in effect – the last batter out of the previous inning gets placed on second – Ahnie Jumper was now in scoring position to start the eighth. BC intentionally walked Batterton as a sac bunt from Hernandez moved them to second and third. On the very next pitch, Jumper gave FGCU the walk-off win coming home on a wild pitch.
Sarah Lawton picked up the win after tossing three innings of work yielding just one hit, one walk, while fanning four batters. Davenport led the team at the plate with two hits, meanwhile, Hernandez ended the game with two RBI.
Up Next:
FGCU returns tomorrow night facing Georgetown (0-2) at 6 p.m. and end the night facing LIU (1-1) at 8:15 pm.
FGCU Softball: FGCU Kickoff Classic Preview
With the 2019 season behind them, the FGCU softball team will begin 2020 at home for 17 straight games. They will first begin with the three-day FGCU Kickoff Classic from Feb. 7-9. The Eagles will welcome Delaware, Boston College, Georgetown, Long Island University and U-Conn.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles finished last season 29-22 overall with a 13-7 record in the A-SUN where they finished 1-2 in the A-SUN Conference Tournament that they hosted at the FGCU Softball Complex. During their season, the Eagles earned opportunities to play in exhibition games against the Canadian and Japanese national teams in success and went 3-1 against three Power 5 Conference Schools with two of them being ranked in the Top 25 in the nation.
The team is led by head coach Dave Deiros, who enters his 18th season as head coach. He is joined by third-year assistant coaches Jamie Kertes and Jaime Edwards. Deiros enters with a 642-337-3 overall record.
Losses and Gains:
The Eagles did lose eight players, which included the 2016 A-SUN Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in Riley Randolph and one of their powerful bats in Racquel Fournet. In addition, the Eagles lost Kate Kelly, Bri Bennett and Brooke Clemens as they graduated.
Now sophomores Emily Hess and Kyleigh Taylor have transferred to different universities. Hess has transferred to NCAA DII Nova Southeastern, while Taylor went to NCAA DII Flagler College. Now senior Marcella Parrado has also parted ways from softball.
Despite losing eight players, Deiros did sign nine newcomers, five freshmen (Hannah Shemansky, Johneisha Rowe, Abbey Thomas, Nicole Hayslip and Jordyn Gendron) and four transfers (Maddy Johnson, Sarah Lawton, Hope Hernandez and Emily Estroff). Johnson and Lawton came from NJCAA Florida Southwestern (FSW).
Johnson, a infielder from Lake Wales, Florida, finished last season batting .370 with five home runs and 50 RBI while adding 32 stolen bases (second on the team). In her career with the Buccaneers, Johnson was a two-time member of the Suncoast All-Academic Team, FCSAA All-Academic Team, All-Suncoast Second Team and All-Suncoast First Team while helping the Buccaneers to two runner-up finishes in the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. Johnson is automatically eligible and will have two years of eligibility remaining
A pitcher from Waterbury, Conn, Lawton finished her sophomore campaign with FSW with a 12-2 record, 1.36 ERA, seven saves and 102 strikeouts. She joined Johnson as a member of the All-Suncoast First Team while also helping the Buccaneers to two runner-up finishes in the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. Like Johnson, Lawton is automatically eligible and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Hernandez, a junior infielder from Tampa, joined FGCU after spending her freshman and sophomore year at Troy University. She finished her sophomore campaign with the Trojans batting .226 with 21 hits and nine RBI. She will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Estroff, a sophomore pitcher/utility player from Coconut Creek, Fl, spent her freshman campaign at Villanova University. As a member of the Wildcats, Estroff appeared in 13 games batting .250 with three walks and three runs scored. She will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Scouting Delaware:
The Blue Hens finished last season 22-29 overall with a 7-14 record in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) but did not make it to the postseason.
The Blue Hens lost three seniors on their team, Anna Steinmetz, Sarah Coyne and Miranda O'Donald. Depsite that, they were able to land five newcomers, four freshman (Kate Hondru, Grace Beyer, Grace Rudolph and Emily Winburn and sophomore transfer Kailey Christian.
A pitcher and native of Bradenton, Florida, Christian joined Delaware after spending her freshman campaign at State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) where she led the Manatees to the FCSAA State Tournament after compiling a 22-4 overall with a 2.19 ERA and 196 strikeouts, while batting .366 with a home run and 36 RBI. She was named as a member of the All-Suncoast First Team, Suncoast All-Academic Team and the FCSAA All-State Second Team.
Side Note: I've seen Kailey play at SCF and she is a great pitcher. I mean she's one of only two pitchers I know that have three types of rise balls.
Key returners for the Blue Hens include sophomores Brooke Glanden and Brittany Mendoza and senior Sarah Piening. Glanden finished behind Steinmetz in home runs (7) with a team-leading 30 RBI, while batting .288 and being named a member of the CAA All-Rookie Team. Mendoza finished last season batting .299 with six home runs (third on the team) and 29 RBI (second on the team). Piening finished her junior campaign 14-15 with a 3.92 ERA and 98 strikeouts.
This will be the second all-time meeting between both teams as FGCU narrowly fell to Delaware in 2012, 6-4.
Scouting Boston College:
The Eagles went 18-35 overall and 4-20 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) last spring. Two returners in Emme Martinez led the attack batting .321, while Susanna Anderson posted six wins to go along with a 3.93 ERA.
FGCU leads the all-time series, 3-1.
Scouting Georgetown:
The Hoyas recorded a 14-35 record in 2019, going 6-13 in the Big East. Their top bat in Noelle Holiday (.347) comes back for her senior year as Diller London earned six wins last season in the circle.
FGCU leads the all-time series, 5-0.
Scouting LIU:
The LIU Sharks are coming off a strong season after going 36-18 overall and 14-2 in the Northeast Conference (NEC). Kiana Cisneros led the Sharks last season with a .376 batting average, while Elena Valenzuela produced 19 wins in the circle with a 2.19 ERA.
FGCU leads the all-time series 12-4.
Scouting UConn:
The Huskies finished their 2019 season going 21-29 and 8-13 in American Athletic Conference (AAC). The team has a number of key players returning – Briana Marcelino (.359), Olivia Sappington (.337) led the squad in batting average. Meanwhile, Marybeth Olson collected 11 wins with a 2.18 ERA.
FGCU leads the all-time series 7-0.
Tournament Breakdown:
Feb 7:
U-Conn vs Georgetown @ 9 AM
U-Conn vs LIU @ 11:15 AM
Delaware vs Georgetown @ 1:30 PM
LIU vs Boston College @ 3:45 PM
FGCU vs Delaware @ 6 PM
FGCU vs Boston College @ 8:15 PM
Feb 8:
Delaware vs U-Conn @ 9 AM
Boston College vs U-Conn @ 11:15 AM
Delaware vs Boston College @ 1:30 PM
LIU vs Georgetown @ 3:45 PM
FGCU vs Georgetown @ 6 PM
FGCU vs LIU @ 8:15 PM
Feb 9:
Boston College vs Georgetown @ 9 AM
Delaware vs LIU @ 11:15 AM
FGCU vs U-Conn @ 1:30 PM
Livestats will be provided for all the games and will be featured on YouTube.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDY34tY3Efq3O0Oc4xxbY3g
Last Time Out:
The Eagles finished last season 29-22 overall with a 13-7 record in the A-SUN where they finished 1-2 in the A-SUN Conference Tournament that they hosted at the FGCU Softball Complex. During their season, the Eagles earned opportunities to play in exhibition games against the Canadian and Japanese national teams in success and went 3-1 against three Power 5 Conference Schools with two of them being ranked in the Top 25 in the nation.
The team is led by head coach Dave Deiros, who enters his 18th season as head coach. He is joined by third-year assistant coaches Jamie Kertes and Jaime Edwards. Deiros enters with a 642-337-3 overall record.
Losses and Gains:
The Eagles did lose eight players, which included the 2016 A-SUN Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in Riley Randolph and one of their powerful bats in Racquel Fournet. In addition, the Eagles lost Kate Kelly, Bri Bennett and Brooke Clemens as they graduated.
Now sophomores Emily Hess and Kyleigh Taylor have transferred to different universities. Hess has transferred to NCAA DII Nova Southeastern, while Taylor went to NCAA DII Flagler College. Now senior Marcella Parrado has also parted ways from softball.
Despite losing eight players, Deiros did sign nine newcomers, five freshmen (Hannah Shemansky, Johneisha Rowe, Abbey Thomas, Nicole Hayslip and Jordyn Gendron) and four transfers (Maddy Johnson, Sarah Lawton, Hope Hernandez and Emily Estroff). Johnson and Lawton came from NJCAA Florida Southwestern (FSW).
Johnson, a infielder from Lake Wales, Florida, finished last season batting .370 with five home runs and 50 RBI while adding 32 stolen bases (second on the team). In her career with the Buccaneers, Johnson was a two-time member of the Suncoast All-Academic Team, FCSAA All-Academic Team, All-Suncoast Second Team and All-Suncoast First Team while helping the Buccaneers to two runner-up finishes in the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. Johnson is automatically eligible and will have two years of eligibility remaining
A pitcher from Waterbury, Conn, Lawton finished her sophomore campaign with FSW with a 12-2 record, 1.36 ERA, seven saves and 102 strikeouts. She joined Johnson as a member of the All-Suncoast First Team while also helping the Buccaneers to two runner-up finishes in the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. Like Johnson, Lawton is automatically eligible and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Hernandez, a junior infielder from Tampa, joined FGCU after spending her freshman and sophomore year at Troy University. She finished her sophomore campaign with the Trojans batting .226 with 21 hits and nine RBI. She will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Estroff, a sophomore pitcher/utility player from Coconut Creek, Fl, spent her freshman campaign at Villanova University. As a member of the Wildcats, Estroff appeared in 13 games batting .250 with three walks and three runs scored. She will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Scouting Delaware:
The Blue Hens finished last season 22-29 overall with a 7-14 record in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) but did not make it to the postseason.
The Blue Hens lost three seniors on their team, Anna Steinmetz, Sarah Coyne and Miranda O'Donald. Depsite that, they were able to land five newcomers, four freshman (Kate Hondru, Grace Beyer, Grace Rudolph and Emily Winburn and sophomore transfer Kailey Christian.
A pitcher and native of Bradenton, Florida, Christian joined Delaware after spending her freshman campaign at State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) where she led the Manatees to the FCSAA State Tournament after compiling a 22-4 overall with a 2.19 ERA and 196 strikeouts, while batting .366 with a home run and 36 RBI. She was named as a member of the All-Suncoast First Team, Suncoast All-Academic Team and the FCSAA All-State Second Team.
Side Note: I've seen Kailey play at SCF and she is a great pitcher. I mean she's one of only two pitchers I know that have three types of rise balls.
Key returners for the Blue Hens include sophomores Brooke Glanden and Brittany Mendoza and senior Sarah Piening. Glanden finished behind Steinmetz in home runs (7) with a team-leading 30 RBI, while batting .288 and being named a member of the CAA All-Rookie Team. Mendoza finished last season batting .299 with six home runs (third on the team) and 29 RBI (second on the team). Piening finished her junior campaign 14-15 with a 3.92 ERA and 98 strikeouts.
This will be the second all-time meeting between both teams as FGCU narrowly fell to Delaware in 2012, 6-4.
Scouting Boston College:
The Eagles went 18-35 overall and 4-20 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) last spring. Two returners in Emme Martinez led the attack batting .321, while Susanna Anderson posted six wins to go along with a 3.93 ERA.
FGCU leads the all-time series, 3-1.
Scouting Georgetown:
The Hoyas recorded a 14-35 record in 2019, going 6-13 in the Big East. Their top bat in Noelle Holiday (.347) comes back for her senior year as Diller London earned six wins last season in the circle.
FGCU leads the all-time series, 5-0.
Scouting LIU:
The LIU Sharks are coming off a strong season after going 36-18 overall and 14-2 in the Northeast Conference (NEC). Kiana Cisneros led the Sharks last season with a .376 batting average, while Elena Valenzuela produced 19 wins in the circle with a 2.19 ERA.
FGCU leads the all-time series 12-4.
Scouting UConn:
The Huskies finished their 2019 season going 21-29 and 8-13 in American Athletic Conference (AAC). The team has a number of key players returning – Briana Marcelino (.359), Olivia Sappington (.337) led the squad in batting average. Meanwhile, Marybeth Olson collected 11 wins with a 2.18 ERA.
FGCU leads the all-time series 7-0.
Tournament Breakdown:
Feb 7:
U-Conn vs Georgetown @ 9 AM
U-Conn vs LIU @ 11:15 AM
Delaware vs Georgetown @ 1:30 PM
LIU vs Boston College @ 3:45 PM
FGCU vs Delaware @ 6 PM
FGCU vs Boston College @ 8:15 PM
Feb 8:
Delaware vs U-Conn @ 9 AM
Boston College vs U-Conn @ 11:15 AM
Delaware vs Boston College @ 1:30 PM
LIU vs Georgetown @ 3:45 PM
FGCU vs Georgetown @ 6 PM
FGCU vs LIU @ 8:15 PM
Feb 9:
Boston College vs Georgetown @ 9 AM
Delaware vs LIU @ 11:15 AM
FGCU vs U-Conn @ 1:30 PM
Livestats will be provided for all the games and will be featured on YouTube.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDY34tY3Efq3O0Oc4xxbY3g
FGCU WBB vs Duke Recap
The duo of Davion Wingate (30) and Nasrin Ulel (27) combined to outscore the entire opposition as the FGCU women's basketball team (13-2) produced a decisive 78-56 win over Duke (7-5) inside Alico Arena on Sunday to conclude the non-conference portion of the schedule.
"We're excited to get a big win over a good team," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "I thought their length and athleticism had us a little out of sorts early. We did a better job of moving the ball and attacking once the second quarter came. I thought the biggest part of the game was the beginning of the third quarter when we came out and made a bunch of plays. Davion went off, hit a bunch of threes, and we did a good job finding her when she was open. It was a great team effort."
In addition to Wingate and Ulel, Ashli O'Neal added 12 points along with a season and game-high four steals as the trio combined for 69 of FGCU's 78 points. Tytionia Adderly had a career-high 10 assists to go along with nine rebounds. O'Neal, who missed the team's win over Temple, returned to register her fourth double-figure scoring output of the season. Her previous season-high in steals was three against Johnson and Wales.
Wingate became the first player in program history to record back-to-back games with at least 30 points. She made 10 field goals for the second consecutive game and increased her 3-point field goal percentage on the season to .507 (37-for-73), which ranks among the top five in the nation.
Meanwhile, Ulel continued a hot stretch that has seen her produce two 20-plus point performances over the past four games. She finished 9-for-14 overall from the field, including 4-for-7 from 3-point range, and is now averaging 17.8 points since Dec. 17.
Duke's Haley Gorecki (19) and Kyra Lambert (10), who combined for 29 points, each made a 3-pointer as the Blue Devils jumped out to 8-3 and 10-6 leads to open the game. Following that hot start, though, FGCU's defense held them to a 1-for-15 finish from 3-point range over the game's final 37 minutes.
Meanwhile, after opening 3-for-15 from the field as a team over the first 10 minutes, FGCU went 18-for-30 combined over the next two quarters as the duo of Ulel and Wingate took over.
Ulel shot 5-for-5 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range, while scoring 17 of her 20 first-half points in the second quarter alone. O'Neal also scored seven of her 12 points in the frame. Wingate then scored 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting (4-for-7 from 3-point range) in the third quarter to help FGCU stretch a seven-point halftime lead to 17 entering the fourth.
Notes:
FGCU is now 7-10 all-time against the ACC, which signifies their most wins against any Power 5 conference.
Following her nine rebounds, Adderly is now nine shy of becoming the first player in program history, including just the third active NCAA Division I player, to record 1,000 in her career.
Wingate now has 56 career double-digit scoring games, which the most among any player on the roster, and she also tallied her 15th career-game with 20 or more points, which is also a team-best. Impressively, it was also her fifth such performance of the season, including her third with 25 or more.
As a team, the Eagles made 11 3-pointers, which increased their nation-best total to 190. It was the team's 10th game this year with double-digits.
