The FGCU swimming and diving team capped off the three-day invite with numerous personal bests, among those being some of the top times in the CCSA as the team prepares to move into the next phase of the season. The Eagles collected 119 points on the final day as they remained in 9th place throughout the three days.
"Surprising, amazing, and inspirational," stated head coach Dave Rollins after wrapping up the final day of the Georgia Tech Invite. "What an incredible weekend these young women had. We learned a lot about ourselves and how we can improve heading into the next phase of the season. To have five new 'B' cuts and set 10 new all-time top-10 times this early in the season is amazing. To be swimming lifetime best times is ridiculous. We have some work to do to be ready for the CCSA Championships but this weekend was a great launching point for next semester."
The diving portion kicked off the morning as sophomore Megan Wakefield and senior Margot Kessler competed on the platform. Wakefield placed 10th (212.80) to give the Eagles 15 points as Kessler went on to finish 27th (138.40). After some very strong swims in the prelims, FGCU would head into the finals, starting with the 1650 free.
Seeded 27th, senior Linda Shaw touched out in 16:54.21 for 18th place. Meanwhile, fellow senior Antonia Baerens produced a swim of 17:01.83 to finish 24th as both times from the seniors proved to be top marks in the CCSA.
Transitioning into the 200 back, senior Doris Eichhorn ended her C final run in 23rd (1:59.51), claiming a new season-best in the process. In the 100 free, FGCU placed a trio of swimmers in the B final.
Sophomore Rebecca Moynihan's time of 49.80 (15th place) was a new season-best for the New Zealand native and also the fastest time in the CCSA. Senior Gracie Redding was right behind the sophomore, claiming 16th with a swim of 49.96, also a new-season top mark.
Freshman Wiktoria Czarnecka finished 20th (50.98) while senior Hannah Burdge swam a season-best 50.34 (26th place) in the C final.
In the 200 breast A final, sophomore Petra Halmai hit an NCAA 'B' cut time touching the pads in 2:12.14, also a new top time in the CCSA.
Newcomer junior Emily Glinecke finished 25th (2:17.99) for the 8th fastest time in school history.
Senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen's NCAA 'B' cut time of 1:58.01 placed her 4th overall in the 200 fly as junior Cassidy Fry also hit the 'B' standard with a swim of 1:58.92 for 11th. Both swims are tops in the CCSA and fall into the top-30 in the nation.
The Eagles concluded the evening placing 6th in the 400 free relay. The quartet of Moynihan, Burdge, Czarnecka, and Redding touched out in 3:19.61 for the 6th fastest time in program history.
We had a great weekend but volleyball had the best weekend!" added Rollins on the FGCU volleyball team winning the A-SUN Championship earlier that evening. "Congratulations to coach Matt Botsford and the A-SUN Championship volleyball team!"
Final Team Standings
1. #10 Florida- 1266
2. #12 Auburn- 886.5
3. Alabama- 626.5
4. South Carolina- 593.5
4. #22 FSU- 593.5
6. #19 UNC- 565.5
7. Virginia Tech- 535.5
8. Georgia Tech- 434
9. FGCU- 327
10. ECU- 188
UP NEXT:
The Eagles are off until Monday, Dec. 17 when they welcome CCSA foe UNC Asheville to the FGCU Aquatics Complex for a dual meet which is slated for a 12 pm start.
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FGCU MBB vs South Dakota State Recap
The FGCU Eagles (2-2) came from behind for arguably their biggest win in Alico Arena since knocking off Miami in 2012, taking down South Dakota State (3-1) 84-78 thanks to a 54 point second half Friday night. The Eagles trailed by as many as 13 early and trimmed it to seven before the half and then exploded in the final 20 minutes in front of a raucous FGCU crowd to finish off the six point victory over the team ranked third in the latest College Insider mid-major rankings.
"Really proud of our team, I thought that was a gutty performance" head coach Michael Fly said. "We are young and haven't played together a lot, so to fight back like that against a team like that, I think it shows our competitiveness and grit. We had a couple of veteran guys stepping up when we needed them. We are a strength in numbers team, we had a lot of guys contribute tonight."
"I thought our guys were very intentional with what we needed to do on both sides of the ball and thought we got off to a great start," head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. "We fought foul trouble all night, we need to defend a little smarter, and that was the story of the game. We'll get back to the practice floor, tighten up some things defensively and before you know it, Monday will get here quickly."
FGCU got off to a hot start, scoring on their first three possessions of the night to take an early 6-3 lead, but South Dakota State's hot shooting helped keep them even in a 6-6 game three minutes in.
Junior Christian Carlyle drove and scored for FGCU to put them up 10-9 at the first media timeout, but the Jackrabbits responded with an 8-3 run to take their first lead of the night at 17-12.
SDSU remained hot as FGCU cooled and midway through the half, the Jacks extended their lead to the largest of the night at 26-13.
With SDSU star Mike Daum on the bench in foul trouble, the Eagles began to climb back into the game, trimming their deficit to seven as redshirt senior Haanif Cheatham sliced to the bucket and scored two of his 22 on the night with 4:10 to go in the half.
The teams played even through the final four minutes of the period and went to the break with the Jacks on top 37-30.
SDSU seemingly couldn't miss in the first half, shooting 52% from the floor and 50% from deep while FGCU shot 45% overall and just 10% from three. Cheatham led the way with 10 first half points for the Eagles while Carlyle had six and freshman Zach Scott had five off bench for the Green and Blue.
The Eagles quickly erased their deficit with a pair of threes from redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. and took their first lead since the opening minutes when Cheatham converted an old fashioned three point play to put the Green and Blue in front 41-40.
FGCU continued to pour gas on the fire as Carlyle hit a three from the corner to make it a 45-40 game and send Alico Arena into a frenzy.
A 6-0 Jackrabbit burst flipped the script as SDSU went back up by one with 14:11 to go and from there it was a back and forth tussle between the two.
For the next 10 minutes, it was never more than a one possession game with the teams trading leads six times as they neared the homestretch.
A deep three from redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius broke a 66-66 tie with just under four minutes remaining, but again the Jacks came back to tie the game and with 2:29 to go, FGCU and SDSU were back to square one, tied at 72.
The play(s) of the game came in a six second stretch with under 1:30 to go as redshirt senior Schadrac Casimir scored on an acrobatic drive to the basket to put the Eagles up two and then picked off the inbounds pass and scored to make it a 76-72 game in favor of the Green and Blue.
After a stop on the defensive end, a floater by Baxter made it a six point game with just 45 seconds to go, but a pair of missed free throws for FGCU and two straight scores by the Jacks had them back to within a pair in just 15 seconds.
The Eagles struggled to ice the game at the line, but their defense stepped up on the other end to keep it a two point game with 16.6 seconds remaining.
With South Dakota State attempting to tie the game to send it to overtime or hit a three to win it, Mercurius came up big, intercepting a pass through the lane and then hitting two free throws to put the game on ice for FGCU as they went on to win 84-78 to the delight of the nearly 4,000 in attendance.
Four Eagles reached double figures in the win, led by Cheatham's 23. Carlyle put together his second straight big effort with 16 and a team best seven rebounds and five assists, while Baxter dropped in 15, and Mercurius had a season best 14.
FGCU was outshot from the field, three point range, and the free throw line in the win, but cleaned up an area they had struggled with all season, turnovers, as they coughed the ball up just nine times while forcing 16 SDSU turnovers on the night.
The Eagles improve to 2-2 with the win and 2-0 at home in Alico Arena while South Dakota State suffers its first loss of the year to fall to 3-1 in their first road contest of the season.
Up Next:
Both teams will take the court again shortly in the Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena as FGCU squares off against another 20 win team from a season ago in Toledo Monday night at 7:30 while SDSU has a 10 AM tip with Tulane to start the week. The Eagles and Jacks could potentially meet up again next week in the three day tournament while starting on opposite sides of the GCS bracket.
"Really proud of our team, I thought that was a gutty performance" head coach Michael Fly said. "We are young and haven't played together a lot, so to fight back like that against a team like that, I think it shows our competitiveness and grit. We had a couple of veteran guys stepping up when we needed them. We are a strength in numbers team, we had a lot of guys contribute tonight."
"I thought our guys were very intentional with what we needed to do on both sides of the ball and thought we got off to a great start," head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. "We fought foul trouble all night, we need to defend a little smarter, and that was the story of the game. We'll get back to the practice floor, tighten up some things defensively and before you know it, Monday will get here quickly."
FGCU got off to a hot start, scoring on their first three possessions of the night to take an early 6-3 lead, but South Dakota State's hot shooting helped keep them even in a 6-6 game three minutes in.
Junior Christian Carlyle drove and scored for FGCU to put them up 10-9 at the first media timeout, but the Jackrabbits responded with an 8-3 run to take their first lead of the night at 17-12.
SDSU remained hot as FGCU cooled and midway through the half, the Jacks extended their lead to the largest of the night at 26-13.
With SDSU star Mike Daum on the bench in foul trouble, the Eagles began to climb back into the game, trimming their deficit to seven as redshirt senior Haanif Cheatham sliced to the bucket and scored two of his 22 on the night with 4:10 to go in the half.
The teams played even through the final four minutes of the period and went to the break with the Jacks on top 37-30.
SDSU seemingly couldn't miss in the first half, shooting 52% from the floor and 50% from deep while FGCU shot 45% overall and just 10% from three. Cheatham led the way with 10 first half points for the Eagles while Carlyle had six and freshman Zach Scott had five off bench for the Green and Blue.
The Eagles quickly erased their deficit with a pair of threes from redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. and took their first lead since the opening minutes when Cheatham converted an old fashioned three point play to put the Green and Blue in front 41-40.
FGCU continued to pour gas on the fire as Carlyle hit a three from the corner to make it a 45-40 game and send Alico Arena into a frenzy.
A 6-0 Jackrabbit burst flipped the script as SDSU went back up by one with 14:11 to go and from there it was a back and forth tussle between the two.
For the next 10 minutes, it was never more than a one possession game with the teams trading leads six times as they neared the homestretch.
A deep three from redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius broke a 66-66 tie with just under four minutes remaining, but again the Jacks came back to tie the game and with 2:29 to go, FGCU and SDSU were back to square one, tied at 72.
The play(s) of the game came in a six second stretch with under 1:30 to go as redshirt senior Schadrac Casimir scored on an acrobatic drive to the basket to put the Eagles up two and then picked off the inbounds pass and scored to make it a 76-72 game in favor of the Green and Blue.
After a stop on the defensive end, a floater by Baxter made it a six point game with just 45 seconds to go, but a pair of missed free throws for FGCU and two straight scores by the Jacks had them back to within a pair in just 15 seconds.
The Eagles struggled to ice the game at the line, but their defense stepped up on the other end to keep it a two point game with 16.6 seconds remaining.
With South Dakota State attempting to tie the game to send it to overtime or hit a three to win it, Mercurius came up big, intercepting a pass through the lane and then hitting two free throws to put the game on ice for FGCU as they went on to win 84-78 to the delight of the nearly 4,000 in attendance.
Four Eagles reached double figures in the win, led by Cheatham's 23. Carlyle put together his second straight big effort with 16 and a team best seven rebounds and five assists, while Baxter dropped in 15, and Mercurius had a season best 14.
FGCU was outshot from the field, three point range, and the free throw line in the win, but cleaned up an area they had struggled with all season, turnovers, as they coughed the ball up just nine times while forcing 16 SDSU turnovers on the night.
The Eagles improve to 2-2 with the win and 2-0 at home in Alico Arena while South Dakota State suffers its first loss of the year to fall to 3-1 in their first road contest of the season.
Up Next:
Both teams will take the court again shortly in the Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena as FGCU squares off against another 20 win team from a season ago in Toledo Monday night at 7:30 while SDSU has a 10 AM tip with Tulane to start the week. The Eagles and Jacks could potentially meet up again next week in the three day tournament while starting on opposite sides of the GCS bracket.
FGCU S&D: Georgia Tech Invite Day Two Recap
The FGCU swimming and diving team continued to make strides in the pool Friday as they wrapped up day two of the Georgia Tech Invite at the McAuley Aquatic Center.
"Huge day for us today!" said head coach Dave Rollins. "Our relays got the energy flowing from the start and they never backed down."
It was a fast start for the Eagles in the first finals event of the evening, the 200 medley relays. Coming in with a time of 1:39.88, the team of senior Doris Eichhorn, sophomore Petra Halmai, senior Gracie Redding and sophomore Rebecca Moynihan set a new season-best time and also the fastest mark by a CCSA school this year.
Senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen achieved an NCAA 'B' time in the 100 fly A final with a swim of 53.60 for 6th place. Elmgreen was the first A finalist for the Eagles this weekend. Meanwhile, Redding also captured an NCAA 'B' mark in the B final, finishing 15th (54.21) as junior Cassidy Fry claimed 17th (54.70).
Freshman Wiktoria Czarnecka etched the 9th fastest time in school history in the prelims with a swim of 54.70 as she would place 23rd (54.88) in the C final in the evening portion. Senior Lindsay Manganiello (100 back, 58.94) and junior Karin Schienvar (100 fly, 56.09) went on to record personal-best times.
In the 200 free, senior Linda Shaw improved her prelim time by more than 1.2 seconds to place 23rd in the C final as Halmai made progress too, claiming 15th overall in the 100 breast (1:02.11). Going into the 100 back, Eichhorn kicked to a swim of 54.50 to finish 13th in the B final as the 800 free relay team capped off the day registering a new low mark in the CCSA. seniors Antonia Baerens and Hannah Burdge, Fry and Shaw touched out in 7:24.16 for 8th overall, collecting 32 points for the Green and Blue.
"For us to have people producing lifetime best times at this point of the season is incredible," added Rollins. "Having Tina (Elmgreen) and Gracie achieve NCAA 'B' cuts is fantastic and for us to have relays close to what we did at the end of the season last year shows great growth for our program. We have one more day that is loaded with great events for us."
FGCU remained idle in the team standings, collecting 115 points on day two.
Team Standings
1. #10 Florida- 854.5
2. #12 Auburn- 602.5
3. Alabama- 446.5
4. #22 FSU- 418.5
5. #19 UNC- 396.5
6. South Carolina- 391.5
7. Virginia Tech- 375
8. Georgia Tech- 278
9. FGCU- 208
10. ECU- 127
Saturday, Nov. 17 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
(In order of event, prelims start each day at 10 a.m. ET, finals begin at 5:30 p.m. ET)
1650 free
200 back
100 free
200 breast
200 fly
Platform diving
400 free relay
"Huge day for us today!" said head coach Dave Rollins. "Our relays got the energy flowing from the start and they never backed down."
It was a fast start for the Eagles in the first finals event of the evening, the 200 medley relays. Coming in with a time of 1:39.88, the team of senior Doris Eichhorn, sophomore Petra Halmai, senior Gracie Redding and sophomore Rebecca Moynihan set a new season-best time and also the fastest mark by a CCSA school this year.
Senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen achieved an NCAA 'B' time in the 100 fly A final with a swim of 53.60 for 6th place. Elmgreen was the first A finalist for the Eagles this weekend. Meanwhile, Redding also captured an NCAA 'B' mark in the B final, finishing 15th (54.21) as junior Cassidy Fry claimed 17th (54.70).
Freshman Wiktoria Czarnecka etched the 9th fastest time in school history in the prelims with a swim of 54.70 as she would place 23rd (54.88) in the C final in the evening portion. Senior Lindsay Manganiello (100 back, 58.94) and junior Karin Schienvar (100 fly, 56.09) went on to record personal-best times.
In the 200 free, senior Linda Shaw improved her prelim time by more than 1.2 seconds to place 23rd in the C final as Halmai made progress too, claiming 15th overall in the 100 breast (1:02.11). Going into the 100 back, Eichhorn kicked to a swim of 54.50 to finish 13th in the B final as the 800 free relay team capped off the day registering a new low mark in the CCSA. seniors Antonia Baerens and Hannah Burdge, Fry and Shaw touched out in 7:24.16 for 8th overall, collecting 32 points for the Green and Blue.
"For us to have people producing lifetime best times at this point of the season is incredible," added Rollins. "Having Tina (Elmgreen) and Gracie achieve NCAA 'B' cuts is fantastic and for us to have relays close to what we did at the end of the season last year shows great growth for our program. We have one more day that is loaded with great events for us."
FGCU remained idle in the team standings, collecting 115 points on day two.
Team Standings
1. #10 Florida- 854.5
2. #12 Auburn- 602.5
3. Alabama- 446.5
4. #22 FSU- 418.5
5. #19 UNC- 396.5
6. South Carolina- 391.5
7. Virginia Tech- 375
8. Georgia Tech- 278
9. FGCU- 208
10. ECU- 127
Saturday, Nov. 17 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
(In order of event, prelims start each day at 10 a.m. ET, finals begin at 5:30 p.m. ET)
1650 free
200 back
100 free
200 breast
200 fly
Platform diving
400 free relay
FGCU WBB vs FIU Recap
The FGCU women's basketball team (2-1) won its second-straight with a 100-58 rout of Florida International (0-4) in Alico Arena Friday.
The result was the program's 16th all-time in triple digits, including the 11th in Alico Arena history and the eighth of the Division-I era. The Eagles shot 37-for-68 (.544) from the field, which is tied for the seventh-most field goals made in the Division-I era and the 10th-best percentage in Alico Arena history by a team donning the Green and Blue.
"I liked the intensity and the pace we played with," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We're incorporating a lot of new players, and we're a team that likes to be precise in what we do, and this has taken some time. I thought we took a good step forward today. So many people contributed in a positive way, which was good to see. In the first half, it was a close game and we started knocking down a bunch of threes in a row. That put us in the lead, and I thought we played more relaxed and comfortable after that."
Four players reached double figures for FGCU, including redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles (18), redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan (12), junior Nasrin Ulel (11) and freshman Tanner Bryant (11), while six others scored at least five points.
Freshman Samantha Streeter, who was a team manager last year, came off the bench to score her first collegiate points in the final two minutes to give FGCU its 99th and 100th points.
Florida International led 10-6 just over four minutes into the opening quarter, but FGCU closed on a 18-2 run, including 14 points over the final three minutes. After TaMiracle Taylor opened the second frame with a 3-pointer for FIU, the Eagles scored 13 of the next 15 points, capped by a layup from redshirt Lisa Zderadicka to push the lead to 20 with 5:33 left in the half.
The Eagles then poured in five 3-pointers over the final four minutes, and redshirt senior Destiny Washington caromed a layup on the right side of the rim into the hoop for a 58-28 lead at the half.
Jewett-Giles converted a layup with 3:57 in the third to push the margin to 40 for the first time, and the Eagles led by as many as 44 twice late in the fourth, the first of which came on four consecutive 3-pointers from the combination of redshirt freshman Tyra Cox, Bryant and Ryan.
Junior Tytionia Adderly tied Washington for a team-high in rebounds with seven, added three assists and three steals. She is now tied with Adrianne McNally (2006-10) for the third-most rebounds in Alico Arena history with 339, and she eclipsed 100 steals in her career, moving into 11th in the program's Division-I era for a career. Furthermore, she became just the 20th player in the Division-I era to play 70 games in the Green and Blue and needs 15 rebounds to 600 in her career.
Sophomore Alyssa Blair, who earned her first career start against FIU, tallied nine points and a team-high four steals on 3-for-5 shooting in just 13 minutes. Ryan now has three consecutive games with at least 12 points and four 3-point field goals to open the season. She finished 4-for-7 from 3-point range and led the team in assists with four.