"We're excited to get a big win over a good team," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "I thought their length and athleticism had us a little out of sorts early. We did a better job of moving the ball and attacking once the second quarter came. I thought the biggest part of the game was the beginning of the third quarter when we came out and made a bunch of plays. Davion went off, hit a bunch of threes, and we did a good job finding her when she was open. It was a great team effort."
In addition to Wingate and Ulel, Ashli O'Neal added 12 points along with a season and game-high four steals as the trio combined for 69 of FGCU's 78 points. Tytionia Adderly had a career-high 10 assists to go along with nine rebounds. O'Neal, who missed the team's win over Temple, returned to register her fourth double-figure scoring output of the season. Her previous season-high in steals was three against Johnson and Wales.
Wingate became the first player in program history to record back-to-back games with at least 30 points. She made 10 field goals for the second consecutive game and increased her 3-point field goal percentage on the season to .507 (37-for-73), which ranks among the top five in the nation.
Meanwhile, Ulel continued a hot stretch that has seen her produce two 20-plus point performances over the past four games. She finished 9-for-14 overall from the field, including 4-for-7 from 3-point range, and is now averaging 17.8 points since Dec. 17.
Duke's Haley Gorecki (19) and Kyra Lambert (10), who combined for 29 points, each made a 3-pointer as the Blue Devils jumped out to 8-3 and 10-6 leads to open the game. Following that hot start, though, FGCU's defense held them to a 1-for-15 finish from 3-point range over the game's final 37 minutes.
Meanwhile, after opening 3-for-15 from the field as a team over the first 10 minutes, FGCU went 18-for-30 combined over the next two quarters as the duo of Ulel and Wingate took over.
Ulel shot 5-for-5 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range, while scoring 17 of her 20 first-half points in the second quarter alone. O'Neal also scored seven of her 12 points in the frame. Wingate then scored 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting (4-for-7 from 3-point range) in the third quarter to help FGCU stretch a seven-point halftime lead to 17 entering the fourth.
Notes:
FGCU is now 7-10 all-time against the ACC, which signifies their most wins against any Power 5 conference.
Following her nine rebounds, Adderly is now nine shy of becoming the first player in program history, including just the third active NCAA Division I player, to record 1,000 in her career.
Wingate now has 56 career double-digit scoring games, which the most among any player on the roster, and she also tallied her 15th career-game with 20 or more points, which is also a team-best. Impressively, it was also her fifth such performance of the season, including her third with 25 or more.
As a team, the Eagles made 11 3-pointers, which increased their nation-best total to 190. It was the team's 10th game this year with double-digits.
Up Next:
The Eagles, who are currently tied with Florida State (13-0) for the most victories in the nation, will open A-SUN play next Saturday at 4 p.m. against Lipscomb in Alico Arena. It was the team's second win over an ACC opponent this year (Notre Dame), and FGCU improved to 2-1 against Power 5 teams on the season.
FGCU WBB vs Duke Preview
The FGCU women's basketball team (12-2), which is currently tied with Florida State and South Carolina for the most wins in the nation, will conclude its non-conference slate against one of the most recognizable names in collegiate athletics when the Eagles square off against Duke (7-4) at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The Green and Blue, who are looking to avenge last year's 57-41 loss to the Blue Devils, are coming off one of the team's best performances of the season with a 93-67 win over Temple on the road. In that game, Davion Wingate registered a career-high 31 points and joined Keri Jewett-Giles (35 points vs LSU) as the first set of FGCU teammates to combine for back-to-back 30-point performances in program history.
Wingate finished 10-for-15 from the field, including 6-for-8 from long distance, while making all five of her foul shots in topping her previous career-high of 29 set earlier this year against UCF.
Jewett-Giles added 20 points against Temple to conclude a week that saw her average 23 points, five assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds over three games. In doing so, she was selected as the A-SUN player of the week for the fifth time in her career, which ties her with Sarah Hansen for the second-most such awards in program history behind Whitney Knight (7).
Previewing Duke:
The Blue Devils are coming off an 89-46 loss to No. 5 South Carolina on the road Dec. 19. Sophomore Miela Goodchild, who is close to becoming the quickest player in Duke women's basketball history to reach 100 career 3-pointers, led the team with 11 points as the Blue Devils were hurt by a season-high 30 turnovers that led to 41 points for the Gamecocks.
Duke's four losses, aside from South Carolina, have come against Texas A&M (79-58 on Nov. 10), Northwestern (63-42 on Nov. 17) and Nebraska (83-79 on Dec. 4).
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=280889
Livestream Link: https://www.espn.com/watch?id=8c604002-15a9-416f-840e-e81b41f4bcdf
Audio Livestream: https://goduke.com/watch/?Archive=2140&type=Archive
The Green and Blue, who are looking to avenge last year's 57-41 loss to the Blue Devils, are coming off one of the team's best performances of the season with a 93-67 win over Temple on the road. In that game, Davion Wingate registered a career-high 31 points and joined Keri Jewett-Giles (35 points vs LSU) as the first set of FGCU teammates to combine for back-to-back 30-point performances in program history.
Wingate finished 10-for-15 from the field, including 6-for-8 from long distance, while making all five of her foul shots in topping her previous career-high of 29 set earlier this year against UCF.
Jewett-Giles added 20 points against Temple to conclude a week that saw her average 23 points, five assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds over three games. In doing so, she was selected as the A-SUN player of the week for the fifth time in her career, which ties her with Sarah Hansen for the second-most such awards in program history behind Whitney Knight (7).
Previewing Duke:
The Blue Devils are coming off an 89-46 loss to No. 5 South Carolina on the road Dec. 19. Sophomore Miela Goodchild, who is close to becoming the quickest player in Duke women's basketball history to reach 100 career 3-pointers, led the team with 11 points as the Blue Devils were hurt by a season-high 30 turnovers that led to 41 points for the Gamecocks.
Duke's four losses, aside from South Carolina, have come against Texas A&M (79-58 on Nov. 10), Northwestern (63-42 on Nov. 17) and Nebraska (83-79 on Dec. 4).
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=280889
Livestream Link: https://www.espn.com/watch?id=8c604002-15a9-416f-840e-e81b41f4bcdf
Audio Livestream: https://goduke.com/watch/?Archive=2140&type=Archive
FGCU MBB @ USC Preview
Coming off a seven-day break for the holidays, the FGCU men's basketball team (3-11) closes out its non-conference slate with a cross-country trip to Southern California (10-2) on Sunday night (7 PM PT/10 PM ET). The match-up against the Trojans and former Eagles head coach Andy Enfield will be available via the PAC-12 Network.
FGCU picked up an 84-62 win over St. Thomas prior to a seven-day break between games for the holidays. The win snapped a six-game losing skid for the Eagles and improved FGCU to 3-5 this season at Alico Arena. Three players reached double-figures in the win paced by 19 from sophomore Zach Scott. Junior Jalen Warren had 16 points along with six rebounds and four assists, while sophomore Caleb Catto added 15 points.
Of the Eagles' 11 loses this season, a total of five have been decided by six-or-fewer points (1-4) for FGCU - reflective of a mostly new roster.
As a team, the Eagles rank among the top three in the A-SUN for 12 different statistical categories. FGCU leads the league in total steals (95), steals per game (6.8), total blocked shots (65), and blocked shots per game (4.6). Defensively, the Eagles rank third in the A-SUN in points allowed per game (69.5), but have struggled offensively with 61.1 points per outing which ranks seventh in the league.
Individually, Scott leads the league in total steals (26), Warren ranks third in total assists (46), freshman Dakota Rivers leads the league in total blocks (22), and junior Justus Rainwater ranks seventh in total rebounds (94).
Scott continues to lead the Eagles offensively, averaging 12.4 points per game. He has contributed double-digit points in all but five games. He is followed closely by Catto (10.4 ppg) and Warren (9.2 ppg). The trio has combined for 448 points, over half of the team's 856 total this year.
Warren and Catto have also done a great job of sharing the rock. Warren leads the team with 46 assists, while Catto has contributed 36.
Opponents have had a hard time shooting over Rainwater and Rivers, as the duo has combined for 42 blocks this year. Rivers is averaging 1.57 blocks per game, the 12th-most of any freshman in the nation.
Scouting USC:
USC enters the game with a 10-2 overall record including four consecutive wins and a 5-1 home record. The only home loss of the year came against Temple (70-61) on Nov. 22. A trio of Trojans are averaging double-figures led by Onyeka Okongwu's 17.7 points per game. Jonah Matthews is second on the team at 12.6 per night, while Nick Rakocevic is averaging 12.0 points. Okongwu also leads USC in rebounding with 9.0 boards per game.
This will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools with USC visiting Alico Arena next season. It will also mark the first time the Eagles have faced their former bench boss Andy Enfield who led FGCU to the magical Sweet Sixteen run of 2013. Enfield, who has close ties to current head coach Michael Fly and assistant coach Joey Cantens, finished his two seasons in Fort Myers with a 41-28 overall record.
Livestats Link: https://usctrojans.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Livestream Link: https://pac-12.com/live
FGCU WBB vs Notre Dame: Cancun Challenge Day One Recap
Senior Tytionia Adderly produced a season-high 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds as the FGCU women's basketball team (6-1) stunned defending national runner-up Notre Dame (4-3) 69-60 in the opener of the Cancun Challenge on Thursday afternoon in the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
The Eagles will now face No. 20 USF at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
"That was one of the best games that Ty has ever played," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She was fantastic - rebounding, defending and looking to score a lot more. It was just a great performance."
Notre Dame had not lost to a mid-major since DePaul handed them a 70-69 loss on Feb. 28, 2011 and likely their biggest upset loss since Northwestern State defeated them on March 24, 1995 in the WNIT. It was the second win of the season for FGCU over a reigning NCAA Tournament participant (UCF) and the program's 17th all-time against a Power 5 school, including its sixth over an ACC team.
redshirt senior Davion Wingate (19), Adderly (16), redshirt senior Keri Jewett-Giles (12) and senior Nasrin Ulel (11) all scored in double-figures for the Eagles, while 11 of Adderly's 14 rebounds came on the offensive glass. Jewett-Giles led all players with five assists and added four steals, while junior Alyssa Blair also had four steals in her third consecutive start.
Over the game's first few minutes, FGCU struggled to find its shot as the Eagles opened 1-for-11 from the field, which allowed Notre Dame to open up a 9-2 lead. A 3-pointer from Ulel ended the drought, however, and grad student Ashli O'Neal scored five straight off the bench as FGCU went on a 16-0 run over a six-and-a-half-minute stretch that lasted into the second quarter.
The Green and Blue never trailed again, but it wasn't easy. Notre Dame trimmed the deficit to one with 5:24 left in the first half, but Wingate hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and FGCU eventually took a nine-point lead into the break following another 3-pointer from O'Neal, who finished with eight points.
Both teams then combined for 49 points in the third quarter, although FGCU withstood Notre Dame's surge behind two key baskets from Jewett-Giles, who made a layup and a 3-pointer after the Fighting Irish trimmed their deficit to three on a pair of occasions with under three minutes left in the frame.
Redshirt sophomore Tyra Cox then subbed in late in the quarter and banked in a 3-pointer from the right wing to give FGCU a 10-point lead through three. In that crucial quarter, both teams combined to shoot 19-for-30, but FGCU turned it over just once compared to four times for Notre Dame and outscored the Fighting Irish 16-6 in the paint and 5-2 off turnovers.
Following the 3-pointer from Cox, the Eagles concluded a 13-2 run with a straightaway 3-pointer from Ulel with 6:56 left to push the margin to 63-47, their largest of the game.
Notre Dame, however, responded with a 10-0 run as the Green and Blue committed four of its 10 total turnovers over the next four minutes. Wingate answered with back-to-back layups, with the second one on a beautiful pump fake and finish. Adderly then sealed the game from the foul line in the final minute.
"You have to give (Notre Dame) a lot of credit," Smesko said. "They didn't quit and really started attacking us. They were able to score quickly and get back in the game. We did a good job taking care of the ball until the end of the game and then we kind of fumbled it a couple times, which really hurt us. Fortunately, we made plays down the stretch and were able to pull out a very good victory."
Despite the size differential, FGCU outscored Notre Dame 34-26 in the paint and 13-2 in second chance points. They also held a 20-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Notes:
Adderly fell just one shy of matching her season-high rebound total while tallying double-digits for the fourth time in five games.
With her first of the back-to-back 3-pointers in the second quarter, Wingate joined Jewett-Giles as a member of the 1,000 point club. She now has 1,015 in her NCAA career. Ulel is eight points away from joining the duo.
Thursday's game was the first time Smesko and Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw faced each other. Smesko (3rd, .815) and McGraw (5th, .770) both ranked among the top five winningest active women's basketball coaches in Division I history. Each of them has led their programs to nine-straight 25-win seasons, two of only four teams to do that along with UConn and Baylor.
South Dakota State knocked off No. 20 USF 61-50 in the other game on Thursday.
The Eagles will now face No. 20 USF at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
"That was one of the best games that Ty has ever played," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She was fantastic - rebounding, defending and looking to score a lot more. It was just a great performance."
Notre Dame had not lost to a mid-major since DePaul handed them a 70-69 loss on Feb. 28, 2011 and likely their biggest upset loss since Northwestern State defeated them on March 24, 1995 in the WNIT. It was the second win of the season for FGCU over a reigning NCAA Tournament participant (UCF) and the program's 17th all-time against a Power 5 school, including its sixth over an ACC team.
redshirt senior Davion Wingate (19), Adderly (16), redshirt senior Keri Jewett-Giles (12) and senior Nasrin Ulel (11) all scored in double-figures for the Eagles, while 11 of Adderly's 14 rebounds came on the offensive glass. Jewett-Giles led all players with five assists and added four steals, while junior Alyssa Blair also had four steals in her third consecutive start.
Over the game's first few minutes, FGCU struggled to find its shot as the Eagles opened 1-for-11 from the field, which allowed Notre Dame to open up a 9-2 lead. A 3-pointer from Ulel ended the drought, however, and grad student Ashli O'Neal scored five straight off the bench as FGCU went on a 16-0 run over a six-and-a-half-minute stretch that lasted into the second quarter.
The Green and Blue never trailed again, but it wasn't easy. Notre Dame trimmed the deficit to one with 5:24 left in the first half, but Wingate hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and FGCU eventually took a nine-point lead into the break following another 3-pointer from O'Neal, who finished with eight points.
Both teams then combined for 49 points in the third quarter, although FGCU withstood Notre Dame's surge behind two key baskets from Jewett-Giles, who made a layup and a 3-pointer after the Fighting Irish trimmed their deficit to three on a pair of occasions with under three minutes left in the frame.
Redshirt sophomore Tyra Cox then subbed in late in the quarter and banked in a 3-pointer from the right wing to give FGCU a 10-point lead through three. In that crucial quarter, both teams combined to shoot 19-for-30, but FGCU turned it over just once compared to four times for Notre Dame and outscored the Fighting Irish 16-6 in the paint and 5-2 off turnovers.
Following the 3-pointer from Cox, the Eagles concluded a 13-2 run with a straightaway 3-pointer from Ulel with 6:56 left to push the margin to 63-47, their largest of the game.
Notre Dame, however, responded with a 10-0 run as the Green and Blue committed four of its 10 total turnovers over the next four minutes. Wingate answered with back-to-back layups, with the second one on a beautiful pump fake and finish. Adderly then sealed the game from the foul line in the final minute.
"You have to give (Notre Dame) a lot of credit," Smesko said. "They didn't quit and really started attacking us. They were able to score quickly and get back in the game. We did a good job taking care of the ball until the end of the game and then we kind of fumbled it a couple times, which really hurt us. Fortunately, we made plays down the stretch and were able to pull out a very good victory."
Despite the size differential, FGCU outscored Notre Dame 34-26 in the paint and 13-2 in second chance points. They also held a 20-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Notes:
Adderly fell just one shy of matching her season-high rebound total while tallying double-digits for the fourth time in five games.
With her first of the back-to-back 3-pointers in the second quarter, Wingate joined Jewett-Giles as a member of the 1,000 point club. She now has 1,015 in her NCAA career. Ulel is eight points away from joining the duo.
Thursday's game was the first time Smesko and Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw faced each other. Smesko (3rd, .815) and McGraw (5th, .770) both ranked among the top five winningest active women's basketball coaches in Division I history. Each of them has led their programs to nine-straight 25-win seasons, two of only four teams to do that along with UConn and Baylor.
South Dakota State knocked off No. 20 USF 61-50 in the other game on Thursday.
FGCU WBB: Cancun Challenge Preview
The FGCU women's basketball team (5-1) will face tough competition this week in the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya Hotel.
The Eagles are slated for a Thanksgiving Day meeting with defending national runner-up Notre Dame (4-2) before facing No. 20 USF (5-1) on Friday and defending Sweet 16 participant South Dakota State (3-2) on Saturday with all three games at 1:30 p.m. ET. FGCU's game against Florida Memorial on Dec. 9 in Alico Arena will also be considered part of the event.
Cancun Challenge:
The 15th edition of the Cancun Challenge features 10 teams in two groups:
Mayan - FGCU, Notre Dame, South Dakota State and South Florida
Riviera - Creighton, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Temple and West Virginia
The games will take place in the modified ballroom of the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in a setting where teams and fans can walk from their rooms to the restaurants to the games.
The full schedule is as follows, with all game times being in the Eastern time zone and the home teams being listed second.
Thursday, Nov. 28
Mayan Tournament
South Dakota State vs. South Florida, 11 a.m.
FGCU vs. Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m.
Riviera Tournament
Missouri vs. New Mexico, 4 p.m.
West Virginia vs. Creighton, 6 :30 p.m.
Temple vs. North Carolina, 9 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 29
Mayan Tournament
Notre Dame vs. South Dakota State, 11 a.m.
South Florida vs. FGCU, 1:30 p.m.
Riviera Tournament
New Mexico vs. West Virginia, 4 p.m.
North Carolina vs. Missouri, 6:30 p.m.
Creighton vs. Temple, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30
Mayan Tournament
South Florida vs. Notre Dame, 11 a.m.
South Dakota State vs. FGCU, 1:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 9
Florida Memorial vs FGCU, 7 p.m.
In-Depth:
The Notre Dame matchup is an intriguing one for several reasons. It will be the first time Karl Smesko and Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw have faced each other. McGraw (2nd, .853) and Smesko (3rd, .815) both rank among the top three winningest women's basketball coaches in Division I history. The duo has combined for 1,109 career victories. Furthermore, each of them has led their programs to nine-straight 25-win seasons, two of only four teams to do that along with UConn and Baylor.
FGCU, meanwhile, owns a 2-2 record all-time against USF with the home team winning each game, although the teams haven't faced each other since the Eagles produced a 60-55 win in Alico Arena on Dec. 4, 2013. Current WNBA star Courtney Williams of the Connecticut Sun scored seven points in that game for USF. This will be the first neutral site matchup in the history of the series. The Eagles are 3-14 all-time against ranked teams at the Division I level - although they're 3-4 in the last seven of those.
South Dakota State, meanwhile, knocked off FGCU 80-62 in Brookings, S.D. last year in the season opener for the Eagles, who own a 2-1 record all-time against the Jackrabbits. Interestingly, the Green and Blue has defeated South Dakota State in Mexico once already - 84-59 on Nov. 29, 2013 in Puerto Vallarta.
FGCU vs. Power-5:
The Notre Dame game will be the first of at least three Power-5 matchups for the Green and Blue in 2019-20, including two in Alico Arena - LSU on Dec. 19 and Duke on Dec. 29. The Eagles are 16-27 all-time in 43 games against such schools.
Power 5 history by location
10-3 in Alico Arena
5-11 in neutral site matchups
1-13 in true road matchups
Power 5 history by conference
5-7 vs SEC
5-10 vs ACC
4-5 vs B1G
1-2 vs Big 12
1-3 vs Pac 12
Power 5 history game-by-game
*11/09/07 - L 93-53 vs No. 19/19 Florida State (Fort Myers, Fla.)
12/04/07 - L 78-52 @ Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
#03/24/08 - L 60-55 @ Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
11/14/08 - W 88-86 vs Florida (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/16/08 - L 81-62 @ No. 21/24 Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.)
11/21/09 - L 58-48 @ Georgia Tech (Atlanta, Ga.)
12/13/09 - L 94-71 @ No. 21/24 Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.)
#03/18/10 - L 70-57 @ Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.)
11/25/10 - W 73-65 vs Virginia Tech (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
12/21/10 - W 73-69 vs Indiana (Fort Myers, Fla.)
#03/21/11 - L 74-69 vs Florida (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/19/11 - W 59-58 vs Michigan State (Fort Myers, Fla.)
12/21/11 - W 69-41 vs Virginia Tech (Fort Myers, Fla.)
12/28/11 - L 69-64 vs NC State (Honolulu, Hawaii)
11/23/12 - L 65-46 vs South Carolina (U.S. Virgin Islands)
12/16/12 - W 63-56 @ Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.)
12/28/12 - W 76-70 vs LSU (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/26/13 - L 68-47 vs TCU (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
11/27/13 - L 83-59 vs No. 6/5 Stanford (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
12/17/13 - L 69-46 @ No. 12/12 LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
12/21/13 - L 85-56 vs Virginia (Fort Myers, Fla.)
^03/22/14 - L 61-60 (OT) vs Oklahoma State (West Lafayette, Ind.)
11/20/14 - L 72-69 @ Auburn (Auburn, Ala.)
11/28/14 - W 86-61 vs Clemson (U.S. Virgin Islands)
11/29/14 - L 90-83 (2 OT) vs Ohio State (U.S. Virgin Islands)
^03/21/15 - W 75-67 vs Oklahoma State (Tallahassee, Fla.)
^03/23/15 - L 65-47 @ Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.)
12/19/15 - L 65-60 vs No. 9/9 Mississippi State (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
12/20/15 - W 57-55 vs Arizona (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
12/30/15 - W 52-45 vs Auburn (Fort Myers, Fla.)
#03/21/16 - W 67-48 vs Wake Forest (Fort Myers, Fla.)
#03/31/16 - W 71-62 vs Michigan (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/25/16 - L 79-66 vs No. 8/8 Ohio State (Estero, Fla.)
12/17/16 - L 82-73 @ Illinois (Champaign, Ill.)
^03/18/17 - L 62-60 @ Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.)
11/12/17 - W 85-61 vs Illinois (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/24/17 - L 104-62 vs No. 9/8 Ohio State (Las Vegas, Nev.)
12/08/17 - W 70-64 vs No. 20/23 Kentucky (Fort Myers, Fla.)
^03/17/18 - W 80-70 vs No. 17/15 Missouri (Stanford, Calif.)
^03/19/18 - L 90-70 @ No. 15/19 Stanford (Stanford, Calif.)
11/23/18 - L 88-65 vs No. 8/7 Stanford (Honolulu, Hawaii)
12/30/18 - L 57-41 @ Duke (Durham, N.C.)
^03/22/19 - L 69-62 @ Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.)
*FGCU's Division-I debut
^ NCAA Tournament
#WNIT
Road Trippin' with the Green and Blue:
Over the past 10 seasons, FGCU has hit the road to face big-name opponents and tough competition nine times - in addition to hosting the Gulf Coast Showcase in November 2016. This is the team's third trip to Mexico, including the Hardwood Tournament of Hope in Puerto Vallarta in 2013-14 and the Caribbean Challenge in Riviera Maya in 2010-11.
2010-11 - Caribbean Challenge (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
2011-12 - Rainbow Wahine Invitational (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2012-13 - U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)
2013-14 - Hardwood Tournament of Hope (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
2014-15 - U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)
2015-16 - Puerto Rico Classic (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
2016-17 - Gulf Coast Showcase (Estero, Fla.)
2017-18 - Play4Kay Shootout (Las Vegas, Nevada)
2018-19 - Rainbow Wahine Showdown (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2019-20 - Cancun Challenge (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
Rebounding Legend:
Senior forward Tytionia Adderly pulled down 21 rebounds over two games last week to break Sarah Hansen's (887, 2010-14) career record among players to wear the Green and Blue. She pushed her total to 905 and is now attempting to become the first player in program history with 1,000 rebounds, which would also make her only the 12th in ASUN history to achieve that milestone. She currently ranks 17th in conference history and is 27 away from surpassing Tamika Coley (UCF, 1993-96, 931) for 16th.
Jewett-Giles reaches 1,000, others looking to join her:
With a 3-pointer late in the second half against Saint Francis, Keri Jewett-Giles eclipsed 1,000 points in her NCAA career, which includes 499 in the Green and Blue. Meanwhile, three others are looking to join her this season, including Davion Wingate (996), Nasrin Ulel (981) and Ashli O'Neal (901).
Should all four reach the milestone, it would give FGCU four players on the roster that scored at least 1,000 points in their NCAA career for the first time since the 2015-16 season - Whitney Knight (1,574), Kaneisha Atwater (1,498), Taylor Gradinjan (1,234) and Stephanie Haas (1,138). However, it would be the first season in program history in which four players reached 1,000 points in the same year.
O'Neal wins ASUN newcomer of the week award:
On Tuesday, graduate transfer guard Ashli O'Neal was named the ASUN's newcomer of the week following her season-best 20-point performance off the bench in the team's win over Saint Francis. She tied her career-high with five 3-point field goals in 10 attempts. In doing so, she became the first Eagle this year to win a weekly award from the conference.
Livestats Links: http://cancuntournament.sidearmsports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Livestream Link: https://www.flohoops.com/signup?redirect=%2Flive%2F12024-2019-women-s-cancun-challenge&utm_campaign=43193womenscancun&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=participatingschools&utm_content=participatingschools&rtid=43193&coverage_id=6356495
Audio Links:
vs Notre Dame: https://und.com/wbb-live-radio-broadcast/
vs USF: https://www.iheart.com/live/usf-bulls-unlimited-7424/
vs South Dakota State: https://gojacks.com/watch/?Live=2775&type=Live
The Eagles are slated for a Thanksgiving Day meeting with defending national runner-up Notre Dame (4-2) before facing No. 20 USF (5-1) on Friday and defending Sweet 16 participant South Dakota State (3-2) on Saturday with all three games at 1:30 p.m. ET. FGCU's game against Florida Memorial on Dec. 9 in Alico Arena will also be considered part of the event.
Cancun Challenge:
The 15th edition of the Cancun Challenge features 10 teams in two groups:
Mayan - FGCU, Notre Dame, South Dakota State and South Florida
Riviera - Creighton, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Temple and West Virginia
The games will take place in the modified ballroom of the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in a setting where teams and fans can walk from their rooms to the restaurants to the games.
The full schedule is as follows, with all game times being in the Eastern time zone and the home teams being listed second.
Thursday, Nov. 28
Mayan Tournament
South Dakota State vs. South Florida, 11 a.m.
FGCU vs. Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m.
Riviera Tournament
Missouri vs. New Mexico, 4 p.m.
West Virginia vs. Creighton, 6 :30 p.m.
Temple vs. North Carolina, 9 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 29
Mayan Tournament
Notre Dame vs. South Dakota State, 11 a.m.
South Florida vs. FGCU, 1:30 p.m.
Riviera Tournament
New Mexico vs. West Virginia, 4 p.m.
North Carolina vs. Missouri, 6:30 p.m.
Creighton vs. Temple, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30
Mayan Tournament
South Florida vs. Notre Dame, 11 a.m.
South Dakota State vs. FGCU, 1:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 9
Florida Memorial vs FGCU, 7 p.m.
In-Depth:
The Notre Dame matchup is an intriguing one for several reasons. It will be the first time Karl Smesko and Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw have faced each other. McGraw (2nd, .853) and Smesko (3rd, .815) both rank among the top three winningest women's basketball coaches in Division I history. The duo has combined for 1,109 career victories. Furthermore, each of them has led their programs to nine-straight 25-win seasons, two of only four teams to do that along with UConn and Baylor.
FGCU, meanwhile, owns a 2-2 record all-time against USF with the home team winning each game, although the teams haven't faced each other since the Eagles produced a 60-55 win in Alico Arena on Dec. 4, 2013. Current WNBA star Courtney Williams of the Connecticut Sun scored seven points in that game for USF. This will be the first neutral site matchup in the history of the series. The Eagles are 3-14 all-time against ranked teams at the Division I level - although they're 3-4 in the last seven of those.
South Dakota State, meanwhile, knocked off FGCU 80-62 in Brookings, S.D. last year in the season opener for the Eagles, who own a 2-1 record all-time against the Jackrabbits. Interestingly, the Green and Blue has defeated South Dakota State in Mexico once already - 84-59 on Nov. 29, 2013 in Puerto Vallarta.
FGCU vs. Power-5:
The Notre Dame game will be the first of at least three Power-5 matchups for the Green and Blue in 2019-20, including two in Alico Arena - LSU on Dec. 19 and Duke on Dec. 29. The Eagles are 16-27 all-time in 43 games against such schools.
Power 5 history by location
10-3 in Alico Arena
5-11 in neutral site matchups
1-13 in true road matchups
Power 5 history by conference
5-7 vs SEC
5-10 vs ACC
4-5 vs B1G
1-2 vs Big 12
1-3 vs Pac 12
Power 5 history game-by-game
*11/09/07 - L 93-53 vs No. 19/19 Florida State (Fort Myers, Fla.)
12/04/07 - L 78-52 @ Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
#03/24/08 - L 60-55 @ Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
11/14/08 - W 88-86 vs Florida (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/16/08 - L 81-62 @ No. 21/24 Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.)
11/21/09 - L 58-48 @ Georgia Tech (Atlanta, Ga.)
12/13/09 - L 94-71 @ No. 21/24 Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.)
#03/18/10 - L 70-57 @ Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.)
11/25/10 - W 73-65 vs Virginia Tech (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
12/21/10 - W 73-69 vs Indiana (Fort Myers, Fla.)
#03/21/11 - L 74-69 vs Florida (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/19/11 - W 59-58 vs Michigan State (Fort Myers, Fla.)
12/21/11 - W 69-41 vs Virginia Tech (Fort Myers, Fla.)
12/28/11 - L 69-64 vs NC State (Honolulu, Hawaii)
11/23/12 - L 65-46 vs South Carolina (U.S. Virgin Islands)
12/16/12 - W 63-56 @ Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.)
12/28/12 - W 76-70 vs LSU (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/26/13 - L 68-47 vs TCU (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
11/27/13 - L 83-59 vs No. 6/5 Stanford (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
12/17/13 - L 69-46 @ No. 12/12 LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
12/21/13 - L 85-56 vs Virginia (Fort Myers, Fla.)
^03/22/14 - L 61-60 (OT) vs Oklahoma State (West Lafayette, Ind.)
11/20/14 - L 72-69 @ Auburn (Auburn, Ala.)
11/28/14 - W 86-61 vs Clemson (U.S. Virgin Islands)
11/29/14 - L 90-83 (2 OT) vs Ohio State (U.S. Virgin Islands)
^03/21/15 - W 75-67 vs Oklahoma State (Tallahassee, Fla.)
^03/23/15 - L 65-47 @ Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.)
12/19/15 - L 65-60 vs No. 9/9 Mississippi State (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
12/20/15 - W 57-55 vs Arizona (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
12/30/15 - W 52-45 vs Auburn (Fort Myers, Fla.)
#03/21/16 - W 67-48 vs Wake Forest (Fort Myers, Fla.)
#03/31/16 - W 71-62 vs Michigan (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/25/16 - L 79-66 vs No. 8/8 Ohio State (Estero, Fla.)
12/17/16 - L 82-73 @ Illinois (Champaign, Ill.)
^03/18/17 - L 62-60 @ Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.)
11/12/17 - W 85-61 vs Illinois (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/24/17 - L 104-62 vs No. 9/8 Ohio State (Las Vegas, Nev.)
12/08/17 - W 70-64 vs No. 20/23 Kentucky (Fort Myers, Fla.)
^03/17/18 - W 80-70 vs No. 17/15 Missouri (Stanford, Calif.)
^03/19/18 - L 90-70 @ No. 15/19 Stanford (Stanford, Calif.)
11/23/18 - L 88-65 vs No. 8/7 Stanford (Honolulu, Hawaii)
12/30/18 - L 57-41 @ Duke (Durham, N.C.)
^03/22/19 - L 69-62 @ Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.)