The result was the program's 16th all-time in triple digits, including the 11th in Alico Arena history and the eighth of the Division-I era. The Eagles shot 37-for-68 (.544) from the field, which is tied for the seventh-most field goals made in the Division-I era and the 10th-best percentage in Alico Arena history by a team donning the Green and Blue.
"I liked the intensity and the pace we played with," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We're incorporating a lot of new players, and we're a team that likes to be precise in what we do, and this has taken some time. I thought we took a good step forward today. So many people contributed in a positive way, which was good to see. In the first half, it was a close game and we started knocking down a bunch of threes in a row. That put us in the lead, and I thought we played more relaxed and comfortable after that."
Four players reached double figures for FGCU, including redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles (18), redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan (12), junior Nasrin Ulel (11) and freshman Tanner Bryant (11), while six others scored at least five points.
Freshman Samantha Streeter, who was a team manager last year, came off the bench to score her first collegiate points in the final two minutes to give FGCU its 99th and 100th points.
Florida International led 10-6 just over four minutes into the opening quarter, but FGCU closed on a 18-2 run, including 14 points over the final three minutes. After TaMiracle Taylor opened the second frame with a 3-pointer for FIU, the Eagles scored 13 of the next 15 points, capped by a layup from redshirt Lisa Zderadicka to push the lead to 20 with 5:33 left in the half.
The Eagles then poured in five 3-pointers over the final four minutes, and redshirt senior Destiny Washington caromed a layup on the right side of the rim into the hoop for a 58-28 lead at the half.
Jewett-Giles converted a layup with 3:57 in the third to push the margin to 40 for the first time, and the Eagles led by as many as 44 twice late in the fourth, the first of which came on four consecutive 3-pointers from the combination of redshirt freshman Tyra Cox, Bryant and Ryan.
Junior Tytionia Adderly tied Washington for a team-high in rebounds with seven, added three assists and three steals. She is now tied with Adrianne McNally (2006-10) for the third-most rebounds in Alico Arena history with 339, and she eclipsed 100 steals in her career, moving into 11th in the program's Division-I era for a career. Furthermore, she became just the 20th player in the Division-I era to play 70 games in the Green and Blue and needs 15 rebounds to 600 in her career.
Sophomore Alyssa Blair, who earned her first career start against FIU, tallied nine points and a team-high four steals on 3-for-5 shooting in just 13 minutes. Ryan now has three consecutive games with at least 12 points and four 3-point field goals to open the season. She finished 4-for-7 from 3-point range and led the team in assists with four.
Up Next:
FGCU will travel to Honolulu to open the Rainbow Wahine Showdown Nov. 23-25, where they will battle No. 7/7 Stanford, Hawaii and American.
FGCU VB: A-SUN Conference Tournament Day Two Recap
The finals of the A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament are officially set in stone as #1 FGCU (25-6) shutdown #5 Liberty (15-17) 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-18). With the win, the Eagles enter the finals with a 14-match winning streak, which ties the 2007 record.
If FGCU loses, they can still decide whether or not to compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament (NIVC).
"Tonight was all about our serving and blocking," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "We knew we had to take them out of system if we were going to have a chance to control their very talented middles and opposite. The girls were great from the service line and that made a huge difference."
Offensively for the Eagles, it was sophomore A-SUN Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team and All-Academic Team member Cortney VanLiew that took the reins. VanLiew was shy of a double-double as she finished with 16 kills, nine digs, one assist and two aces. With her 16 kills, VanLiew now has 740 in her career.
"It's kind of undescribable," said VanLiew. "I'm so excited to be with my team, which is basically my family and to be able to play with them every night is amazing."
"It's kind of undescribable," said VanLiew. "I'm so excited to be with my team, which is basically my family and to be able to play with them every night is amazing."
Fellow sophomore Snowy Burnam was also shy of a double-double as she finished with seven kills, 11 digs, and an assist. Burnam's seven kills put her at 412 in her career.
Senior Maggie Rick and A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Chelsea Lockey finished with double digit assists. Rick would finish with 16 assists, a kill, and two aces while Lockey finished with 15 assists, an ace, a block and three digs. For Rick, her 16 assists put her at 4,466 in her career.
In addition, Rick's two aces put her at 90 in her career and is three away from passing Courtney Stephens (92, 2014-17) and Roberta Santos (92, 2007-08) for sixth all-time.
Defensively, it was A-SUN All-Freshman Team and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Dana Axner and the Block Party (VanLiew, senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Sharonda Pickering, junior Dani Serrano and A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Tori Morris) that remained strong.
Axner finished with 15 digs, an ace and an assist. With her 15 digs, the A-SUN Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year now has 551 and is eight away from passing Vanessa Benke (558, 2014-15) for second all-time.
Meanwhile, the Block Party hit a combined 22 total blocks (five solo) with junior Dani Serrano leading the squad. Serrano finished 10 blocks (two solo) in her name to go with her six kills.
Serrano made record-breaking moments in the match as her 10 blocks tied the program's Division-I record for the third time in her career. Serrano's two solo blocks put her at 53, passing Ericka Fonseca (51, 2005-06) for second all-time. Serrano is 11 away from passing Olivia Mesner (62, 2011-14) as the all-time leader.
In addition, Serrano is now the first Eagle to reach 300 career block assists as she finished the match with eight and has now 301 career blocks assists. Furthermore, Serrano's 10 total blocks extend to 353 in her career.
Serrano's six kills put her at 599 in her career and needs one to become the 14th player to reach 600 kills and the first player to have 600 kills and 300 blocks in her career.
Serrano's six kills put her at 599 in her career and needs one to become the 14th player to reach 600 kills and the first player to have 600 kills and 300 blocks in her career.
Pickering (four blocks) and Morris (two blocks) finished with two kills each.
Although she did not get any kills or blocks, junior Giogio Borgiotti contributed with four digs in the match.
"For me, it's not going back to the championship because I'm only a freshman," said Axner. "But I'm so excited and the feeling is great and I just want to keep going and see how far we can go with this team."
In addition to the win, long time assistant coach Daniel Mahy earned his 263rd win with FGCU and 292nd overall while first-time FGCU assistant coach Stephanie Zelinski earned her 54th career win as a coach.
For the Lady Flames, none reached to double digit kills. Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Anna Gragg and senior Victoria Baptisita were the closest to reaching that as they finished with eight kills each. Goodwin added five blocks while Baptista added an ace, a block and six digs.
Junior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Casey Goodwin finished behind Gragg with seven kills, four blocks and three digs.
Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Kainah Williams and A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Lilly Kruse finished with five kills each. Williams added two blocks, while Kruse added an ace and 11 digs.
Junior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Hannah Morris finished with 22 assists, two kills and three digs.
Senior Margaret Latchford finished with 13 digs and five assists.
Meanwhile, host #2 Kennesaw State (24-6) battled in a back-and-forth match as they defeated #3 Lipscomb (18-12) 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 26-24, 21-25, 15-13).
"I have nothing but unbelievable things to say about our opponent tonight," said Kennesaw head coach Keith Schunzel. "They played as well as a team could play tonight, and that was one of the highest-level college volleyball matches I have ever been a part of. I thought both teams laid their hearts on the line and in a way I'm sick to my stomach for those guys. They could not have played better and looser, they were so prepared… That was an incredible championship level night."
Sophomore A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Lauren Chastang led the Owls offensively with 21 kills and eight digs.
Fellow sophomore Quin Sutphin followed Chastang with 12 kills and five blocks.
"I think when you get to this level and this time of the season you need your best kids to come up with their best performances," said Schunzel on the team's performance. "I've said it a couple times this year, Lauren Chastang with the ball at the end of the game, I'll take that bet any day of the week. Sydni was really good tonight, hitting over .300 and Liesl made some big blocks and had some big swings, hit over .300 with 10 kills. Quin Sutphin had a really nice night, came up with a couple huge blocks on Nusbaum late when we needed it. I'm blown away by the level of that match. Super proud of our team for pulling that out."
Junior A-SUN Setter of the Year and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Lexi Broadwater finished with 55 assists, six kills, four blocks and six digs.
Seniors A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Liesl Engelbrecht and Sydni Shelton finished with 10 kills and four blocks each.
Defensively, senior Karla Radillo and sophomore Karlee Grover finished in double digit blocks (10, Radillo; 16, Grover). Radillo also added an assist and an ace, while Grover added three assists and two aces.
"The higher level volleyball you go the more it comes down to one play and tonight at the very, very end Sydni Shelton came up with a huge kill, Karla Radillo came up with a huge serve out of the timeout and Liesl Engelbrecht came up with the match winning block, and it was one of those matches," said Schunzel. "Early on it felt like it was going to come down to one play or two plays, and it did, and our group just kept believing and kept fighting. Frankly, Lipscomb could have won just as easily. Incredible match to be a part of and really proud of both teams, but really proud of our team certainly."
Senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Carlyle Nusbaum was the driving force for Lipscomb as she was all over the floor. The Overland Park, Kansas native recorded 22 kills, seven digs and six blocks and etched her name in the record book in the process. With her 18th kill of the night, Nusbaum fittingly became Lipscomb’s all-time kills leader with 1,751. That number also places her second all-time in A-SUN history, surpassing former Bison Alex Kelly – who totaled 1,746.The Bisons (18-12) played one of their best games offensively of the season, hitting at an efficient rate of .366 and finished the match with a season high 75 kills.
Senior Lauren Anderson had a season high 20 digs. She had double-digit digs in each of her final 11 games of the season.
Sophomore Megan Kuper added 17 kills while hitting at an impressive .471 clip while sophomore Samantha Rubal added 16 kills with a .842 clip.
Senior Ca'Layci Coffey produced eight kills and hit .300 in her final match.
Junior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Morgan Elmore had a team high 47 assists while senior Marcella Emmanuelli added 17.
A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Logan Gish finished with nine kills
For the finals, this will be the Eagles' third straight finals appearance and the second straight against Kennesaw, who entering their second straight finals. Last year, the Owls punched their ticket to the national tournament while the Eagles finished runner-up.
11 teams have punched their tickets to the national tournament: #1 Brigham Young (WCC), #2 Stanford (PAC-12), #3 Minnesota (Big Ten), #5 Texas (Big 12), #10 Pittsburgh (ACC), #21 UCF (AAC), Yale (Ivy), #11 Kentucky (SEC), Cal Poly (Big West), Colorado State (MWC) and Iona (MAAC). All 11 teams do not have a conference tournament as it is based on their regular season. I never understood why though.
From all Power 5 School, #4 Illinois, #6 Nebraska, T-#7 Wisconsin and Penn State, and #12 Purdue (Big Ten), #14 Southern California (USC) and #16 Oregon (PAC-12), and #13 Florida (SEC) have an at-large bid in the national tournament.
Up Next:
Up Next:
The A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament finals will take place between FGCU and Kennesaw. The winner will punch their ticket to the 2018 NCAA National Volleyball Tournament.
If FGCU loses, they can still decide whether or not to compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament (NIVC).
FGCU S&D: Georgia Tech Invite Day One Recap
Whether it was in the prelims or in the finals, each member of the FGCU swimming and diving team captured a season-best mark on day one of the Georgia Tech Invite held at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta.
"Fantastic first day!" stated head coach Dave Rollins. "Team energy is incredible, we are the smallest team here but we are definitely not the quietest. Everyone swam a season-best time today which is what we are looking for. We use this meet to gauge where we are in our training and what adjustments we need to make. For some of the ladies to swim lifetime best times is incredible! Our relays are faster than they were a year ago and that's a great sign heading into the next semester. Tomorrow is a great day for us, looking forward to getting back at it!"
The Eagles currently sit in 9th place out of 10 squads as they are 31 points ahead of ECU (62) and only trail Georgia Tech by 32 points for 8th.
FGCU kicked off the meet in the 200 free relay setting a season-best time of 1:31.12 to finish 6th. The team of senior Gracie Redding, sophomore Rebecca Moynihan, freshman Wiktoria Czarnecka and senior Hannah Burdge shaved off more than three seconds for the new personal mark as Redding led off with an NCAA 'B" time of 22.69.
In the 200 IM, senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen placed third (2:02.44) in the C Final to lead into the 50 free where Redding swam to an NCAA 'B' time (22.53) in the B final to give FGCU 12 points. Meanwhile, Moynihan's time of 23.17 (22.99 in the prelims) gave FGCU an extra four points.
On the 3M board, sophomore Melissa Novak continued to bump the Eagles point total as she placed 17th (258.60).
The Eagles ended day one on a strong note as the quartet of senior Doris Eichhorn, sophomre Petra Halmai, junior Cassidy Fry and Redding etched a time of 3:40.70 in the 400 medley relay – a new season-best by 10 seconds.
On a notable note, freshman Kellie Fischer recorded a lifetime best on the B relay team as she led off in the 100 back (55.76) as she joined Redding (50 free), Czarnecka (50 free) and junior Karin Schienvar (200 IM, 2:08.06) as those who produced lifetime best times Thursday.
Team Standings
1. #10 Florida- 360
2. #12 Auburn- 281.5
3. South Carolina- 181.5
4. Alabama- 181
4. #22 FSU- 181
6. Virginia Tech- 161
7. #19 UNC- 160
8. Georgia Tech- 125
9. FGCU- 93
10. ECU- 62
Quotes from other coaches:
Auburn: "It was a good, solid day for us," Auburn head coach Gary Taylor said. "The (women's 200 free) relay team getting a big win to start the night off was awesome. Claire (Fisch) leads off with one of the fastest performances in Auburn history and then later on wins the 50 free in almost the same time. She had an awesome day."
"Alison (Maillard) did a decent first list," diving coach Jeff Shaffer said, "but then she was 30-points under (her first list) in finals. We try to dive consistent in prelims, get ourselves in position in finals to step up and we didn't do that today."
"Overall it was a little disappointing day for us," Shaffer said. "I thought coming in that we were starting to make some progress and improving upon our scoring potential. Whether it was a lack of focus or just a lack of competitiveness I thought we were a little off our game."
South Carolina: "It was a very solid first day for our men and women," said South Carolina head coach Mcgee Moody. "We had some breakout swims this afternoon and we believe that our team will get stronger as the meet goes on. Fyyn Minuth, Anton Down-Jenkins, Emma Barksdale and Christina Lappin led the way for our team today and I look forward to who will be next to step up as the weekend unfolds."
FSU: “I thought we swam great today,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said, “We had a lot of fun and produced some fantastic swims. Obviously, we’re excited for our automatic cut in the men’s free relay, but we have a lot to be happy about across the team both in the pool and on the boards.”
“I thought we had a decent day today,” FSU head diving coach John Proctor said. “We did some great things and I really like where we are in the season. The kids are fighting and working hard to get better and I like where we are after today.”
Georgia Tech: “I’m extremely proud of the way our team came out today and competed,” Georgia Tech head coach Courtney Shealy Hart said. “We brought a ton of energy all day long, supporting each other through every event, and it showed in our final relay when Rod, Caio, Christian and Darren broke the school record and won the 400 medley and with Rod breaking the 100 back record to start the relay. I’m also really proud of Cami for winning the 3-meter. She’s worked so hard to come back from her injury and I’m so happy to see her back in first.”
Friday, Nov. 16 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
(In order of event, prelims start each day at 10 a.m. ET, finals begin at 5:30 p.m. ET)
200 medley relay
400 IM
100 fly
200 free
100 breast
100 back
Women's diving
800 free relay
"Fantastic first day!" stated head coach Dave Rollins. "Team energy is incredible, we are the smallest team here but we are definitely not the quietest. Everyone swam a season-best time today which is what we are looking for. We use this meet to gauge where we are in our training and what adjustments we need to make. For some of the ladies to swim lifetime best times is incredible! Our relays are faster than they were a year ago and that's a great sign heading into the next semester. Tomorrow is a great day for us, looking forward to getting back at it!"
The Eagles currently sit in 9th place out of 10 squads as they are 31 points ahead of ECU (62) and only trail Georgia Tech by 32 points for 8th.
FGCU kicked off the meet in the 200 free relay setting a season-best time of 1:31.12 to finish 6th. The team of senior Gracie Redding, sophomore Rebecca Moynihan, freshman Wiktoria Czarnecka and senior Hannah Burdge shaved off more than three seconds for the new personal mark as Redding led off with an NCAA 'B" time of 22.69.
In the 200 IM, senior Christina Kaas Elmgreen placed third (2:02.44) in the C Final to lead into the 50 free where Redding swam to an NCAA 'B' time (22.53) in the B final to give FGCU 12 points. Meanwhile, Moynihan's time of 23.17 (22.99 in the prelims) gave FGCU an extra four points.
On the 3M board, sophomore Melissa Novak continued to bump the Eagles point total as she placed 17th (258.60).
The Eagles ended day one on a strong note as the quartet of senior Doris Eichhorn, sophomre Petra Halmai, junior Cassidy Fry and Redding etched a time of 3:40.70 in the 400 medley relay – a new season-best by 10 seconds.
On a notable note, freshman Kellie Fischer recorded a lifetime best on the B relay team as she led off in the 100 back (55.76) as she joined Redding (50 free), Czarnecka (50 free) and junior Karin Schienvar (200 IM, 2:08.06) as those who produced lifetime best times Thursday.
Team Standings
1. #10 Florida- 360
2. #12 Auburn- 281.5
3. South Carolina- 181.5
4. Alabama- 181
4. #22 FSU- 181
6. Virginia Tech- 161
7. #19 UNC- 160
8. Georgia Tech- 125
9. FGCU- 93
10. ECU- 62
Quotes from other coaches:
Auburn: "It was a good, solid day for us," Auburn head coach Gary Taylor said. "The (women's 200 free) relay team getting a big win to start the night off was awesome. Claire (Fisch) leads off with one of the fastest performances in Auburn history and then later on wins the 50 free in almost the same time. She had an awesome day."
"Alison (Maillard) did a decent first list," diving coach Jeff Shaffer said, "but then she was 30-points under (her first list) in finals. We try to dive consistent in prelims, get ourselves in position in finals to step up and we didn't do that today."
"Overall it was a little disappointing day for us," Shaffer said. "I thought coming in that we were starting to make some progress and improving upon our scoring potential. Whether it was a lack of focus or just a lack of competitiveness I thought we were a little off our game."
South Carolina: "It was a very solid first day for our men and women," said South Carolina head coach Mcgee Moody. "We had some breakout swims this afternoon and we believe that our team will get stronger as the meet goes on. Fyyn Minuth, Anton Down-Jenkins, Emma Barksdale and Christina Lappin led the way for our team today and I look forward to who will be next to step up as the weekend unfolds."
FSU: “I thought we swam great today,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said, “We had a lot of fun and produced some fantastic swims. Obviously, we’re excited for our automatic cut in the men’s free relay, but we have a lot to be happy about across the team both in the pool and on the boards.”
“I thought we had a decent day today,” FSU head diving coach John Proctor said. “We did some great things and I really like where we are in the season. The kids are fighting and working hard to get better and I like where we are after today.”
Georgia Tech: “I’m extremely proud of the way our team came out today and competed,” Georgia Tech head coach Courtney Shealy Hart said. “We brought a ton of energy all day long, supporting each other through every event, and it showed in our final relay when Rod, Caio, Christian and Darren broke the school record and won the 400 medley and with Rod breaking the 100 back record to start the relay. I’m also really proud of Cami for winning the 3-meter. She’s worked so hard to come back from her injury and I’m so happy to see her back in first.”
Friday, Nov. 16 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
(In order of event, prelims start each day at 10 a.m. ET, finals begin at 5:30 p.m. ET)
200 medley relay
400 IM
100 fly
200 free
100 breast
100 back
Women's diving
800 free relay
FGCU VB: A-SUN Conference Tournament Day One Recap
While #1 FGCU (24-6) and #2 Kennesaw (23-6) await for Friday, November 16 at the KSU Convocation Center for the A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament, four teams battled to face them as #4 Liberty faced #5 Stetson while #3 Lipscomb faced #6 UNF.