*FGCU's Division-I debut
^ NCAA Tournament
#WNIT
Road Trippin' with the Green and Blue:
Over the past 10 seasons, FGCU has hit the road to face big-name opponents and tough competition nine times - in addition to hosting the Gulf Coast Showcase in November 2016. This is the team's third trip to Mexico, including the Hardwood Tournament of Hope in Puerto Vallarta in 2013-14 and the Caribbean Challenge in Riviera Maya in 2010-11.
2010-11 - Caribbean Challenge (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
2011-12 - Rainbow Wahine Invitational (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2012-13 - U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)
2013-14 - Hardwood Tournament of Hope (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
2014-15 - U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)
2015-16 - Puerto Rico Classic (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
2016-17 - Gulf Coast Showcase (Estero, Fla.)
2017-18 - Play4Kay Shootout (Las Vegas, Nevada)
2018-19 - Rainbow Wahine Showdown (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2019-20 - Cancun Challenge (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
Rebounding Legend:
Senior forward Tytionia Adderly pulled down 21 rebounds over two games last week to break Sarah Hansen's (887, 2010-14) career record among players to wear the Green and Blue. She pushed her total to 905 and is now attempting to become the first player in program history with 1,000 rebounds, which would also make her only the 12th in ASUN history to achieve that milestone. She currently ranks 17th in conference history and is 27 away from surpassing Tamika Coley (UCF, 1993-96, 931) for 16th.
Jewett-Giles reaches 1,000, others looking to join her:
With a 3-pointer late in the second half against Saint Francis, Keri Jewett-Giles eclipsed 1,000 points in her NCAA career, which includes 499 in the Green and Blue. Meanwhile, three others are looking to join her this season, including Davion Wingate (996), Nasrin Ulel (981) and Ashli O'Neal (901).
Should all four reach the milestone, it would give FGCU four players on the roster that scored at least 1,000 points in their NCAA career for the first time since the 2015-16 season - Whitney Knight (1,574), Kaneisha Atwater (1,498), Taylor Gradinjan (1,234) and Stephanie Haas (1,138). However, it would be the first season in program history in which four players reached 1,000 points in the same year.
O'Neal wins ASUN newcomer of the week award:
On Tuesday, graduate transfer guard Ashli O'Neal was named the ASUN's newcomer of the week following her season-best 20-point performance off the bench in the team's win over Saint Francis. She tied her career-high with five 3-point field goals in 10 attempts. In doing so, she became the first Eagle this year to win a weekly award from the conference.
Livestats Links: http://cancuntournament.sidearmsports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Livestream Link: https://www.flohoops.com/signup?redirect=%2Flive%2F12024-2019-women-s-cancun-challenge&utm_campaign=43193womenscancun&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=participatingschools&utm_content=participatingschools&rtid=43193&coverage_id=6356495
Audio Links:
vs Notre Dame: https://und.com/wbb-live-radio-broadcast/
vs USF: https://www.iheart.com/live/usf-bulls-unlimited-7424/
vs South Dakota State: https://gojacks.com/watch/?Live=2775&type=Live
FGCU S&D: Phill Hansel Invitational Day Three Recap
After the final day of competition at the Phill Hansel Invitational, FGCU swimming & diving (6-4, 4-0 CCSA) earned a ninth-place finish among the 13-team field. Day three of the invitational was highlighted by junior Petra Halmai's record-setting performance in the 200 Breast; Halmai's time of 2:10.86 eclipsed the previous school record, held by her, of 2:11.21. That time also stands as a new CCSA Conference record.
"What an incredible final session for our team," head coach Dave Rollins said. "Petra setting the school record in the 200 Breast was a big surprise, as she has her Olympic qualifying meet in a couple of weeks. Ultimately, the relay DQ and our lack of platform experience cost us in the team standings. However, the team did an incredible job competing and walking away with new season and lifetime bests. We are starting to see the potential of our program and are setting up well for CCSAs."
In addition to Halmai's heroics, the Eagles were represented by seven different athletes in today's finals.
Freshman Michaela Sizemore and classmate Hannah VanDress tallied a combined 20 points in the 1650-yard freestyle, finishing within one second of each other at 16th and 17th, respectively. Sizemore's 17:19.86 was good for a season-best.
In the 200 Back finals, FGCU was also represented by a pair of Eagles, as senior Elizabeth Zeiger and freshman Julia Rodriguez collected points for the team. Zeiger earned a 15th-place finish, while Rodriguez swam a season-best 2:03.73 en route to finishing 21st.
Sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka built on the strong performances she has posted throughout the invite, claiming fifth in the 100 Free. Earlier in the day, she notched a personal best in the prelims after swimming a 50.01. She was just 0.02 second off of that pace in the final.
The 200 Breast event saw a trio of Eagles qualify for the finals. Halmai's record-setting performance was good for second place overall, while freshman Anna Hogan and senior Elizabeth White finished 21st and 23rd, respectively.
Halmia and Rodriguez scored the final points of the invitational for the Green and Blue, as the pair combined for 39 points in the 200 Fly. Halmai earned another second-place finish after swimming a 1:59.35 in the final. Rodriguez' 2:07.69 was good for 16th.
Excluding the teams that brought just diving, the Eagles would have earned a sixth-place finish among the highly-competitive 13-team field. The Houston Cougars, who hosted the invitational, finished the weekend atop the final team standings.
Team Standings:
1. Houston – 1,737 points
2. Rice – 1,144 points
3. Washington State – 913 points
4. Tulane – 716 points
5. University of Nevada – 699 points
6. UC Davis – 621 points
7. Colorado State – 614 points
8. Air Force – 568 points
9. FGCU – 554 points
10. Northern Colorado – 403 points
11. North Texas – 81 points
12. New Mexico – 8 points
13. University of Nebraska Omaha – 2 points
Up Next:
The Phill Hansel Invitational concluded the 2019 competition slate for the Eagles, who will have a break before returning to action on Saturday, Jan. 4. That day, FGCU is set to host Tulane, Illinois State and conference rival Liberty in a noon meet at the FGCU Aquatics Complex.
"What an incredible final session for our team," head coach Dave Rollins said. "Petra setting the school record in the 200 Breast was a big surprise, as she has her Olympic qualifying meet in a couple of weeks. Ultimately, the relay DQ and our lack of platform experience cost us in the team standings. However, the team did an incredible job competing and walking away with new season and lifetime bests. We are starting to see the potential of our program and are setting up well for CCSAs."
In addition to Halmai's heroics, the Eagles were represented by seven different athletes in today's finals.
Freshman Michaela Sizemore and classmate Hannah VanDress tallied a combined 20 points in the 1650-yard freestyle, finishing within one second of each other at 16th and 17th, respectively. Sizemore's 17:19.86 was good for a season-best.
In the 200 Back finals, FGCU was also represented by a pair of Eagles, as senior Elizabeth Zeiger and freshman Julia Rodriguez collected points for the team. Zeiger earned a 15th-place finish, while Rodriguez swam a season-best 2:03.73 en route to finishing 21st.
Sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka built on the strong performances she has posted throughout the invite, claiming fifth in the 100 Free. Earlier in the day, she notched a personal best in the prelims after swimming a 50.01. She was just 0.02 second off of that pace in the final.
The 200 Breast event saw a trio of Eagles qualify for the finals. Halmai's record-setting performance was good for second place overall, while freshman Anna Hogan and senior Elizabeth White finished 21st and 23rd, respectively.
Halmia and Rodriguez scored the final points of the invitational for the Green and Blue, as the pair combined for 39 points in the 200 Fly. Halmai earned another second-place finish after swimming a 1:59.35 in the final. Rodriguez' 2:07.69 was good for 16th.
Excluding the teams that brought just diving, the Eagles would have earned a sixth-place finish among the highly-competitive 13-team field. The Houston Cougars, who hosted the invitational, finished the weekend atop the final team standings.
Team Standings:
1. Houston – 1,737 points
2. Rice – 1,144 points
3. Washington State – 913 points
4. Tulane – 716 points
5. University of Nevada – 699 points
6. UC Davis – 621 points
7. Colorado State – 614 points
8. Air Force – 568 points
9. FGCU – 554 points
10. Northern Colorado – 403 points
11. North Texas – 81 points
12. New Mexico – 8 points
13. University of Nebraska Omaha – 2 points
Up Next:
The Phill Hansel Invitational concluded the 2019 competition slate for the Eagles, who will have a break before returning to action on Saturday, Jan. 4. That day, FGCU is set to host Tulane, Illinois State and conference rival Liberty in a noon meet at the FGCU Aquatics Complex.
FGCU S&D: Phill Hansel Invitational Day Two Recap
On the second day of the Phill Hansel Invitational, the FGCU swimming & diving team (6-4, 4-0 CCSA) was represented in the finals by seven different individuals. Day two of the competition at Houston's CRCW Natatorium featured the 200 Medley Relay, the 400 IM, the 100 Fly, the 200 Free, the 100 Breast, the 3m dive and the 800 Free Relay events.
"After a bit of a flat morning, we bounced back and had a great evening session," head coach Dave Rollins said. "The athletes continued to race and dive tough. It was great to see so many new season and lifetime bests today, thanks to being able to take advantage of the finals format. Come Februrary, we will need to be better in the mornings, but with our young team we see the talent is there, we will just continue to gain these valuable experiences."
In the first final of the day, the Eagles picked up a third-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay event. The quartet of freshman Lucija Sulenta, junior Petra Halmai, freshman Julia Rodriguez and sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka posted a time of 1:41.45 en route to earning a podium finish.
Senior Elizabeth Zeiger highlighted the individual finishes in today's competition, as she swam a season-best 4:18.07 in the 400 IM, good for a third-place finish.
In the 100-yard butterfly, FGCU was well-represented in the finals, as senior Cassidy Fry, Czarnecka and senior Madison Jean combined for 42 points. Fry, who was the only one to earn a spot in the A Final, finished sixth, while Czarnecka came in 11th and Jean rounded out the scoring at 23rd.
Junior Petra Halmai was the final Green and Blue swimmer to score for the Eagles after earning a spot in the A Final for the 100 Breast. Halmai, who has already swam numerous nationally-ranked times this season, laid down a season-best and NCAA B Cut time of 1:01.12 in the event en route to earning a sixth-place finish.
On the boards, both freshmen Reese Wakefield and Delaney Nelson collected points for the Eagles for the second-straight day. Yesterday, the duo tallied key points for FGCU in the 1m event and the pair continued the streak in today's 3m event. Wakefield picked up a sixth-place finish with a score of 274.10, while Nelson's 232.80 points were good for 17th.
At the end of the second day of competition, the Eagles currently check in at 8th among the 13-team field. The team sits just one point behind seventh-place Colorado State University with seven scoring events left.
Up Next:
The Phill Hansel Invitational is set to wrap up tomorrow at the CRWC Natatorium. The final day of competition will begin at 10 a.m. with the prelims and end with the 3 p.m. finals. Tomorrow's slate includes the 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 1650 Free, Platform Diving and the 400 Free Relay. It will be the final competition day of 2019 for the Eagles, who will return to action at the FGCU Aquatics Complex on Saturday, Jan. 4. The team is set to host Tulane, Illinois State and conference rival Liberty at the Nest that day for a noon meet.
Team Standings
1. Houston - 1,187 points
2. Rice - 742 points
3. Washington State - 624 points
4. Tulane - 500 points
5. University of Nevada - 471 points
6. UC Davis - 423 points
7. Colorado State - 373 points
8. FGCU - 372 points
9. Air Force - 365 points
10. Northern Colorado - 290 points
11. North Texas - 249 points
T-12. University of Nebraska, Omaha - 2 points
T-12. New Mexico State - 2 points
"After a bit of a flat morning, we bounced back and had a great evening session," head coach Dave Rollins said. "The athletes continued to race and dive tough. It was great to see so many new season and lifetime bests today, thanks to being able to take advantage of the finals format. Come Februrary, we will need to be better in the mornings, but with our young team we see the talent is there, we will just continue to gain these valuable experiences."
In the first final of the day, the Eagles picked up a third-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay event. The quartet of freshman Lucija Sulenta, junior Petra Halmai, freshman Julia Rodriguez and sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka posted a time of 1:41.45 en route to earning a podium finish.
Senior Elizabeth Zeiger highlighted the individual finishes in today's competition, as she swam a season-best 4:18.07 in the 400 IM, good for a third-place finish.
In the 100-yard butterfly, FGCU was well-represented in the finals, as senior Cassidy Fry, Czarnecka and senior Madison Jean combined for 42 points. Fry, who was the only one to earn a spot in the A Final, finished sixth, while Czarnecka came in 11th and Jean rounded out the scoring at 23rd.
Junior Petra Halmai was the final Green and Blue swimmer to score for the Eagles after earning a spot in the A Final for the 100 Breast. Halmai, who has already swam numerous nationally-ranked times this season, laid down a season-best and NCAA B Cut time of 1:01.12 in the event en route to earning a sixth-place finish.
On the boards, both freshmen Reese Wakefield and Delaney Nelson collected points for the Eagles for the second-straight day. Yesterday, the duo tallied key points for FGCU in the 1m event and the pair continued the streak in today's 3m event. Wakefield picked up a sixth-place finish with a score of 274.10, while Nelson's 232.80 points were good for 17th.
At the end of the second day of competition, the Eagles currently check in at 8th among the 13-team field. The team sits just one point behind seventh-place Colorado State University with seven scoring events left.
Up Next:
The Phill Hansel Invitational is set to wrap up tomorrow at the CRWC Natatorium. The final day of competition will begin at 10 a.m. with the prelims and end with the 3 p.m. finals. Tomorrow's slate includes the 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 1650 Free, Platform Diving and the 400 Free Relay. It will be the final competition day of 2019 for the Eagles, who will return to action at the FGCU Aquatics Complex on Saturday, Jan. 4. The team is set to host Tulane, Illinois State and conference rival Liberty at the Nest that day for a noon meet.
Team Standings
1. Houston - 1,187 points
2. Rice - 742 points
3. Washington State - 624 points
4. Tulane - 500 points
5. University of Nevada - 471 points
6. UC Davis - 423 points
7. Colorado State - 373 points
8. FGCU - 372 points
9. Air Force - 365 points
10. Northern Colorado - 290 points
11. North Texas - 249 points
T-12. University of Nebraska, Omaha - 2 points
T-12. New Mexico State - 2 points
FGCU S&D: Phill Hansel Invitational Day One Recap
The FGCU swimming & diving team (6-4, 4-0 CCSA) opened up Houston's Phill Hansel Invitational with a successful day of competition on Thursday at the CRWC Natatorium. The first day of the invitational, which is set to run from Thursday, Nov. 21 through Saturday, Nov. 23, featured the 200 Free Relay, the 500 Free, the 200 IM, the 50 Free, the 1m dive and the 400 Medley Relay.
"I'm really excited about how the team performed today," head coach Dave Rollins said. "It's important for our young team to get the experience of a collegiate championship meet and they are doing great. It's always important to think about the team race, but ultimately the experience we are ggaining from swimming this weekend will serve us well come CCSAs."
The prelims for the 10-meet invite, which began at 10 a.m., saw six Eagles qualify for finals. Freshmen Reese Wakefield and Delaney Nelson each made it through on the 1m board, sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka secured a spot in the A Final in the 50 Free and the trio of junior Petra Halmai, senior Elizabeth Zeiger and freshman Anna Hogan earned spots in the finals for the 200 IM.
Czarnecka had the highest individual finish of the day for the Green and Blue, touching the wall fourth in the 50 Free final. After swimming a personal best earlier today in the prelims, she outdid herself once again in the finals, posting a time of 22.94. That time is good for eighth all-time in the FGCU record book.
The Eagles were represented by three athletes in the 200 IM, as Halmai, Zeiger and Hogan all punched their tickets to the A, B and C finals. Halmai collected 23 points after finishing seventh in the A final, Zeiger added 13 points by finishing 14th overall and Hogan rounded out the scoring with four points after a 21st-place finish. Halmai's time of 2:01.68 is good for fifth-all time in program history, while Zeiger's 2:02.45 checks in at 10th.
On the 1m board, Wakefield and Nelson combined for 31 points. Wakefield's 249.35 points were good for a sixth-place finish, while Nelson came in 18th after earning 225.60 points.