Both FGCU and Kennesaw have a first-round bye since they are the top two seeds in the tournament.
In the opening match of the quarterfinals, Liberty (15-16) shutout Stetson 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-20). With the win, the Lady Flames will face FGCU in the semifinals and the Lady Hatters end their season 16-13 overall.
Offensively for the Lady Flames, junior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Casey Goodwin led the way with 15 kills, five blocks and five digs.
Senior Victoria Baptista finished behind Goodwin with a double-double of 11 kills and 14 digs. The Brazilian also added an assist and a block.
Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Kainah Williams finished with nine kills and seven blocks.
Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Anna Gragg and A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Lilly Kruse finished with six kills each. Gragg added three aces and a dig while Kruse added three digs, a block and an assist.
Junior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Hannah Morris finished with 41 assists, an ace and four digs.
Defensively, along with Goodwin and Williams' combined 12 blocks, senior Margaret Latchford finished with 23 digs and three assists.
For the Lady Hatters, no one reached double digits in kills. Junior Evi Deisa was the closest as she finished with nine kills, two assists and five digs.
Junior Emily DeStaffino had 22 assists, two kills and four digs.
Senior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Hao Jin was held to three kills, but had two aces, two blocks and two digs.
Defensively, senior Julie Varga and sophomore Chelcie Spence finished with double-digit digs (10: Varga; 12, Spence).
DeStaffino's assists and Varga and Spence's digs were the only stats that were in double digits for the Lady Hatters.
Meanwhile #3 Lipscomb (18-11) would follow as they beat #6 UNF 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-18) end the Ospreys season at 11-22.
Offensively for the Lady Bison, it was senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Carlyle Nusbaum and sophomore Megan Kuper that led the way. Nusbaum had a double-double of 16 kills and 14 digs, an assist, an ace and three blocks while Kuper had 14 kills, six digs, an assist and a block.
Junior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Morgan Elmore also finished with a double-double of 30 assists and 10 digs and an ace.
Senior Marcella Emmanuelli finished behind Elmore with 21 assists, an ace and three digs.
Defensively, Senior Lauren Anderson finished with 21 digs while fellow senior Ca'Layci Coffey finished with two blocks to go with her nine kills.
A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Logan Gish would finish with eight kills and a block.
For the Ospreys, they were without junior Taryn Griffey and senior Alana Shoff, who were out due to injuries, so leading the way offensively was sophomore Devyn Wheeler and redshirt sophomore Gabby O'Connell. Wheeler would finish with 17 kills and two blocks while O'Connell finished with a double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs, three aces, two assists and two blocks.
A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Solimar Cestero would finish with eight kills, a block and a dig.
Senior Madilyn McCarty would finish with 36 assists, two kills, three blocks and five digs.
Defensively, along with blocks from Wheeler, O'Connell, Cestero and McCarthy, sophomores Callie Workman and Emma Dixon and freshman Kirby Smith also added blocks of their own.
Senior Asante Lopez finished with 21 digs.
"I'm proud of our girls. It's mind boggling how much we've grown from day one. We were playing our best volleyball of the year and doing so without our top point scorer [Taryn Griffey] and senior Alana Shoff. We are very young and have laid a solid foundation to build upon. I want to thank our seniors for their drive, support and commitment. We will miss them."
Up Next:
With the semifinals set in stone, #1 FGCU will take on #4 Liberty at 5 P.M. followed by #2 Kennesaw taking on #3 Lipscomb at 7:30 P.M. on Friday, November 16.
Both FGCU and Kennesaw have a first-round bye since they are the top two seeds in the tournament.
In the opening match of the quarterfinals, Liberty (15-16) shutout Stetson 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-20). With the win, the Lady Flames will face FGCU in the semifinals and the Lady Hatters end their season 16-13 overall.
Offensively for the Lady Flames, junior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Casey Goodwin led the way with 15 kills, five blocks and five digs.
Senior Victoria Baptista finished behind Goodwin with a double-double of 11 kills and 14 digs. The Brazilian also added an assist and a block.
Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Kainah Williams finished with nine kills and seven blocks.
Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Anna Gragg and A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Lilly Kruse finished with six kills each. Gragg added three aces and a dig while Kruse added three digs, a block and an assist.
Junior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Hannah Morris finished with 41 assists, an ace and four digs.
Defensively, along with Goodwin and Williams' combined 12 blocks, senior Margaret Latchford finished with 23 digs and three assists.
For the Lady Hatters, no one reached double digits in kills. Junior Evi Deisa was the closest as she finished with nine kills, two assists and five digs.
Junior Emily DeStaffino had 22 assists, two kills and four digs.
Senior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Hao Jin was held to three kills, but had two aces, two blocks and two digs.
Defensively, senior Julie Varga and sophomore Chelcie Spence finished with double-digit digs (10: Varga; 12, Spence).
DeStaffino's assists and Varga and Spence's digs were the only stats that were in double digits for the Lady Hatters.
Meanwhile #3 Lipscomb (18-11) would follow as they beat #6 UNF 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-18) end the Ospreys season at 11-22.
Offensively for the Lady Bison, it was senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Carlyle Nusbaum and sophomore Megan Kuper that led the way. Nusbaum had a double-double of 16 kills and 14 digs, an assist, an ace and three blocks while Kuper had 14 kills, six digs, an assist and a block.
Junior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Morgan Elmore also finished with a double-double of 30 assists and 10 digs and an ace.
Senior Marcella Emmanuelli finished behind Elmore with 21 assists, an ace and three digs.
Defensively, Senior Lauren Anderson finished with 21 digs while fellow senior Ca'Layci Coffey finished with two blocks to go with her nine kills.
A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Logan Gish would finish with eight kills and a block.
For the Ospreys, they were without junior Taryn Griffey and senior Alana Shoff, who were out due to injuries, so leading the way offensively was sophomore Devyn Wheeler and redshirt sophomore Gabby O'Connell. Wheeler would finish with 17 kills and two blocks while O'Connell finished with a double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs, three aces, two assists and two blocks.
A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Solimar Cestero would finish with eight kills, a block and a dig.
Senior Madilyn McCarty would finish with 36 assists, two kills, three blocks and five digs.
Defensively, along with blocks from Wheeler, O'Connell, Cestero and McCarthy, sophomores Callie Workman and Emma Dixon and freshman Kirby Smith also added blocks of their own.
Senior Asante Lopez finished with 21 digs.
"I'm proud of our girls. It's mind boggling how much we've grown from day one. We were playing our best volleyball of the year and doing so without our top point scorer [Taryn Griffey] and senior Alana Shoff. We are very young and have laid a solid foundation to build upon. I want to thank our seniors for their drive, support and commitment. We will miss them."
Up Next:
With the semifinals set in stone, #1 FGCU will take on #4 Liberty at 5 P.M. followed by #2 Kennesaw taking on #3 Lipscomb at 7:30 P.M. on Friday, November 16.
FGCU WBB vs FIU Preview
Opening their second game at home, the FGCU women's basketball team (1-1) prepare to face FIU (0-3) on Friday, November 16 at 5 P.M. at the Alico Arena as part of a a doubleheader with the men hosting South Dakota State at 8 p.m.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles played their home opener in victorious fashion as they defeated NAIA Florida Memorial 99-68.
Redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan and sophomore Alyssa Blair each scored a career-high 13 points.
Redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles, playing in her front of her hometown crowd for the first time since transferring from Southern Miss, netted a season-high 15 points.
Scouting FIU:
Redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan and sophomore Alyssa Blair each scored a career-high 13 points.
Redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles, playing in her front of her hometown crowd for the first time since transferring from Southern Miss, netted a season-high 15 points.
Scouting FIU:
The Panthers' Ce'Nara Skanes posted the team's first double-double on Monday against Georgia State with 10 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
The team returns three players who logged minutes last year, including TaMiracle Taylor, Cabria Lee and Shante Walker, and features four international players on this year's roster, including three from Europe and one from Canada
The team returns three players who logged minutes last year, including TaMiracle Taylor, Cabria Lee and Shante Walker, and features four international players on this year's roster, including three from Europe and one from Canada
Series History:
FGCU is 9-0 all-time against Florida International, including 4-0 at home, as the two teams have met once in each of the past nine seasons. In those matchups, the Green and Blue are averaging 82.3 points per contest. The highest scoring output came in a 97-49 win in Alico Arena on Nov. 18 when Stephanie Haas led five players in double figures with 15. Current assistant coach Jenna Cobb had 12 points and four assists in 23 minutes. Last year's meeting in Miami featured 52 combined points from Nasrin Ulel (28) and Rosemarie Julien (24). Tytionia Adderly had a game-high 16 rebounds, which was more than half the total (31) that Florida International had as a team.
Approaching History:
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko entered this season with a 496-114 (.813) career head coaching record, which ranked him as the third winningest active Division-I head coach behind UConn's Geno Auriemma (1,027-136, .883) and Baylor's Kim Mulkey (539-98, .846). He enters Friday with 497 wins, which puts him just three wins shy of a major coaching milestone, his 500th win. He earned his 400th victory in just 493 games, which was two faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. The commentary at FGCU will be led by play-by-play commentator Tom James and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Promotions:
The following promotions are as listed:
1. GREENOUT- Fans are encouraged to wear green to show their FGCU spirit.
2. FANSGIVING- Fans bringing at least five canned goods or a new, unwrapped toy, will be entered in a drawing to win FGCU prizes throughout the game.
Livestats link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241430
ESPN+ link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/87bf6fb7-e913-4162-a971-82c55cda38e4/florida-international-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. The commentary at FGCU will be led by play-by-play commentator Tom James and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Promotions:
The following promotions are as listed:
1. GREENOUT- Fans are encouraged to wear green to show their FGCU spirit.
2. FANSGIVING- Fans bringing at least five canned goods or a new, unwrapped toy, will be entered in a drawing to win FGCU prizes throughout the game.