In addition to the high individual finishes, the Eagles had a strong showing in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team of Czarnecka, freshman Hailey Jerew, senior Cassidy Fry and senior Madison Jean edged a UC Davis quartet by 0.02 seconds to finish fourth overall.
"Congratulations to Petra, Tori (Czarnecka) and Liz (Zeiger) on earning new all-time top 10 times," Rollins said. "We have a very rich history, so those don't come easy. Reese continues to be a dominant diver and Delaney came up huge making her first final. We had a fantastic first day and I can't wait to get everyone going tomorrow."
Up Next:
The Eagles will be back in action at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning to compete in the prelims for the 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast and 100 Back events. Tomorrow's competition will also feature the 3m dive, the 200 Medley Relay and the 800 Free Relay.
"I'm really excited about how the team performed today," head coach Dave Rollins said. "It's important for our young team to get the experience of a collegiate championship meet and they are doing great. It's always important to think about the team race, but ultimately the experience we are ggaining from swimming this weekend will serve us well come CCSAs."
The prelims for the 10-meet invite, which began at 10 a.m., saw six Eagles qualify for finals. Freshmen Reese Wakefield and Delaney Nelson each made it through on the 1m board, sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka secured a spot in the A Final in the 50 Free and the trio of junior Petra Halmai, senior Elizabeth Zeiger and freshman Anna Hogan earned spots in the finals for the 200 IM.
Czarnecka had the highest individual finish of the day for the Green and Blue, touching the wall fourth in the 50 Free final. After swimming a personal best earlier today in the prelims, she outdid herself once again in the finals, posting a time of 22.94. That time is good for eighth all-time in the FGCU record book.
The Eagles were represented by three athletes in the 200 IM, as Halmai, Zeiger and Hogan all punched their tickets to the A, B and C finals. Halmai collected 23 points after finishing seventh in the A final, Zeiger added 13 points by finishing 14th overall and Hogan rounded out the scoring with four points after a 21st-place finish. Halmai's time of 2:01.68 is good for fifth-all time in program history, while Zeiger's 2:02.45 checks in at 10th.
On the 1m board, Wakefield and Nelson combined for 31 points. Wakefield's 249.35 points were good for a sixth-place finish, while Nelson came in 18th after earning 225.60 points.
In addition to the high individual finishes, the Eagles had a strong showing in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team of Czarnecka, freshman Hailey Jerew, senior Cassidy Fry and senior Madison Jean edged a UC Davis quartet by 0.02 seconds to finish fourth overall.
"Congratulations to Petra, Tori (Czarnecka) and Liz (Zeiger) on earning new all-time top 10 times," Rollins said. "We have a very rich history, so those don't come easy. Reese continues to be a dominant diver and Delaney came up huge making her first final. We had a fantastic first day and I can't wait to get everyone going tomorrow."
Up Next:
The Eagles will be back in action at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning to compete in the prelims for the 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast and 100 Back events. Tomorrow's competition will also feature the 3m dive, the 200 Medley Relay and the 800 Free Relay.
FGCU MGOLF: Intercollegiate at Innisbrook Day Two Recap
J.T. Barker posted a third-round 74 to lead the FGCU men's golf team on the final day of action at the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook. Barker finished with a three-day total of 223 to finish tied alongside Doug Smith for 48th individually. As a team, the Eagles concluded the two-day tournament in 15th overall with a total score of 908 after shooting 307 on Tuesday.
Barker's 74 on Tuesday gave him a three-round average of 74.33 with his low score of 73 coming in the first round. Smith finished Tuesday with a score of 77 and held the lowest individual score among the Eagles after shooting 69 in Monday's first round.
Alongside Smith, Tyler Carson also shot 77 in Tuesday's third round followed by Luke Farmer's score of 79. Brent Fredericksen recorded an 82 to round out the FGCU five-some.
James Madison won the overall team title with a three-day score of 844. The Eagles finished just behind William & Mary and Temple who each tied for 13th with a team score of 902.
The Eagles will host the Homewood Suites FGCU Classic on Sunday, Nov. 3 and Monday, Nov. 4 at the Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero to close out the fall campaign.
FGCU DAY ONE RESULTS (FINAL)
15 Florida Gulf Coast University 295 306 307 908
T48 Doug Smith (1) 69 77 77 223
T48 J.T. Barker (3) 73 76 74 223
T71 Luke Farmer (4) 74 76 79 229
T83 Tyler Carlson (2) 80 77 77 234
86 Brent Fredericksen (5) 79 78 82 239
TEAM SCORES (FINAL)
1 - No. 61 James Madison - 286-276-282--844
2 - No. 62 Campbell - 281-281-283--845
t3 - No. 39 South Florida - 282-285-287--854
t3 - No. 49 Memphis - 287-278-289--854
t5 - No. 28 Houston - 292-280-292--864
t5 - No. 68 East Carolina - 290-288-286--864
7 - No. 108 Maryland - 285-288-297--870
8 - No. 16 UCF - 297-289-290--876
9 - No. 130 USC Upstate - 297-294-291--883
10 - No. 217 Wichita State - 295-290-302--887
11 - No. 213 Delaware - 295-289-306--890
12 - No. 260 Houston Baptist - 303-291-304--898
t13 - No. 172 William & Mary - 308-294-300--902
t13 - No. 207 Temple - 305-299-298--902
15 - No. 257 FGCU - 295-306-307--908
16 - No. 205 Hartford - 318-302-306--926
Quotes From Other Coaches:
James Madison: "This was a really good win on a really tough final-day setup," said head coach Jeff Forbes. "To come here and perform the way we did, taking home the trophy against some really good programs, is an outstanding way to end the fall. We also know that we still have improvements to make over the winter as we get ready for a really challenging spring schedule."
Campbell: "We had a great tournament and played extremely well this week, and it came down to the final hole where the young man from JMU made a 30-foot birdie putt," said Campbell head coach John Crooks. "Pontus had a great event to win his first collegiate tournament. This group is special."
USF: "Obviously, we're a little disappointed we didn't quite meet our standards of what we came here to achieve, but we battled the whole time," said assistant coach Brad Caldwell. "There was no give-up in the guys, the effort was there. We just didn't execute as good as we needed to at times on a hard golf course. All in all, it was a good fall. It wasn't a great fall, but I think our ceiling is really high. We've got 115 days until we play our next event and we gotta get better. We have to learn from our mistakes, work on our weaknesses and turn them into strengths. If we do that come April, we're gonna be a really good team."
Barker's 74 on Tuesday gave him a three-round average of 74.33 with his low score of 73 coming in the first round. Smith finished Tuesday with a score of 77 and held the lowest individual score among the Eagles after shooting 69 in Monday's first round.
Alongside Smith, Tyler Carson also shot 77 in Tuesday's third round followed by Luke Farmer's score of 79. Brent Fredericksen recorded an 82 to round out the FGCU five-some.
James Madison won the overall team title with a three-day score of 844. The Eagles finished just behind William & Mary and Temple who each tied for 13th with a team score of 902.
The Eagles will host the Homewood Suites FGCU Classic on Sunday, Nov. 3 and Monday, Nov. 4 at the Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero to close out the fall campaign.
FGCU DAY ONE RESULTS (FINAL)
15 Florida Gulf Coast University 295 306 307 908
T48 Doug Smith (1) 69 77 77 223
T48 J.T. Barker (3) 73 76 74 223
T71 Luke Farmer (4) 74 76 79 229
T83 Tyler Carlson (2) 80 77 77 234
86 Brent Fredericksen (5) 79 78 82 239
TEAM SCORES (FINAL)
1 - No. 61 James Madison - 286-276-282--844
2 - No. 62 Campbell - 281-281-283--845
t3 - No. 39 South Florida - 282-285-287--854
t3 - No. 49 Memphis - 287-278-289--854
t5 - No. 28 Houston - 292-280-292--864
t5 - No. 68 East Carolina - 290-288-286--864
7 - No. 108 Maryland - 285-288-297--870
8 - No. 16 UCF - 297-289-290--876
9 - No. 130 USC Upstate - 297-294-291--883
10 - No. 217 Wichita State - 295-290-302--887
11 - No. 213 Delaware - 295-289-306--890
12 - No. 260 Houston Baptist - 303-291-304--898
t13 - No. 172 William & Mary - 308-294-300--902
t13 - No. 207 Temple - 305-299-298--902
15 - No. 257 FGCU - 295-306-307--908
16 - No. 205 Hartford - 318-302-306--926
Quotes From Other Coaches:
James Madison: "This was a really good win on a really tough final-day setup," said head coach Jeff Forbes. "To come here and perform the way we did, taking home the trophy against some really good programs, is an outstanding way to end the fall. We also know that we still have improvements to make over the winter as we get ready for a really challenging spring schedule."
Campbell: "We had a great tournament and played extremely well this week, and it came down to the final hole where the young man from JMU made a 30-foot birdie putt," said Campbell head coach John Crooks. "Pontus had a great event to win his first collegiate tournament. This group is special."
USF: "Obviously, we're a little disappointed we didn't quite meet our standards of what we came here to achieve, but we battled the whole time," said assistant coach Brad Caldwell. "There was no give-up in the guys, the effort was there. We just didn't execute as good as we needed to at times on a hard golf course. All in all, it was a good fall. It wasn't a great fall, but I think our ceiling is really high. We've got 115 days until we play our next event and we gotta get better. We have to learn from our mistakes, work on our weaknesses and turn them into strengths. If we do that come April, we're gonna be a really good team."
FGCU MGOLF: Intercollegiate at Innisbrook Day One Recap
A strong first round of play where the Eagles tied for eighth paced the day as FGCU finished the first day of the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook in 13th overall on Monday. Senior Doug Smith shot a two-under par 69 pacing FGCU to open the two-day tournament at the Copperhead Course before finishing the day tied for 33rd individually.
As a team, the Eagles shot 601 (295-306) to enter Tuesday's third round on the par 71 course ahead of William & Mary, Temple and Hartford. Campbell and James Madison finished Monday with the team lead shooting 562 each.
In the first round, FGCU finished tied for eighth with a two-stroke lead over No. 16 UCF and sat just three strokes behind No. 28 Houston (292). Smith's 69 came on six birdies including four on the front nine. It also marked his second consecutive round shooting a season-low 69 after doing so during the third round of the J.T. Poston Invitational.
Junior J.T. Barker, who led the Eagles in the second round alongside sophomore Luke Farmer, was just behind with a score of 73 while Farmer notched a 74 to start the day.
"Our team got off to a good start this morning," said head coach Andrew Danna. "I'm proud of our guys for how they handled the day. We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete for 18 more holes tomorrow."
The second round saw Barker and Farmer lead the way as each shot 76 followed by 77's from Smith and junior Tyler Carlson. Barker finished the day tied for 53rd with a two-round score of 149, while Farmer tied for 59th (150).
Tuesday's third round action begins at 8:15 AM at the Copperhead Course. Following the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook, the Eagles will host the Homewood Suites FGCU Classic on Sunday, Nov. 3 and Monday, Nov. 4 at the Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero to close out the fall campaign.
FGCU DAY ONE RESULTS (ROUND 1 & 2)
13 Florida Gulf Coast University 295 306 601
T33 Doug Smith (1) 69 77 146
T53 J.T. Barker (3) 73 76 149
T59 Luke Farmer (4) 74 76 150
T82 Tyler Carlson (2) 80 77 157
T82 Brent Fredericksen (5) 79 78 157
TEAM SCORES (ROUND 1 & 2)
T1 - No. 62 Campbell - 281-281-562
T1 - No. 61 James Madison - 286-276-562
3 - No. 49 Memphis - 287-278-565
4 - No. 39 South Florida - 282-285-567
5 - No. 28 Houston - 292-280-572
6 - No. 108 Maryland - 285-288-573
7 - No. 68 East Carolina - 290-288-578
8 - No. 213 Delaware - 295-289-584
9 - No. 217 Wichita State - 295-290-585
10 - No. 16 UCF - 297-289-586
11 - No. 130 USC Upstate - 297-294-591
12 - No. 260 Houston Baptist - 303-291-594
13 - No. 257 FGCU - 295-306-601
14 - No. 172 William & Mary - 308-294-602
15 - No. 207 Temple - 305-299-604
16 - No. 205 Hartford - 318-302-620
Quotes From Other Coaches:
James Madison: "I was really happy with the way we competed today, especially coming down the stretch to put ourselves at the top of the leaderboard against a really talented field," said head coach Jeff Forbes. "With as strong of a leaderboard as this is, we know we have to come out tomorrow with the same focus and quality."
USF: "We had some good stuff at times and some bad stuff at times," said assistant coach Brad Caldwell. "It was good to see Kyle (Flexsenhar) come out here this morning and put together a good score. We have kind of relied on Luke (Gifford)and Albin (Bergstrom) early on and to see him put together his lowest round of the season was really good. Ryo (Furuya) played well this morning, but there were too many mistakes to compound the good stuff today."
"We weren't as consistent as we needed to be on this golf course. It's a hard golf course, we know that, and we made a bunch of mental errors when we didn't need to. We'd get two to four good holes together and then make a mental mistake and you're kind of back to square one. We were continually in that cycle, where we couldn't stream together as good of a day as it could have been. I think everybody had between a B-minus game to a D game. If we come out tomorrow and everybody puts together an A game, we've got a really good chance to win this thing still. To be where we're at and be only five shots back, we've got a chance tomorrow."
Upstate: "Our place after day one doesn't reflect the effort these guys put in on the course today," USC Upstate head golf coach Todd Lawton said. "We missed several chances to be much better by only a yard or two. We have a great course and a great field to compete against."
As a team, the Eagles shot 601 (295-306) to enter Tuesday's third round on the par 71 course ahead of William & Mary, Temple and Hartford. Campbell and James Madison finished Monday with the team lead shooting 562 each.
In the first round, FGCU finished tied for eighth with a two-stroke lead over No. 16 UCF and sat just three strokes behind No. 28 Houston (292). Smith's 69 came on six birdies including four on the front nine. It also marked his second consecutive round shooting a season-low 69 after doing so during the third round of the J.T. Poston Invitational.
Junior J.T. Barker, who led the Eagles in the second round alongside sophomore Luke Farmer, was just behind with a score of 73 while Farmer notched a 74 to start the day.
"Our team got off to a good start this morning," said head coach Andrew Danna. "I'm proud of our guys for how they handled the day. We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete for 18 more holes tomorrow."
The second round saw Barker and Farmer lead the way as each shot 76 followed by 77's from Smith and junior Tyler Carlson. Barker finished the day tied for 53rd with a two-round score of 149, while Farmer tied for 59th (150).
Tuesday's third round action begins at 8:15 AM at the Copperhead Course. Following the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook, the Eagles will host the Homewood Suites FGCU Classic on Sunday, Nov. 3 and Monday, Nov. 4 at the Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero to close out the fall campaign.
FGCU DAY ONE RESULTS (ROUND 1 & 2)
13 Florida Gulf Coast University 295 306 601
T33 Doug Smith (1) 69 77 146
T53 J.T. Barker (3) 73 76 149
T59 Luke Farmer (4) 74 76 150
T82 Tyler Carlson (2) 80 77 157
T82 Brent Fredericksen (5) 79 78 157
TEAM SCORES (ROUND 1 & 2)
T1 - No. 62 Campbell - 281-281-562
T1 - No. 61 James Madison - 286-276-562
3 - No. 49 Memphis - 287-278-565
4 - No. 39 South Florida - 282-285-567
5 - No. 28 Houston - 292-280-572
6 - No. 108 Maryland - 285-288-573
7 - No. 68 East Carolina - 290-288-578
8 - No. 213 Delaware - 295-289-584
9 - No. 217 Wichita State - 295-290-585
10 - No. 16 UCF - 297-289-586
11 - No. 130 USC Upstate - 297-294-591
12 - No. 260 Houston Baptist - 303-291-594
13 - No. 257 FGCU - 295-306-601
14 - No. 172 William & Mary - 308-294-602
15 - No. 207 Temple - 305-299-604
16 - No. 205 Hartford - 318-302-620
Quotes From Other Coaches:
James Madison: "I was really happy with the way we competed today, especially coming down the stretch to put ourselves at the top of the leaderboard against a really talented field," said head coach Jeff Forbes. "With as strong of a leaderboard as this is, we know we have to come out tomorrow with the same focus and quality."
USF: "We had some good stuff at times and some bad stuff at times," said assistant coach Brad Caldwell. "It was good to see Kyle (Flexsenhar) come out here this morning and put together a good score. We have kind of relied on Luke (Gifford)and Albin (Bergstrom) early on and to see him put together his lowest round of the season was really good. Ryo (Furuya) played well this morning, but there were too many mistakes to compound the good stuff today."
"We weren't as consistent as we needed to be on this golf course. It's a hard golf course, we know that, and we made a bunch of mental errors when we didn't need to. We'd get two to four good holes together and then make a mental mistake and you're kind of back to square one. We were continually in that cycle, where we couldn't stream together as good of a day as it could have been. I think everybody had between a B-minus game to a D game. If we come out tomorrow and everybody puts together an A game, we've got a really good chance to win this thing still. To be where we're at and be only five shots back, we've got a chance tomorrow."
Upstate: "Our place after day one doesn't reflect the effort these guys put in on the course today," USC Upstate head golf coach Todd Lawton said. "We missed several chances to be much better by only a yard or two. We have a great course and a great field to compete against."
FGCU MGOLF: Intercollegiate at Innisbrook Preview
It's the penultimate tournament of the fall schedule as the FGCU men's golf team heads up to Tampa for the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook this Monday and Tuesday. The action starts with 36 holds starting Monday morning with a shot gun start before close out the final 18 holes on Tuesday on the par 71 Copperhead Course (7,209 yards).
The field will be one of the more challenging groups FGCU has faced this fall: No. 16 UCF, No. 28 Houston, No. 39 USF, No. 49 Memphis, Houston, Temple, Wichita State, Campbell, Delaware, Hartford, Houston Baptist, James Madison, Maryland, USC Upstate, William and Mary.
Junior Tyler Carlson (Bradenton, Fla.) has led FGCU over the first two tournaments of the fall with a 70.83 scoring average highlighted by his 27th-place finish at the Golfweek Program Championship. Senior Doug Smith (Widermere, Fla.) and junior J.T. Barker (Bethlehem, Pa.) have each played in the first two tournaments placing just behind Carlson with average scores of 72.50 and 73.67, respectively.
Following the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook, the Eagles will host the Homewood Suites FGCU Classic on Sunday, Nov. 3 and Monday Nov. 4 at the Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero to close out the fall campaign.
Lineup:
1. Doug Smith
2. Tyler Carlson
3. J.T. Barker
4. Luke Farmer
5. Brent Frederickson
The field will be one of the more challenging groups FGCU has faced this fall: No. 16 UCF, No. 28 Houston, No. 39 USF, No. 49 Memphis, Houston, Temple, Wichita State, Campbell, Delaware, Hartford, Houston Baptist, James Madison, Maryland, USC Upstate, William and Mary.
Junior Tyler Carlson (Bradenton, Fla.) has led FGCU over the first two tournaments of the fall with a 70.83 scoring average highlighted by his 27th-place finish at the Golfweek Program Championship. Senior Doug Smith (Widermere, Fla.) and junior J.T. Barker (Bethlehem, Pa.) have each played in the first two tournaments placing just behind Carlson with average scores of 72.50 and 73.67, respectively.
Following the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook, the Eagles will host the Homewood Suites FGCU Classic on Sunday, Nov. 3 and Monday Nov. 4 at the Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero to close out the fall campaign.
Lineup:
1. Doug Smith
2. Tyler Carlson
3. J.T. Barker
4. Luke Farmer
5. Brent Frederickson
FGCU S&D vs Vanderbilt Recap
The FGCU swimming and diving team (5-0, 4-0 CCSA) continued its hot start to the 2019-20 season, earning a decisive 172-121 victory over Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-1 SEC) Friday night at the FGCU Aquatics Complex. The win marked the program's first over an SEC opponent in a dual meet and the 20th win against a Power 5 school and are 20-22 overall.
"It was a great day," head coach Dave Rollins said. "Before we got started, I told the team that I wanted us to win every aspect of the meet, including team support, warming down, their turns, their breakouts and their finishes. They did a really good job of that. There are some areas that we can improve, but to see how fast some of those girls were swimming this early in the season is really exciting."
Over the course of the meet's 16 events, the Eagles picked up 10 first-place finishes. Junior Petra Halmai led the way, taking home three individual events and contributing to a Green and Blue relay win.
FGCU opened up the competition with a win in the 200-yard medley relay. Freshman Lucija Sulenta, Halmai, senior Cassidy Fry and sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka finished 0.26 seconds before a Vanderbilt quartet to garner the team's first points of the day.
Freshman Kaja Reinhardt was the next big winner for the Eagles, touching the wall first in the 200 Free. Classmate Anna Hogan also contributed points in the race as FGCU jumped out to a 29-25 lead.
Halmai earned her first individual victory of the meet in the 100-yard breaststroke. Her time of 1:01.18 currently stands as the 11th-fastest time in the country. She also laid down a nationally-ranked time in the 200 Breast; her mark of 2:11.36 checks in at fourth in the collegiate standings, behind only Power-5 opponents. That time is .15 seconds off of her personal best, which stands as the school record.
FGCU picked up crucial points in the middle of the meet as the team posted a four-event stretch of top finishes. The streak began in the 200 Fly, which featured an Eagle sweep via the efforts of Halmai, freshman Julia Rodriguez and Fry. Czarnecka and freshman Hailey Jerew continued the scoring with a one-two finish in the 50-yard freestyle, which was followed up by rookie Reese Wakefield's win in the 3M dive. Czarnecka capped off the run with another individual triumph in the 100 Free. She was followed by Reinhardt and Jerew .
Wakefield continued to pick up wins in her rookie campaign as she won the 1M board to sweep both diving events. She outscored her opponents by a combined 33.67 points and has so far won every diving event that she has competed in as an Eagle.
In the final event of the day, it was the Eagles who touched the wall first in the 400-yard freestyle relay by a thrilling, 0.04-second margin. Reinhardt, Czarnecka, Sulenta and Jerew provided the Green and Blue's last points of the meet as the quartet edged the second-place Commodores with a time of 3:27.07.
In addition to the excitement of the victory, multiple FGCU swimmers notched new lifetime bests. Jerew took about a second and a half off of her previous mark in the 100 Free in just her third collegiate meet. Senior Elizabeth White swam a 2:18.85 in the 200 Breast, almost half a second faster than her previous best.
With the win, the Eagles continue the start of the season with their best mark since 2015-16. That year, FGCU began its campaign with a 7-0 mark in dual meets.
Up Next:
FGCU will remain at the Nest to host Houston (3-0, 2-0 American) in a two-day meet beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. The teams will resume the action at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2. On Friday, fans are invited to participate in a Halloween costume contest. The Cougars were represented at last year's NCAA Championship by multiple student-athletes across different events.
"It was a great day," head coach Dave Rollins said. "Before we got started, I told the team that I wanted us to win every aspect of the meet, including team support, warming down, their turns, their breakouts and their finishes. They did a really good job of that. There are some areas that we can improve, but to see how fast some of those girls were swimming this early in the season is really exciting."
Over the course of the meet's 16 events, the Eagles picked up 10 first-place finishes. Junior Petra Halmai led the way, taking home three individual events and contributing to a Green and Blue relay win.
FGCU opened up the competition with a win in the 200-yard medley relay. Freshman Lucija Sulenta, Halmai, senior Cassidy Fry and sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka finished 0.26 seconds before a Vanderbilt quartet to garner the team's first points of the day.
Freshman Kaja Reinhardt was the next big winner for the Eagles, touching the wall first in the 200 Free. Classmate Anna Hogan also contributed points in the race as FGCU jumped out to a 29-25 lead.
Halmai earned her first individual victory of the meet in the 100-yard breaststroke. Her time of 1:01.18 currently stands as the 11th-fastest time in the country. She also laid down a nationally-ranked time in the 200 Breast; her mark of 2:11.36 checks in at fourth in the collegiate standings, behind only Power-5 opponents. That time is .15 seconds off of her personal best, which stands as the school record.
FGCU picked up crucial points in the middle of the meet as the team posted a four-event stretch of top finishes. The streak began in the 200 Fly, which featured an Eagle sweep via the efforts of Halmai, freshman Julia Rodriguez and Fry. Czarnecka and freshman Hailey Jerew continued the scoring with a one-two finish in the 50-yard freestyle, which was followed up by rookie Reese Wakefield's win in the 3M dive. Czarnecka capped off the run with another individual triumph in the 100 Free. She was followed by Reinhardt and Jerew .
Wakefield continued to pick up wins in her rookie campaign as she won the 1M board to sweep both diving events. She outscored her opponents by a combined 33.67 points and has so far won every diving event that she has competed in as an Eagle.
In the final event of the day, it was the Eagles who touched the wall first in the 400-yard freestyle relay by a thrilling, 0.04-second margin. Reinhardt, Czarnecka, Sulenta and Jerew provided the Green and Blue's last points of the meet as the quartet edged the second-place Commodores with a time of 3:27.07.
In addition to the excitement of the victory, multiple FGCU swimmers notched new lifetime bests. Jerew took about a second and a half off of her previous mark in the 100 Free in just her third collegiate meet. Senior Elizabeth White swam a 2:18.85 in the 200 Breast, almost half a second faster than her previous best.
With the win, the Eagles continue the start of the season with their best mark since 2015-16. That year, FGCU began its campaign with a 7-0 mark in dual meets.
Up Next:
FGCU will remain at the Nest to host Houston (3-0, 2-0 American) in a two-day meet beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. The teams will resume the action at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2. On Friday, fans are invited to participate in a Halloween costume contest. The Cougars were represented at last year's NCAA Championship by multiple student-athletes across different events.
FGCU S&D vs Vanderbilt Preview
The FGCU swimming & diving team (4-0, 4-0 CCSA) is preparing for its home opener, as the team is set to host Vanderbilt (1-2, 0-1 SEC) in a 4 p.m. meet on Friday, Oct. 25 at the FGCU Aquatics Complex. During the meet, the Eagles will be honoring Cancer Awareness Night and fans are invited to participate in a pink out. "Together, we are stronger than cancer" shirts will be on sale for $15.
After the meet, attendees are encouraged to head over to Alico Arena for Dunk City After Dark, the annual FGCU Hoops kickoff event. Doors open at 6 p.m. and fans can click here for more information.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles had a few weeks off after opening the season with a pair of meets on the road in Jacksonville, Fla. and Statesboro, Ga. against CCSA opponents. The Eagles swept both UNF (185-76) and Campbell (133-128) on Friday, Oct. 4 and then carried the momentum through the following day as the team cruised past Georgia Southern (172-70) and Campbell (146-94).
The team's 4-0 mark is the best record at the start of a season since 2015.
After capturing both the 1M and 3M titles in her collegiate debut, freshman Reese Wakefield took home the Green and Blue's first weekly honor of the season, earning CCSA Diver of the Week (Oct. 7). FGCU received Diver of the Week honors five times throughout last season.
Junior Petra Halmai led the swimmers over the course of the Eagles' opening weekend, picking up four first-place finishes in individual events, as well as contributing to a relay win. She currently leads the CCSA with times in both the 200 fly (2:04.79) and the 200 breast (2:20.06).
In addition to the excitement of earning back-to-back sweeps, multiple FGCU rookies picked up first-place individual finishes in their collegiate debuts. Hannah VanDress took home the 1000-yard freestyle in both meets, while Kaja Reinhardt won the 500 Free in the meet against Campbell and UNF.
Scouting Vanderbilt:
Friday's tilt will mark the first time the Eagles and the Commodores have faced off in a dual meet.
Vanderbilt dropped its season-opener against conference foe Alabama (Oct. 5) by a score of 146-105. The Commodores won four of the meet's 16 events, three of which were individual events. The team also took home the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Vanderbilt was able to pick up its first win of the season during a tri-meet on the road in Michigan (Oct. 11). The Commodores downed Milwaukee by a decisive score of 207-81 before falling to host Oakland 176-118.
Sophomore Lizzy Colwell has picked up three first-place finishes so far this season, the most of any Commodore. Classmate Tonner Debeer has also contributed significant points to the team, tallying a pair of first-place finishes.
Last season, Vanderbilt finished the 2018-19 season at the SEC Championships, where the team finished in 12th place (153 points). The Commodores do not have a diving team and their roster is fairly evenly split between classes.
FGCU S&D vs Power 5:
FGCU holds a 19-22 record against Power 5 Conference teams with a 13-13 record against the ACC, and are looking for their first win a SEC team as they are 0-5.
After the meet, attendees are encouraged to head over to Alico Arena for Dunk City After Dark, the annual FGCU Hoops kickoff event. Doors open at 6 p.m. and fans can click here for more information.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles had a few weeks off after opening the season with a pair of meets on the road in Jacksonville, Fla. and Statesboro, Ga. against CCSA opponents. The Eagles swept both UNF (185-76) and Campbell (133-128) on Friday, Oct. 4 and then carried the momentum through the following day as the team cruised past Georgia Southern (172-70) and Campbell (146-94).
The team's 4-0 mark is the best record at the start of a season since 2015.
After capturing both the 1M and 3M titles in her collegiate debut, freshman Reese Wakefield took home the Green and Blue's first weekly honor of the season, earning CCSA Diver of the Week (Oct. 7). FGCU received Diver of the Week honors five times throughout last season.
Junior Petra Halmai led the swimmers over the course of the Eagles' opening weekend, picking up four first-place finishes in individual events, as well as contributing to a relay win. She currently leads the CCSA with times in both the 200 fly (2:04.79) and the 200 breast (2:20.06).
In addition to the excitement of earning back-to-back sweeps, multiple FGCU rookies picked up first-place individual finishes in their collegiate debuts. Hannah VanDress took home the 1000-yard freestyle in both meets, while Kaja Reinhardt won the 500 Free in the meet against Campbell and UNF.
Scouting Vanderbilt:
Friday's tilt will mark the first time the Eagles and the Commodores have faced off in a dual meet.
Vanderbilt dropped its season-opener against conference foe Alabama (Oct. 5) by a score of 146-105. The Commodores won four of the meet's 16 events, three of which were individual events. The team also took home the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Vanderbilt was able to pick up its first win of the season during a tri-meet on the road in Michigan (Oct. 11). The Commodores downed Milwaukee by a decisive score of 207-81 before falling to host Oakland 176-118.
Sophomore Lizzy Colwell has picked up three first-place finishes so far this season, the most of any Commodore. Classmate Tonner Debeer has also contributed significant points to the team, tallying a pair of first-place finishes.
Last season, Vanderbilt finished the 2018-19 season at the SEC Championships, where the team finished in 12th place (153 points). The Commodores do not have a diving team and their roster is fairly evenly split between classes.
FGCU S&D vs Power 5:
FGCU holds a 19-22 record against Power 5 Conference teams with a 13-13 record against the ACC, and are looking for their first win a SEC team as they are 0-5.
FGCU VB: Sunshine State Classic Day One Recap
The FGCU volleyball team (9-2) finished day one of the Sunshine State Classic on a solid note as they shutout Miami (3-4) 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-23) before defeating RV UCF (6-4) 3-1 (24-26, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22) at the Venue at UCF in Orlando. With the wins, the Eagles are now 3-5 against the Knights and 2-3 against the Hurricanes. The win over the Hurricanes was also the Eagles' fourth win over a Power 5 Conference team.
"It was an amazing team effort today against two quality opponents," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Our serving was a big factor, and I thought our floor defense was spectacular. We played very consistent throughout, which was a great sign of the progress being made by this group."
Offensive leaders on the day included Cortney VanLiew (30 kills, 18 digs), Erin Shomaker (20 kills), Snowy Burnam (19 kills, 16 digs) and Daniele Serrano (17 kills, eight blocks.). Chelsey Lockey recorded 94 assists, while Dana Axner had 36 digs combined. Six different players had at least three blocks, as well.
The nightcap featured a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament first round matchup in which FGCU upset UCF in five sets.