Livestats link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241430
ESPN+ link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/87bf6fb7-e913-4162-a971-82c55cda38e4/florida-international-vs-florida-gulf-coast
FGCU MBB vs South Dakota State Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team (1-2) return home Friday for an 8 PM tip to take on South Dakota State (3-0) in one of the premier mid-major matchups of the 2018-19 season.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped up a three game in six day stretch on Sunday as they took on #10 Michigan State on the road in East Lansing.
FGCU got off to a hot start against the Spartans, jumping out to a 10-6 lead, but Michigan State roared back with a 16-0 run and the Eagles never recovered. MSU led it 59-35 at the half before the Green and Blue played them even in the second half for the game to finish 106-82 in favor of Sparty.
In the loss redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. and junior Christian Carlyle both had career nights for the Eagles. Baxter got off to a hot start with seven points in the first 2:15 in route to a career best 20 points while Carlyle did his damage in the second half, scoring 20 of his own, 18 coming in the final period, to set a new career high for himself.
The Eagles 82 points scored against the Spartans marked their highest point total against a ranked opponent in program history. It topped their 80 point effort in the NCAA Tournament against Florida State in 2017.
Success at Home:
FGCU is 90-20 at home in Alico Arena in their past 110 games. After a win eight days ago in the home opener against Southeastern, the Eagles have won nine straight home openers in the friendly confines.
Tough Road:
FGCU will play one of the tougher mid-major non-conference schedules in the country in 2018-19. Each of their first five opponents of the year (Illinois St., Southeastern, Michigan State, South Dakota St., and Toledo) either won their regular season conference championship or played in their conference championship game last season. Both of their opponents this week, Michigan State and South Dakota State, played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
Journey to 1,000:
One current Eagle has already reached the 1,000 point mark as senior transfer Schadarac Casimir has 1,153 career points, most of those coming at Iona where he transferred from.
Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius is the next closest, as he is just over 100 points away from reaching the mark. His 895 career points have come between stops at USF, Daytona State, and now at FGCU.
Despite playing just five games during his junior season at Marquette, Haanif Cheatham (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Marquette/Pembroke Pines HS) also has the century mark in his crosshairs. Cheatham sits at 738 for his career and would need to average approximately eight points per game the rest of the season to reach 1,000.
Milestones:
As a program, the Eagles are currently 195-170 as a Division I member. With five more victories, they will join the 200 win club.
Scouting the Jackrabbits:
South Dakota State comes to Fort Myers as one of the most formidable mid-major programs in the country, checking into this week's CollegeInsider.com poll at #3, behind only Gonzaga and Buffalo.
The Jackrabbits are coming off of yet another NCAA Tournament appearance after going 28-7 a season ago, winning both the Summit League Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
SDSU is led by star senior Mike Daum who has been named to the Wooden Watch List, the NABC Player of the Year Watch List, the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List, and the Lute Olson Player of the Year Watch List. The two-time reigning Summit League Player of the Year and AP All-American is averaging 23.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game going into Friday night's contest.
The Jackrabbits are 3-0 after wins over Grand Canyon, Alabama State, and Bemidji State to open the year last week. The trip to Alico Arena will mark SDSU's first road trip of the 2018-19 campaign.
Series History:
The Eagles and the Jacks have met just twice all-time with the road team winning each of the first two matchups. Their first meeting came in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2014 where the Eagles came away with a 71-58 victory fresh off of their Sweet Sixteen run a year prior. Last time the two hooked up, it was the Jacks coming away with a 56-52 victory here in Fort Myers in a defensive struggle in 2015.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. The commentary at FGCU will be led by play-by-play commentator Tom James and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Promotions:
The following promotions are as listed:
- GREENOUT- Fans are encouraged to wear green to show their FGCU spirit.
- FANSGIVING- Fans bringing at least five canned goods or a new, unwrapped toy, will be entered in a drawing to win FGCU prizes throughout the game.
- WBB RING CEREMONY- The 2017-18 Women's Basketball team will receive their NCAA Tournament rings at halftime.
Livestats Link:
http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238812
Livestream Link:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/cb61b113-a22f-4829-af14-f4f33b3dd5c1/south-dakota-state-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped up a three game in six day stretch on Sunday as they took on #10 Michigan State on the road in East Lansing.
FGCU got off to a hot start against the Spartans, jumping out to a 10-6 lead, but Michigan State roared back with a 16-0 run and the Eagles never recovered. MSU led it 59-35 at the half before the Green and Blue played them even in the second half for the game to finish 106-82 in favor of Sparty.
In the loss redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. and junior Christian Carlyle both had career nights for the Eagles. Baxter got off to a hot start with seven points in the first 2:15 in route to a career best 20 points while Carlyle did his damage in the second half, scoring 20 of his own, 18 coming in the final period, to set a new career high for himself.
The Eagles 82 points scored against the Spartans marked their highest point total against a ranked opponent in program history. It topped their 80 point effort in the NCAA Tournament against Florida State in 2017.
Success at Home:
FGCU is 90-20 at home in Alico Arena in their past 110 games. After a win eight days ago in the home opener against Southeastern, the Eagles have won nine straight home openers in the friendly confines.
Tough Road:
FGCU will play one of the tougher mid-major non-conference schedules in the country in 2018-19. Each of their first five opponents of the year (Illinois St., Southeastern, Michigan State, South Dakota St., and Toledo) either won their regular season conference championship or played in their conference championship game last season. Both of their opponents this week, Michigan State and South Dakota State, played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
Journey to 1,000:
One current Eagle has already reached the 1,000 point mark as senior transfer Schadarac Casimir has 1,153 career points, most of those coming at Iona where he transferred from.
Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius is the next closest, as he is just over 100 points away from reaching the mark. His 895 career points have come between stops at USF, Daytona State, and now at FGCU.
Despite playing just five games during his junior season at Marquette, Haanif Cheatham (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Marquette/Pembroke Pines HS) also has the century mark in his crosshairs. Cheatham sits at 738 for his career and would need to average approximately eight points per game the rest of the season to reach 1,000.
Milestones:
As a program, the Eagles are currently 195-170 as a Division I member. With five more victories, they will join the 200 win club.
Scouting the Jackrabbits:
South Dakota State comes to Fort Myers as one of the most formidable mid-major programs in the country, checking into this week's CollegeInsider.com poll at #3, behind only Gonzaga and Buffalo.
The Jackrabbits are coming off of yet another NCAA Tournament appearance after going 28-7 a season ago, winning both the Summit League Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
SDSU is led by star senior Mike Daum who has been named to the Wooden Watch List, the NABC Player of the Year Watch List, the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List, and the Lute Olson Player of the Year Watch List. The two-time reigning Summit League Player of the Year and AP All-American is averaging 23.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game going into Friday night's contest.
The Jackrabbits are 3-0 after wins over Grand Canyon, Alabama State, and Bemidji State to open the year last week. The trip to Alico Arena will mark SDSU's first road trip of the 2018-19 campaign.
Series History:
The Eagles and the Jacks have met just twice all-time with the road team winning each of the first two matchups. Their first meeting came in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2014 where the Eagles came away with a 71-58 victory fresh off of their Sweet Sixteen run a year prior. Last time the two hooked up, it was the Jacks coming away with a 56-52 victory here in Fort Myers in a defensive struggle in 2015.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. The commentary at FGCU will be led by play-by-play commentator Tom James and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Promotions:
The following promotions are as listed:
- GREENOUT- Fans are encouraged to wear green to show their FGCU spirit.
- FANSGIVING- Fans bringing at least five canned goods or a new, unwrapped toy, will be entered in a drawing to win FGCU prizes throughout the game.
- WBB RING CEREMONY- The 2017-18 Women's Basketball team will receive their NCAA Tournament rings at halftime.
Livestats Link:
http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238812
Livestream Link:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/cb61b113-a22f-4829-af14-f4f33b3dd5c1/south-dakota-state-vs-florida-gulf-coast
FGCU S&D: Georgia Tech Invite Preview
The FGCU swimming and diving team (3-5) heads to the Peach State this weekend to take part in the competitive Georgia Tech Invite held Thursday through Saturday at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
"This invitational is our first opportunity to give the team some much-needed rest and see how all the work we've been doing will pay off," said head coach Dave Rollins. "We look great in the water and on the boards and we have no doubt there will be some incredible performances. Coming into this weekend we can see just how well we've been doing with early season results from Petra (Halmai) and Rebecca (Moynihan) at their respective National Championships. Now it's time for the whole team to experience it. It's going to be a fun, fast and exciting weekend."
FGCU at the Georgia Tech Invite:
This will be the first appearance at the Georgia Tech Invite for the Eagles since the 2016 season in which the squad was ranked #31 as they placed 6th out of 11 teams with 514 points. In 2015, former FGCU standout Lani Cabrera registered three program records as FGCU finished third among 18 teams – the third-best finish in program history. The Green and Blue placed 2nd in consecutive trips in 2011 and 2012.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off of a split in a tri-meet against FAU and Princeton in Boca Raton, Florida. FGCU defeated the hosts 185-115 but would fall to Princeton 170-129, as the Eagles racked up a total of six first-place finishes.
Seniors Christina Kaas Elmgreen (200 free, 2:02.27) and Gracie Redding (50 free, 23.59), sophomores Rebecca Moynihan (100 free, 51.75), Petra Halmai (200 breast, 2:20.32) and Megan Wakefield (3M, 293.65) garnered the individual titles.
Meanwhile, the 200 free relay team of Moynihan, freshman Wiktoria Czarnecka, Redding and senior Hannah Burdge rounded out the list.
TEAMS IN ATTENDANCE
(Rankings according to the CSCAA TYR Top 25 Poll)
Alabama (1-3)
#12 Auburn (2-1)
#22 Florida State (7-1)
Georgia Tech (host: 4-1)
#19 North Carolina (2-0)
South Carolina (1-3)
#10 Florida (7-1)
Virginia Tech (2-3)
East Carolina (3-2)
ORDER OF EVENTS
(In order of event, prelims start each day at 10 a.m. ET, finals begin at 5:30 p.m. ET)
Thursday, Nov. 15 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
200 free relay
500 free
200 IM
50 free
Women's diving
400 medley relay
Friday, Nov. 16 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
200 medley relay
400 IM
100 fly
200 free
100 breast
100 back
Women's diving
800 free relay
Saturday, Nov. 17 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
1650 free
200 back
100 free
200 breast
200 fly
Platform diving
400 free relay
CCSA WEEKLY HONORS
Melissa Novak – Diver of the Week (Oct. 2)
Gracie Redding – Swimmer of the Week (Oct. 9)
Megan Wakefield – Diver of the Week (Oct. 9)
"This invitational is our first opportunity to give the team some much-needed rest and see how all the work we've been doing will pay off," said head coach Dave Rollins. "We look great in the water and on the boards and we have no doubt there will be some incredible performances. Coming into this weekend we can see just how well we've been doing with early season results from Petra (Halmai) and Rebecca (Moynihan) at their respective National Championships. Now it's time for the whole team to experience it. It's going to be a fun, fast and exciting weekend."
FGCU at the Georgia Tech Invite:
This will be the first appearance at the Georgia Tech Invite for the Eagles since the 2016 season in which the squad was ranked #31 as they placed 6th out of 11 teams with 514 points. In 2015, former FGCU standout Lani Cabrera registered three program records as FGCU finished third among 18 teams – the third-best finish in program history. The Green and Blue placed 2nd in consecutive trips in 2011 and 2012.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off of a split in a tri-meet against FAU and Princeton in Boca Raton, Florida. FGCU defeated the hosts 185-115 but would fall to Princeton 170-129, as the Eagles racked up a total of six first-place finishes.
Seniors Christina Kaas Elmgreen (200 free, 2:02.27) and Gracie Redding (50 free, 23.59), sophomores Rebecca Moynihan (100 free, 51.75), Petra Halmai (200 breast, 2:20.32) and Megan Wakefield (3M, 293.65) garnered the individual titles.
Meanwhile, the 200 free relay team of Moynihan, freshman Wiktoria Czarnecka, Redding and senior Hannah Burdge rounded out the list.
TEAMS IN ATTENDANCE
(Rankings according to the CSCAA TYR Top 25 Poll)
Alabama (1-3)
#12 Auburn (2-1)
#22 Florida State (7-1)
Georgia Tech (host: 4-1)
#19 North Carolina (2-0)
South Carolina (1-3)
#10 Florida (7-1)
Virginia Tech (2-3)
East Carolina (3-2)
ORDER OF EVENTS
(In order of event, prelims start each day at 10 a.m. ET, finals begin at 5:30 p.m. ET)
Thursday, Nov. 15 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
200 free relay
500 free
200 IM
50 free
Women's diving
400 medley relay
Friday, Nov. 16 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
200 medley relay
400 IM
100 fly
200 free
100 breast
100 back
Women's diving
800 free relay
Saturday, Nov. 17 – Prelims ESPN | Finals ESPN | Live Results
1650 free
200 back
100 free
200 breast
200 fly
Platform diving
400 free relay
CCSA WEEKLY HONORS
Melissa Novak – Diver of the Week (Oct. 2)
Gracie Redding – Swimmer of the Week (Oct. 9)
Megan Wakefield – Diver of the Week (Oct. 9)
FGCU VB: A-SUN Conference Tournament Preview
After another successful season, the FGCU volleyball team (24-6) are now focusing on their next task at hand: The A-SUN Conference Tournament. The Eagles are looking to winning their first conference tournament in program history.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped their part of the regular season as they defeated ASUN newcomer Liberty 3-1 at home at the Alico Arena. On that day, it was senior day for the five seniors: Karissa Rhoades, Maggie Rick, Kaiti Krivdo, Amanda Carroll and Sharonda Pickering. Four of the five seniors played in their final regular season match with Carroll redshirting for the 2019 season.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped their part of the regular season as they defeated ASUN newcomer Liberty 3-1 at home at the Alico Arena. On that day, it was senior day for the five seniors: Karissa Rhoades, Maggie Rick, Kaiti Krivdo, Amanda Carroll and Sharonda Pickering. Four of the five seniors played in their final regular season match with Carroll redshirting for the 2019 season.
As a result from the win against Liberty, the Eagles became the #1 seed in the tournament, won the ASUN Regular Season Championship for the first time since 2012 (fourth overall) and have a first round bye in the tournament. In addition to winning the regular season championship, the Eagles will host the 2019 ASUN Conference Tournament at the Alico Arena.
Tournament Seedings:
The seeds are listed as followed with the teams' overall records:
#1 FGCU (24-6)
#2 Kennesaw State (23-6)
#3 Lipscomb (17-11)
#4 Liberty (14-16)
#5 Stetson (16-12)
#6 UNF (11-21)
Jacksonville (5-24), North Alabama (4-21) and NJIT (4-28) did not qualify for the tournament due to their overall and conference records.
For Jacksonville, it was the first time since 2012 that they have not reached the postseason.
For NJIT, this is their fourth straight year of not qualifying for the tournament. Actually for NJIT, I'm not surprised since they've never been to the ASUN Volleyball Tournament since joining the ASUN fall 2015.
For North Alabama, it would not make much difference for them. If they would have won the conference, let alone qualify for the tournament and won, then they would not go to the national tournament due to the four-year transitional period and the regular season champions (FGCU) would go to the national tournament.
ASUN Awards, Accolades and New Commits:
Before the matchups, Wednesday marked National Signing Day along with the ASUN Conference announcing the winners of awards and members of honorable mentions. So far, the Eagles have inked five freshman so far: Kortney Reynolds, Aja Jones, Shelby Beisner, Erin Shoemaker and Emma Szypszak.
Kortney Reynolds:
Reynolds, a 6-3 middle blocker out of Plain City, Ohio, will join after graduating from Jonathan Alder High School.
Playing all four years on the varsity level, Reynolds put together a career total 442 kills and 318 total blocks while leading the Pioneers to the OHSAA Regional semifinals for her senior year. Reynolds was named Second Team All-Central Buckeye Conference (CBC) and Honorable Mention Division II All-Ohio by the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association as a senior. As a junior, she earned First Team All-CBC and First Team All-District honors while being voted the CBC Player of the Year. As a sophomore, she was Honorable Mention All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.
"Kortney will provide immediate depth to the middle position with the loss of two key players to graduation," Botsford said. "She has a fast arm and the potential to be an outstanding blocker at the next level. Having worked with her in a camp environment previously, she is a quick learner and has good instincts along the net. Kortney's height and athleticism are a perfect match for what we need in the interior."
"After visiting Fort Myers on family vacations, I fell in love with the beauty of the area," Reynolds said of her decision. "Once I was on the campus, it was such a welcoming feeling, and I could see myself going to school there."
"Aja was a late addition for us, and we are very lucky to have kept her close to home," Botsford said. "Her development over the last year and a half has been astounding, and she is just scratching the surface of what she can do. We expect Aja to play in the middle for us early in her career, but I think she has the potential to also attack at the pins as she progresses. She is an aggressive attacker and is good off one foot, which will add an important element to our offensive options."
"From the moment I stepped on the campus I was floored by how beautiful it was," Jones said of her decision. "My final check was when I met the team. They were all so nice and fun. I didn't want to go home. I wanted to start college right then."
Shelby Beisner:
Beisner, a 5-9 outside hitter, will be a third generation volleyball player from Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, Florida. Beisner has produced 900 kills, 1,100 digs, 100 aces and 100 blocks in her career. After tallying 20 kills in the Class 7A-District 10 title match as a senior, she had 15 kills, 18 digs and five aces in a Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinal win over Largo. She followed that up with 12 more kills in the semifinals.
As a senior, Beisner was elected Sun Prep Athlete of the Week and won the Gene Gorman MVP Award. She tallied 353 digs, 276 kills, 42 aces and 40 blocks as a junior. As a sophomore, Beisner was named the Sun Coast Sports Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Area.
"Shelby is going to fill a very important role for us with the loss of Karissa Rhoades," Botsford said. "She is such a well-rounded player, from serve-receive and defense to attacking, that our gym environment will immediately improve because of her presence. She is a dynamic athlete with a high volleyball IQ who can play multiple positions. Shelby will also be a big contributor to our beach program with the unique skill set she possesses.
*side note: Marisa recently won the NCAA DII National Championship after defeating Western Washington in a 3-2 thriller.
Erin Shomaker:
Shoemaker, a 6-2 outside hitter from Granville, Ohio will join FGCU from Granville High School. Shomaker had one of the most decorated prep careers in the history of Ohio while at Granville, finishing with 1,686 kills, a .502 hitting percentage, 596 digs, 309 blocks and 165 aces. She broke the Licking County all-time record for career kills, surpassing Newark's Anni Thomasson in her final match. The total also puts her in the top five in Ohio High School Athletic Association history. She broke Granville's single match, season and career records for kills and hitting percentage, and she now holds the single season and career solo block records.
As a senior, Shomaker captured First Team All-Ohio recognition after recording 616 kills, hitting .651 and adding 242 digs, 77 aces and 61 blocks. She had seven matches with at least 30 kills while totaling just 57 errors over 859 attempts. She led the nation in hitting percentage, according to MaxPreps, and finished second in the state in kills. She had 31 kills in the Division-II district tournament to close her career, and she had seven matches with at least 30 kills, including a career-high 36 in a Sept. 25 matchup against Utica.
"I wanted to go south," Shomaker said of her decision. "I love the campus plus they have a great volleyball program and academic opportunities.