The Eagles dropped a back-and-forth opening set after failing to capitalize on match point. Neither team led by more than two in the frame. After the Eagles opened up a 9-5 lead in the next set, UCF rallied to knot things at 16 apiece, but Amanda Carroll produced a solo block and a pair of kills to spur a 4-0 run. Burnam then evened up the match with a tip shot kill.
UCF held a 16-13 lead in the third set, but FGCU scored six straight behind a kill and a solo block from Aja Jones. Back-to-back kills from VanLiew then finished off a 25-21 set win.
Behind several big plays from Serrano, the Eagles then maintained control in the fourth before claiming a 25-22 clincher on a double block from Jones and Burnam.
"Aja brought a ton of energy into the UCF match and was a big factor in the result," Botsford said. "She played well beyond her years and came up with some key plays."
Lockey tied her career-high with 54 kills while adding eight digs and three block assists. VanLiew had a team-high 18 kills, while Serrano added 11 and Burnam had 10. Axner had a match-high 26 digs, while VanLiew and Burnam each finished double-doubles with 12 and 10 digs, respectively.
"Chelsey just keeps getting better every time we hit the floor and our offensive balance was good all day," Botsford said.
In the opener against Miami, FGCU produced its second consecutive sweep of the Hurricanes in as many seasons behind 12 kills apiece from VanLiew and Shomaker. Lockey led the way with 40 assists, while Axner had 10 digs. Serrano also contributed a team-high five blocks.
The Green and Blue maintained control throughout the match until the final set when the Hurricanes held a 21-15 lead, but FGCU ultimately rallied.
Notes:
Serrano now has 398.0 career blocks, surpassing Kylie Jacob (Jacksonville, 2010-13) and Sara Jacobson (Belmont, 2002-05) for seventh place on the A-SUN's career list. Next up is Brittany Rusin (Campbell, 2003-06) with 399.0 and Ellen Hawks (Stetson, 2010-13) with 400.0.
With her 19 total kills in both matches, Burnam became the 17th Eagle to reach 500 kills in her career and the fifth active player to do so (Carroll, VanLiew, Serrano and senior Giovanna Borgiotti). Burnam now has 518 in her career.
Longtime assistant coach Daniel Mahy earned his 302nd and 303rd career wins (274th and 275th with FGCU) while second year assistant coach Stephanie Zelinski earned her 63rd and 64th career wins.
Offensive leaders on the day included Cortney VanLiew (30 kills, 18 digs), Erin Shomaker (20 kills), Snowy Burnam (19 kills, 16 digs) and Daniele Serrano (17 kills, eight blocks.). Chelsey Lockey recorded 94 assists, while Dana Axner had 36 digs combined. Six different players had at least three blocks, as well.
The nightcap featured a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament first round matchup in which FGCU upset UCF in five sets.
The Eagles dropped a back-and-forth opening set after failing to capitalize on match point. Neither team led by more than two in the frame. After the Eagles opened up a 9-5 lead in the next set, UCF rallied to knot things at 16 apiece, but Amanda Carroll produced a solo block and a pair of kills to spur a 4-0 run. Burnam then evened up the match with a tip shot kill.
UCF held a 16-13 lead in the third set, but FGCU scored six straight behind a kill and a solo block from Aja Jones. Back-to-back kills from VanLiew then finished off a 25-21 set win.
Behind several big plays from Serrano, the Eagles then maintained control in the fourth before claiming a 25-22 clincher on a double block from Jones and Burnam.
"Aja brought a ton of energy into the UCF match and was a big factor in the result," Botsford said. "She played well beyond her years and came up with some key plays."
Lockey tied her career-high with 54 kills while adding eight digs and three block assists. VanLiew had a team-high 18 kills, while Serrano added 11 and Burnam had 10. Axner had a match-high 26 digs, while VanLiew and Burnam each finished double-doubles with 12 and 10 digs, respectively.
"Chelsey just keeps getting better every time we hit the floor and our offensive balance was good all day," Botsford said.
In the opener against Miami, FGCU produced its second consecutive sweep of the Hurricanes in as many seasons behind 12 kills apiece from VanLiew and Shomaker. Lockey led the way with 40 assists, while Axner had 10 digs. Serrano also contributed a team-high five blocks.
The Green and Blue maintained control throughout the match until the final set when the Hurricanes held a 21-15 lead, but FGCU ultimately rallied.
Notes:
Serrano now has 398.0 career blocks, surpassing Kylie Jacob (Jacksonville, 2010-13) and Sara Jacobson (Belmont, 2002-05) for seventh place on the A-SUN's career list. Next up is Brittany Rusin (Campbell, 2003-06) with 399.0 and Ellen Hawks (Stetson, 2010-13) with 400.0.
With her 19 total kills in both matches, Burnam became the 17th Eagle to reach 500 kills in her career and the fifth active player to do so (Carroll, VanLiew, Serrano and senior Giovanna Borgiotti). Burnam now has 518 in her career.
Longtime assistant coach Daniel Mahy earned his 302nd and 303rd career wins (274th and 275th with FGCU) while second year assistant coach Stephanie Zelinski earned her 63rd and 64th career wins.
Up Next:
The Eagles will close out the event on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Florida Atlantic.
The Eagles will close out the event on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Florida Atlantic.
FGCU VB: Sunshine State Classic Preview
The FGCU volleyball team (7-2) will head a bit north for the Sunshine State Classic on Friday and Saturday, which will include tough matchups against UCF (6-3), Miami (2-3) and Florida Atlantic (6-2). The event is being hosted at The Venue at UCF.
The event, which was hosted by Miami last year, is in its third year of existence with the same four teams. FGCU went 0-3 in 2017, but bounced back to finish 2-1 last year while knocking off Miami on its home court for the program's first-ever road Power 5 win.
The Contestants:
All four teams finished within the top 80 of last year's final RPI - UCF (10th), FGCU (47th), FAU (75th) and Miami (79th).
Scouting UCF:
UCF will enter the this year's event at 6-3 overall, coming off a weekend in which they upset No. 14 Illinois in four sets and fell to No. 7 Marquette in five. Those performances helped them receive votes in the latest AVCA poll for the fourth straight week, and they'll be looking to avenge last year's five-set loss to FGCU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament that also ended their 24-match winning streak. They'll be led by sophomore McKenna Melville, who has 144 kills, 101 digs and 16 blocks over 36 sets.
Scouting the U:
Miami, who went 13-12 overall last year, is off to a 2-3 start this season with losses to TCU, Auburn and Missouri. The Hurricanes will be led by freshman outside hitter Kennedy Prince, who has at least 14 kills in every match along with 36 total digs through five matches. Head coach Jose "Keno" Gandara recorded his 100th career win at Miami in last year's event.
Scouting FAU:
Florida Atlantic, which enters at 6-2 overall and is coached by former FGCU assistant Fernanda Nelson, is 3-3 against the Eagles since Nelson took over in 2012. FGCU won in straight sets last year's meeting. The Owls, who went 21-7 last year, have taken then No. 22 Florida State to five sets this year and knocked off TCU on the road in five. They also have another strong win over Boston College in four sets. One of their top players will be junior outside hitter Sydney Nemtuda, who has team-highs in kills (80) and digs (94) along with eight aces and seven blocks.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles, who had a Division I era program-best 6-0 start to the season before falling to No. 15 Kentucky and Indiana this past weekend, also had their 19-match regular season winning streak come to an end in the Bluegrass Battle, although Dana Axner was named to the all-tournament team.
FGCU has been well-represented so far this year among the A-SUN's weekly awards. Cortney VanLiew and Axner were named the player and defensive player of the week, respectively, on Sept. 3. Erin Shomaker was named the top freshman a week later, and Tori Morris was the defensive player of the week this week.
The event, which was hosted by Miami last year, is in its third year of existence with the same four teams. FGCU went 0-3 in 2017, but bounced back to finish 2-1 last year while knocking off Miami on its home court for the program's first-ever road Power 5 win.
The Contestants:
All four teams finished within the top 80 of last year's final RPI - UCF (10th), FGCU (47th), FAU (75th) and Miami (79th).
Scouting UCF:
UCF will enter the this year's event at 6-3 overall, coming off a weekend in which they upset No. 14 Illinois in four sets and fell to No. 7 Marquette in five. Those performances helped them receive votes in the latest AVCA poll for the fourth straight week, and they'll be looking to avenge last year's five-set loss to FGCU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament that also ended their 24-match winning streak. They'll be led by sophomore McKenna Melville, who has 144 kills, 101 digs and 16 blocks over 36 sets.
Scouting the U:
Miami, who went 13-12 overall last year, is off to a 2-3 start this season with losses to TCU, Auburn and Missouri. The Hurricanes will be led by freshman outside hitter Kennedy Prince, who has at least 14 kills in every match along with 36 total digs through five matches. Head coach Jose "Keno" Gandara recorded his 100th career win at Miami in last year's event.
Scouting FAU:
Florida Atlantic, which enters at 6-2 overall and is coached by former FGCU assistant Fernanda Nelson, is 3-3 against the Eagles since Nelson took over in 2012. FGCU won in straight sets last year's meeting. The Owls, who went 21-7 last year, have taken then No. 22 Florida State to five sets this year and knocked off TCU on the road in five. They also have another strong win over Boston College in four sets. One of their top players will be junior outside hitter Sydney Nemtuda, who has team-highs in kills (80) and digs (94) along with eight aces and seven blocks.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles, who had a Division I era program-best 6-0 start to the season before falling to No. 15 Kentucky and Indiana this past weekend, also had their 19-match regular season winning streak come to an end in the Bluegrass Battle, although Dana Axner was named to the all-tournament team.
FGCU has been well-represented so far this year among the A-SUN's weekly awards. Cortney VanLiew and Axner were named the player and defensive player of the week, respectively, on Sept. 3. Erin Shomaker was named the top freshman a week later, and Tori Morris was the defensive player of the week this week.
FGCU VB: Bluegrass Battle Day One Recap
The FGCU volleyball team (6-2) lost a pair of matches to No. 15 Kentucky (30-28, 25-19, 24-26, 25-17) and Indiana (25-23, 25-18, 25-23) at the University of Kentucky's Memorial Coliseum on Friday as part of the Bluegrass Battle. The Eagles, who saw their 19-match regular season winning streak come to an end, will conclude their participation in the event with a 1 p.m. matchup against Cleveland State on Saturday.
"I was pretty disappointed with the execution level (in the first match) as Indiana did a great job dictating play from the service line," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford. "We were very high error and just couldn't find much of a rhythm. That being said, against Kentucky, I was very proud of how we competed. We came out much more focused, and for a majority of the match, our first contact was very efficient. Tori (Morris) played great tonight against a quality opponent, and I loved how we were fighting for every point as a group. Kentucky makes it tough to score and there are no easy points, but there were a lot of positives out there that we can build on."
In the finale, FGCU and Kentucky traded blows in an opening set that featured 18 ties and eight lead changes. Ultimately, the Wildcats claimed a 30-28 victory and took a 2-0 edge with a six-point win the following set.
However, behind a solid team effort, FGCU extended the match with a back row kill from Cortney VanLiew to finish the third set. In the fourth, the Eagles led 7-5 following a kill from Erin Shomaker, but Kentucky reeled off four straight and outscored FGCU 20-10 to close the match.
Offensively, VanLiew led the way with 17 kills while adding seven digs and three blocks (one solo). Shomaker added a season-high 11 kills along with two blocks, while Tori Morris had eight kills at a .571 clip while adding five blocks (two solo).
Chelsey Lockey led the Eagles with 41 assists and added 14 digs and two blocks for her third double-double of the season. Defensively, she was joined by Dana Axner (18 digs, two aces, two assists) and Amanda Carroll (14 digs, one solo block, one assist). Daniele Serrano contributed four blocks (one solo) and seven kills.
In the morning, FGCU (9) and Indiana (17) combined for 26 service errors as the Memorial Coliseum had giant fans running due to 90 plus degree temperatures and no air conditioning. Despite that, the Eagles nearly made a thrilling comeback in the opening set behind a 4-0 run but dropped a pair of two-point sets in the sweep.
VanLiew (12) and Shomaker (7) combined for 19 of the team's 26 kills, while Lockey had 20 assists and eight digs. VanLiew added 10 digs for her third double-double of the season, while Axner had seven digs and three assists.
Notes:
VanLiew has now reached double-digit kills in seven of eight matches this year with 125 total. Against Kentucky, she became the fifth player in the program's Division I era to reach at least 900 career kills, and she needs just 12 more to surpass Kaitlin Holm (926, 2011-13) for fourth place. Furthermore, she surpassed 1,000 career points, becoming the fifth in the Division I era to do so.
Carroll recorded one solo block on Friday to push her career total to 40. She needs one more to tie Ashley Yance (41, 2007-09) for third place in the Division I era.
Serrano had six total blocks on the day to push her career total to 383.0, which moves her up to ninth place on the A-SUN's career list. She surpassed Alex Kelly (380.0, Lipscomb, 2007-10) and is now nine away from tying Jacksonville's Kylie Jacob (2010-13) and Belmont's Sara Jacobson (2002-05) for seventh place. Serrano's one solo block put her at 58 and remains five shy of passing Olivia Mesner (62, 2011-13) as the all-time leader in solo blocks.
Junior Snowy Burnam had three kills total in both matches, which put her at 487 and need 13 to become the 17th player to reach 500 career kills.
Senior Giovanna Borgiotti had four kills in both matches, which puts her at 521 and needs 52 to pass Leigh Pudwill (572, 2015-16) for 15th all-time.
"I was pretty disappointed with the execution level (in the first match) as Indiana did a great job dictating play from the service line," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford. "We were very high error and just couldn't find much of a rhythm. That being said, against Kentucky, I was very proud of how we competed. We came out much more focused, and for a majority of the match, our first contact was very efficient. Tori (Morris) played great tonight against a quality opponent, and I loved how we were fighting for every point as a group. Kentucky makes it tough to score and there are no easy points, but there were a lot of positives out there that we can build on."
In the finale, FGCU and Kentucky traded blows in an opening set that featured 18 ties and eight lead changes. Ultimately, the Wildcats claimed a 30-28 victory and took a 2-0 edge with a six-point win the following set.
However, behind a solid team effort, FGCU extended the match with a back row kill from Cortney VanLiew to finish the third set. In the fourth, the Eagles led 7-5 following a kill from Erin Shomaker, but Kentucky reeled off four straight and outscored FGCU 20-10 to close the match.
Offensively, VanLiew led the way with 17 kills while adding seven digs and three blocks (one solo). Shomaker added a season-high 11 kills along with two blocks, while Tori Morris had eight kills at a .571 clip while adding five blocks (two solo).
Chelsey Lockey led the Eagles with 41 assists and added 14 digs and two blocks for her third double-double of the season. Defensively, she was joined by Dana Axner (18 digs, two aces, two assists) and Amanda Carroll (14 digs, one solo block, one assist). Daniele Serrano contributed four blocks (one solo) and seven kills.
In the morning, FGCU (9) and Indiana (17) combined for 26 service errors as the Memorial Coliseum had giant fans running due to 90 plus degree temperatures and no air conditioning. Despite that, the Eagles nearly made a thrilling comeback in the opening set behind a 4-0 run but dropped a pair of two-point sets in the sweep.
VanLiew (12) and Shomaker (7) combined for 19 of the team's 26 kills, while Lockey had 20 assists and eight digs. VanLiew added 10 digs for her third double-double of the season, while Axner had seven digs and three assists.
Notes:
VanLiew has now reached double-digit kills in seven of eight matches this year with 125 total. Against Kentucky, she became the fifth player in the program's Division I era to reach at least 900 career kills, and she needs just 12 more to surpass Kaitlin Holm (926, 2011-13) for fourth place. Furthermore, she surpassed 1,000 career points, becoming the fifth in the Division I era to do so.
Carroll recorded one solo block on Friday to push her career total to 40. She needs one more to tie Ashley Yance (41, 2007-09) for third place in the Division I era.
Serrano had six total blocks on the day to push her career total to 383.0, which moves her up to ninth place on the A-SUN's career list. She surpassed Alex Kelly (380.0, Lipscomb, 2007-10) and is now nine away from tying Jacksonville's Kylie Jacob (2010-13) and Belmont's Sara Jacobson (2002-05) for seventh place. Serrano's one solo block put her at 58 and remains five shy of passing Olivia Mesner (62, 2011-13) as the all-time leader in solo blocks.
Junior Snowy Burnam had three kills total in both matches, which put her at 487 and need 13 to become the 17th player to reach 500 career kills.
Senior Giovanna Borgiotti had four kills in both matches, which puts her at 521 and needs 52 to pass Leigh Pudwill (572, 2015-16) for 15th all-time.
FGCU Volleyball: Bluegrass Battle Preview
The FGCU volleyball team (6-0) continues their journey on the road as they travel to Lexington, Kentucky for the Bluegrass Battle on Friday and Saturday, September 13-14. The Eagles will play against Indiana (5-2), #15 Kentucky (4-2) and Cleveland State (2-4).
Last Time Out:
The Eagles continue their best start of the season after competing in the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables where they defeated USF, Auburn and George Washington. The win over Auburn was the Eagles' first win over an SEC team and the third win overall against a Power 5 Conference school.
Furthermore, FGCU is one of only 23 teams across the nation that have yet to be beaten, and they are currently riding a 19-match regular season winning streak that stretches back to Oct. 7 of last year.
Ms. 900:
For junior Cortney VanLiew, she is on pace to reach 900 kills in her career. Currently, the native of Seymour, Indiana has 96 kills in her name as well as eight aces and 10 blocks. VanLiew had 44 kills, four aces and four blocks at the Hurricane Invitational, which included a double-double against George Washington. VanLiew has 886 career kills and is 14 away from becoming the sixth player to get 900 kills. In addition, VanLiew needs 41 kills to passing Kaitlin Holm (926, 2011-13) for fifth all-time.
1408:
Redshirt senior Amanda Carroll continues to add kills in her regime after finishing at the Hurricane Invitational with 10 kills and five aces. Carroll currently has 13 kills and six aces in her name. The 13 kills put her at 1,408 in her career while her six aces put her at 107 and is 33 shy of passing Ana Kokanovic (139, 2007-08) as the all-time leader.
Lock Up:
After Maggie Rick graduated, sophomore Chelsea Lockey has done her part of taking over for the all-time assists leader. Lockey currently has 237 assists on the year and 713 in her career (7th all-time). At the Hurricane Invitational, Lockey had 103 assists and 28 digs. The 103 assists pushed her Ciara Sandoval (679, 2005) for 7th all-time. She needs 287 to become the seventh player to reach 1,000 career digs and 376 to pass Camil Dominguez (1,089 2010-11) for sixth all-time.
Paul Bunyan's Apprentice:
Sophomore Dana Axner currently leads the way with 109 digs (5.19 digs per set) and has 733 in her career (12th all-time). The defending A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year had 40 at the Hurricane Invitational and needs 33 to pass Chandra Lefever (765, 2006-07, 09) for 11th all-time.
Shoe Fly:
For freshman Erin Shoemaker, she has been on wavelengths offensively and defensively. Shoemaker, who has 40 kills and 12 blocks, had 15 total kills in wins over USF and Auburn, was named the ASUN's freshman of the week on Monday. She had eight kills over 11 attempts (.727) against USF and seven kills in 12 attempts vs Auburn (.583). She also totaled two digs and four blocks (two solo) on the week.
"Erin did a great job for us this weekend in a role that was really important, coming off the bench and changing the complexity of the game with her blocking and attacking," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "She had really good decision making, cutting down on errors. Her hitting efficiency and kill percentage were a big part of our success this weekend."
Mojo 500:
In the match against Bryant, senior Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti earned her 500th career kill with the team and became the 16th Eagle in doing so and now has 517 in her career. Borgiotti is 56 shy of passing Leigh Pudwill (572, 2015-16) for 15th all-time. Currently, Borgiotti has 22 kills and five blocks in her name. At the Hurricane Invitational, she had five kills and four blocks.
A Winter Wonderland:
Junior Snowy Burnam is also on pace to becoming the 17th Eagle to reach 500 kills. Burnam has 34 kills in her name thus far and has 484 in her career after passing Brittany Muse (480, 2009-12) for 17th all-time. Burnam needs 16 more kills to become the 17th player to reach 500 career kills.
Spice Burns:
Senior Daniele Serrano is second on the team in kills (44) and is tied for second with Burnam in blocks (14). Serrano's 44 kills put her at 658 and is seven away from passing Jelena Semic (649, 2009, 2011) for 13th all-time and 42 shy of becoming the 10th player to reach 700 career kills. As for her blocking, Serrano has 377 total blocks (all-time leader), 320 block assists (all-time leader) and 57 (2nd all-time). Serrano is six away from passing Olivia Mesner (62, 2011-13) as the all-time leader in solo blocks.
World Tor:
Defensively, sophomore Tori Morris has become a key factor in blocking as she leads the team with 22 blocks (two solo) to go with her 23 kills. Morris had 14 kills and 12 blocks at the Hurricane Invitational.
Block Party 2.0:
The Block Party 2.0, (Serrano, Borgiotti, Burnam, VanLiew, Morris, Shoemaker and freshman Aja Jones) have a combined 86 total blocks (14 solo). The squad had 33 blocks at the Hurricane Invitational.
Assist Life:
Longtime assistant coach Daniel Mahy has also reached his milestone. Mahy earned his 272nd career win as a coach for FGCU and his 300th overall win as a coach. Mahy enters his 14th season as assistant coach with the exclusion of two seasons at DII Barry University.
Scouting Indiana:
The Hoosiers are coming off of competing in the Hoosier Invitational where they split day one with 3-0 shutout win over Oregon State and a 3-2 loss to Oklahoma before defeating Yale 3-1.
Offensively, sophomore Breana Edwards leads the team with 105 kills with 32 digs while senior Deyshia Lofton follows with 70 kills and leads the team with 32 blocks (seven solo).
Defensively, freshman Haley Armstrong lead the team with 97 digs while the senior Jacqui Armer follows Lofton with 28 blocks.
Scouting Kentucky:
The Wildcats dropped from being ranked #12 to #15 after competing in the UNI Tournament where they fell 3-1 to then #23 Creighton (now #17) before defeating then #15 USC (now #20) 3-1 and then shutting out RV host Northern Illinois (unranked) 3-0.
Offensively, the Wildcats are led by senior Leah Edmond and sophomore Alli Stumler. Edmond leads the team with 80 while Stumler has 67 kills in her name as well as eight aces. Junior Madison Lilley has 234 assists and 16 blocks.
Defensively, grad student Leah Meyer leads the team with 24 blocks to go with her 40 kills while junior Gabby Curry has 96 digs in her name.
Scouting Cleveland State:
The Vikings last competed in the Hampton Ball State Invitational where they defeated Butler (3-2) and Charlotte (3-0) in the first two matches before falling to host Ball State (3-1).
Offensively, senior Trinniti Hall and junior Hannah Greene lead the team offensively. Hall has a team-leading 87 kills in her name as well as a team-leading 10 aces and 20 blocks (four solo) while Greene has 78 kills and a team-leading 28 blocks (seven solo). Sophomore Christina Grecol has 239 assists in her name offensively.
Defensively, aside from Greene and Hall's combing 48 blocks, sophomore Lindsey Tout has 96 digs in her name while junior Emily DeGeorge follows with 84.
Series History:
While it will be the first time FGCU plays Kentucky and Cleveland State, the series against Indiana will be the third time both teams play with the series tied at 1-1. The first time was at the Homewood Suites Classic at FGCU where the Eagles won 3-2 (9/10/16). The Hoosiers would return the favor and defeat the Eagles 3-2 in the Hoosier Classic (9/16/17).
Scheduling:
9/13-
FGCU vs Indiana (10 am)
UK vs Cleveland State (noon)
Indiana vs Cleveland State (6 pm)
FGCU vs Kentucky (8:30 pm)
9/14-
Cleveland vs FGCU (1 pm)
Indiana vs UK (4 pm)
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for all six matches. For the match against Indiana, it will be livestream audio only while the match against Kentucky will be livestream on the SEC/ESPN+ Network.
Fans can keep up with all the teams on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
Kentucky: @KentuckyVB
Indiana: @IndianaVB
Cleveland State: @ClevelandSt_VB
ESPN+:
Last Time Out:
The Eagles continue their best start of the season after competing in the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables where they defeated USF, Auburn and George Washington. The win over Auburn was the Eagles' first win over an SEC team and the third win overall against a Power 5 Conference school.
Furthermore, FGCU is one of only 23 teams across the nation that have yet to be beaten, and they are currently riding a 19-match regular season winning streak that stretches back to Oct. 7 of last year.
Ms. 900:
For junior Cortney VanLiew, she is on pace to reach 900 kills in her career. Currently, the native of Seymour, Indiana has 96 kills in her name as well as eight aces and 10 blocks. VanLiew had 44 kills, four aces and four blocks at the Hurricane Invitational, which included a double-double against George Washington. VanLiew has 886 career kills and is 14 away from becoming the sixth player to get 900 kills. In addition, VanLiew needs 41 kills to passing Kaitlin Holm (926, 2011-13) for fifth all-time.
1408:
Redshirt senior Amanda Carroll continues to add kills in her regime after finishing at the Hurricane Invitational with 10 kills and five aces. Carroll currently has 13 kills and six aces in her name. The 13 kills put her at 1,408 in her career while her six aces put her at 107 and is 33 shy of passing Ana Kokanovic (139, 2007-08) as the all-time leader.
Lock Up:
After Maggie Rick graduated, sophomore Chelsea Lockey has done her part of taking over for the all-time assists leader. Lockey currently has 237 assists on the year and 713 in her career (7th all-time). At the Hurricane Invitational, Lockey had 103 assists and 28 digs. The 103 assists pushed her Ciara Sandoval (679, 2005) for 7th all-time. She needs 287 to become the seventh player to reach 1,000 career digs and 376 to pass Camil Dominguez (1,089 2010-11) for sixth all-time.
Paul Bunyan's Apprentice:
Sophomore Dana Axner currently leads the way with 109 digs (5.19 digs per set) and has 733 in her career (12th all-time). The defending A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year had 40 at the Hurricane Invitational and needs 33 to pass Chandra Lefever (765, 2006-07, 09) for 11th all-time.
Shoe Fly:
For freshman Erin Shoemaker, she has been on wavelengths offensively and defensively. Shoemaker, who has 40 kills and 12 blocks, had 15 total kills in wins over USF and Auburn, was named the ASUN's freshman of the week on Monday. She had eight kills over 11 attempts (.727) against USF and seven kills in 12 attempts vs Auburn (.583). She also totaled two digs and four blocks (two solo) on the week.
"Erin did a great job for us this weekend in a role that was really important, coming off the bench and changing the complexity of the game with her blocking and attacking," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "She had really good decision making, cutting down on errors. Her hitting efficiency and kill percentage were a big part of our success this weekend."
Mojo 500:
In the match against Bryant, senior Giovanna "Giogio" Borgiotti earned her 500th career kill with the team and became the 16th Eagle in doing so and now has 517 in her career. Borgiotti is 56 shy of passing Leigh Pudwill (572, 2015-16) for 15th all-time. Currently, Borgiotti has 22 kills and five blocks in her name. At the Hurricane Invitational, she had five kills and four blocks.
A Winter Wonderland:
Junior Snowy Burnam is also on pace to becoming the 17th Eagle to reach 500 kills. Burnam has 34 kills in her name thus far and has 484 in her career after passing Brittany Muse (480, 2009-12) for 17th all-time. Burnam needs 16 more kills to become the 17th player to reach 500 career kills.
Spice Burns:
Senior Daniele Serrano is second on the team in kills (44) and is tied for second with Burnam in blocks (14). Serrano's 44 kills put her at 658 and is seven away from passing Jelena Semic (649, 2009, 2011) for 13th all-time and 42 shy of becoming the 10th player to reach 700 career kills. As for her blocking, Serrano has 377 total blocks (all-time leader), 320 block assists (all-time leader) and 57 (2nd all-time). Serrano is six away from passing Olivia Mesner (62, 2011-13) as the all-time leader in solo blocks.
World Tor:
Defensively, sophomore Tori Morris has become a key factor in blocking as she leads the team with 22 blocks (two solo) to go with her 23 kills. Morris had 14 kills and 12 blocks at the Hurricane Invitational.
Block Party 2.0:
The Block Party 2.0, (Serrano, Borgiotti, Burnam, VanLiew, Morris, Shoemaker and freshman Aja Jones) have a combined 86 total blocks (14 solo). The squad had 33 blocks at the Hurricane Invitational.
Assist Life:
Longtime assistant coach Daniel Mahy has also reached his milestone. Mahy earned his 272nd career win as a coach for FGCU and his 300th overall win as a coach. Mahy enters his 14th season as assistant coach with the exclusion of two seasons at DII Barry University.
Scouting Indiana:
The Hoosiers are coming off of competing in the Hoosier Invitational where they split day one with 3-0 shutout win over Oregon State and a 3-2 loss to Oklahoma before defeating Yale 3-1.
Offensively, sophomore Breana Edwards leads the team with 105 kills with 32 digs while senior Deyshia Lofton follows with 70 kills and leads the team with 32 blocks (seven solo).
Defensively, freshman Haley Armstrong lead the team with 97 digs while the senior Jacqui Armer follows Lofton with 28 blocks.
Scouting Kentucky:
The Wildcats dropped from being ranked #12 to #15 after competing in the UNI Tournament where they fell 3-1 to then #23 Creighton (now #17) before defeating then #15 USC (now #20) 3-1 and then shutting out RV host Northern Illinois (unranked) 3-0.
Offensively, the Wildcats are led by senior Leah Edmond and sophomore Alli Stumler. Edmond leads the team with 80 while Stumler has 67 kills in her name as well as eight aces. Junior Madison Lilley has 234 assists and 16 blocks.
Defensively, grad student Leah Meyer leads the team with 24 blocks to go with her 40 kills while junior Gabby Curry has 96 digs in her name.
Scouting Cleveland State:
The Vikings last competed in the Hampton Ball State Invitational where they defeated Butler (3-2) and Charlotte (3-0) in the first two matches before falling to host Ball State (3-1).
Offensively, senior Trinniti Hall and junior Hannah Greene lead the team offensively. Hall has a team-leading 87 kills in her name as well as a team-leading 10 aces and 20 blocks (four solo) while Greene has 78 kills and a team-leading 28 blocks (seven solo). Sophomore Christina Grecol has 239 assists in her name offensively.
Defensively, aside from Greene and Hall's combing 48 blocks, sophomore Lindsey Tout has 96 digs in her name while junior Emily DeGeorge follows with 84.
Series History:
While it will be the first time FGCU plays Kentucky and Cleveland State, the series against Indiana will be the third time both teams play with the series tied at 1-1. The first time was at the Homewood Suites Classic at FGCU where the Eagles won 3-2 (9/10/16). The Hoosiers would return the favor and defeat the Eagles 3-2 in the Hoosier Classic (9/16/17).
Scheduling:
9/13-
FGCU vs Indiana (10 am)
UK vs Cleveland State (noon)
Indiana vs Cleveland State (6 pm)
FGCU vs Kentucky (8:30 pm)
9/14-
Cleveland vs FGCU (1 pm)
Indiana vs UK (4 pm)
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for all six matches. For the match against Indiana, it will be livestream audio only while the match against Kentucky will be livestream on the SEC/ESPN+ Network.
Fans can keep up with all the teams on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
Kentucky: @KentuckyVB
Indiana: @IndianaVB
Cleveland State: @ClevelandSt_VB
ESPN+:
The new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+ will be the new home for select FGCU, A-SUN and other conferences games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards or a $39.99 a year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Livestats Link:
vs Indiana: https://ukathletics.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
vs Kentucky: https://ukathletics.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
vs Cleveland St: https://ukathletics.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Audio Link vs Indiana: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/indiana/
Livestream Link @ Kentucky: https://www.espn.com/watch?id=dd9b9ab7-c43b-4454-aeb2-496df54ff049
Livestats Link:
vs Indiana: https://ukathletics.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
vs Kentucky: https://ukathletics.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
vs Cleveland St: https://ukathletics.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Audio Link vs Indiana: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/indiana/
Livestream Link @ Kentucky: https://www.espn.com/watch?id=dd9b9ab7-c43b-4454-aeb2-496df54ff049
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