As a junior, Shomaker had 493 kills and hit .423 with 195 digs, 78 blocks and 15 aces en route to Second Team All-Ohio recognition. She is a three-time First Team All-Licking County League (LCL) as well as a two-time recipient of the LCL and Division-II Central District Player of the Year awards.
Emma Szypszak:
Szypszak, a 6-1 outside hitter from Mequon, Wisconsin, will join from Homestead High School.
Szypszak has earned First and Second Team, along with Honorable Mention All-North Shore Conference recognition during her time at Homestead. She is a two-time Honorable Mention All-Wisconsin selection by the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association and helped the Highlanders to the WIAAWI Playoffs while finishing her senior year with 195 kills and 465 in her career.
"We are expecting to transition Emma from the middle to the pin once she arrives at FGCU," Botsford said. "She is blessed with a very powerful arm, and we want to find ways to take advantage of the velocity she attacks with. Because of her experience as a middle, her blocking will also be a welcome addition to either the left or right side. Emma's experience playing at a very high club level will aid in her transition to the college game, and I am looking forward to watching her develop."
"I had been touring colleges since I was a freshman, but none of them captured my attention quite like FGCU did," Szypszak said of her choice. "When I visited the campus as a junior, I knew this was where I wanted to be. After meeting Coach Botsford and the team, my decision was easy. I could never commit myself to saying yes anywhere else before that. It wasn't just one component of the school, it was a feeling - my home away from home."
ASUN Player of the Year:
In a unanimous landslide, sophomore Cortney VanLiew was named A-SUN Player of the Year. In addition, she was named a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team with her 4.0 GPA
"We knew that Cortney was going to play a big role within our line-up this season, but after the injury to Amanda, she was suddenly asked to do much more," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Her response to that challenge was exactly what you hope for as a coach. She wanted to help her team, worked extremely hard to position herself to help her team and relished the opportunity to take on more responsibility out on the floor. She has made huge strides in every aspect of the game since last season and continues to improve as a player."
VanLiew leads the team and the A-SUN with 416 kills (4 per set). In the match against Liberty, VanLiew was held to seven kills. Among matches against RPI top-100 opponents, VanLiew had 16 kills and eight digs against UCF, 20 kills and nine digs against Miami (Fla.), 19 kills and 10 digs vs Yale, 17 kills vs FAU and a combined 34 kills and 24 digs in two matchups against Kennesaw State.
"Cortney is a volume attacker who is asked to bail us out of tough situations, and she has been amazing at doing exactly that," Botsford said. "The efficiency that she has played with this year has far exceeded my own expectations, but I don't think they have met her own. That is what makes her great. She always wants more. She has worked hard to be a better blocker, a better passer and a better defender. The fact that she is able to play such a significant role in all of those areas is why I think that the player of the year award is such a fitting honor."
VanLiew has 724 career kills in her name and became the ninth Eagles to reach 700 kills passing Heather Van Olst (700, 2004-06) for eighth all-time. The Seymour, Indiana native is two away from passing Jill Hopper (725, 2011-13) for seventh all-time.
Along with the player of the year accolade, VanLiew was also named one of the eight members on the Google Cloud CoSIDA All-Academic District 4 First Team, the fourth Eagle for the accolade and the third on the first team (Brooke Youngquist - 2010, Second Team, Gigi Meyer - 2012, First Team, Amanda Carroll - 2017, First Team)
Along with the stats, VanLiew has earned other accolades and set program records for the season:
1.Sunshine State Challenge MVP
2. 2x A-SUN Player of the Week (Aug. 27, Nov. 5)
I already knew that VanLiew would win that award and for that, now I can say is... WHAT IT DO VANLIEW!!!
ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year:
To me, it was the toughest guess on who would win between freshman Dana Axner and junior Dani Serrano for A-SUN Defensive Player of the year because they both played strongly on the defensive front. In the end, Axner was not only named unanimously as the A-SUN Freshman of the Year this season, but was named ASUN Defensive Player of the Year. In that moment, history was made as she became the first player in the ASUN to win the Freshman and Defensive of the Year in the same season. In fact, Axner is also the youngest player to do so.
"Dana has had an amazing freshman year and really put her stamp on this team," Botsford said. "What she has done for us defensively has been so impressive to watch, and when you remind yourself that it is only her first year, you can't help but be amazed."
I mean I knew that it was gonna be unanimous for Axner to win ASUN Freshman of the Year, but becoming the first player in A-SUN history to win that and the Defensive Player of the Year, words fail me on how awesome that is for Paul Bunyan's apprentice.
The Dublin, Ohio native came in clutch as the starting libero as she leads the team and the ASUN with 536 digs (5.15 digs per set). Axner is third all-time in most digs in a single season after she passed Whitney Hendry (514 digs) and is 23 away from passing Vanessa Benke (558) for second all-time. In fact, Axner already ranks 12th in career digs just 30 matches into her career.
Along with the stats, Axner has earned other accolades and set program records for the season:
1. All-Lobo Classic team
2. All-Homewood Suites Fort Myers/FGCU Classic team
3. 1x ASUN Defensive Player of the Week
4. Division-I era program single-match record 39 digs against West Virginia
5. Division-I era record 28 digs for a three-set match vs Stetson
6. Named a record-breaking 6x ASUN Freshman of the Week
"She is among the most competitive players I have ever coached, and you can see that each time she is out on the court," Botsford said. "Her passion for the game, her desire to excel in the position and her work ethic have made her what she is. To be chosen as the defensive player of the year as a freshman is an unbelievable honor - and a deserving one. Dana's addition to this program has helped us build a more complete team."
ASUN Setter of the Year:
As much as I wanted senior Maggie Rick to win the ASUN Setter of the Year for the second time in her career, it didn't turned out to be the result I wanted, but actually expected it. The ASUN Setter of the Year for this season is junior Lexi Broadwater from Kennesaw State. Broadwater finished the regular season with a conference-leading 1,245 assists. In her last match against Kennesaw, Broadwater finished with 39 assists and three kills.
ASUN Coach of the Year:
In his fifth season, Botsford finally got the ASUN Coach of the Year. Since being named head coach for the Eagles in 2014, Botsford has compiled a combined 113 wins (73 shutouts) in all five seasons so far.
"Matt understands and analyzes the game more than anyone I've met," Rick said of her coach. "He's extremely passionate about winning and helping us play at the highest level we're capable of. But, beyond that, he cares so much about us as players and people. He wants nothing but the best for each of us individually and as a team. He's put in so much work since she's been at FGCU, and I'm so glad he is being recognized."
ASUN All-Conference First Team:
For FGCU, three players landed on the ASUN All-Conference First Team: Axner, VanLiew and Pickering.
Pickering leads the nation in hitting percentage at .439 this season. Pickering had a career-high 12 kills against Liberty with a .647 hitting percentage. The native of Sea Cow's Bay, Tortola, BVI is four points ahead of Wisconsin's 6-8 Dana Retteke (.435), one of the two tallest players in the nation (Florida's Rachael Kramer: 6-8). Pickering is fourth on the team with 200 kills and second behind Serrano in total blocks (114).
"Sharonda has had a remarkable season and has done so playing a new position," Botsford said. "The numbers are staggering and her ability to embrace the change has been so exciting for us as a staff. Her impact on the right side has been a big factor in our successes both offensively and defensively. Her ability to take over a game on both sides of the ball is something we knew existed, but the difference this year has been her consistency. I am so happy to see her being recognized for her contributions on the floor."
Senior Carlyle Nusbaum (Lipscomb), Broadwater and sophomore Lauren Chastang (Kennesaw) and junior Casey Goodwin (Liberty) were also named on the ASUN All-Conference First Team.
“I am excited for Carlyle to once again be recognized by the fellow A-SUN coaches,” said Lipscomb Head Coach Brandon Rosenthal. “I believe that it speaks volumes as to all the hard work that she has put in over her four years. To be named to this team for the past three years is a tremendous accomplishment. One that she doesn't take lightly and also one that she will acknowledge the assistance she gets when it comes to receiving individual accolades.”
“Carlyle is truly a special talent, and she and her hard work have brought a great deal of attention to Lipscomb Volleyball and A-SUN volleyball,” Rosenthal said. “I continue to be proud of her and the work that she and the rest of her team put in on a daily basis.”
Rick has 766 assists this season and 4,451 in her career. During her match against Stetson, Rick passed Gigi Meyer (4,408) as the all-time leader in career assists and also reached 800 career digs (now 802). In the match against Liberty, the Alpharetta native had 21 assists and three digs.
In her career, Rick has 20 career double-doubles, including 10 as a senior alone and is one of just two players in program history with at least 1,000 assists and 800 digs in a career. She is the program's all-time leader in matches played (127) and owns the third, fourth and fifth highest single season assist totals in program history. Furthermore, she is the only player with four of the top 10 seasons and owns five of the top 15 single match assist totals in program history.
"Maggie has been such a great player for us over the years and this season she was asked to sacrifice a lot," Botsford said. "For three seasons, she ran this offense on her own and has been magnificent in doing so. This season, we thought we could explore another option that might provide us a different look, and when we did, she never once worried about herself. She wanted what was best for this team and her response to that change has made all the difference. The way she has handled herself speaks to the kind of leader and competitor she is. It has been an absolute pleasure to coach Maggie. She is such a talent and watching her grow over the years in her position has been so rewarding."
In addition, Rick was named the ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a member of the ASUN All-Academic Team for the second time in her career with her 3.89 GPA.
"For all the amazing things that Maggie has accomplished here at FGCU as an athlete, she has always been more than just that," Botsford said. "Her recognition as the scholar athlete of the year is representative of the person she is beyond the volleyball court and serves as a reminder of how the talents that make her great in the athletics arena have pushed her toward excellence in academics as well. Maggie has worked extremely hard throughout her career here at FGCU to take full advantage of the experience as a whole, and in doing so has impacted much more than our volleyball program. She has shown that you can balance these two worlds and excel in both. I am so proud of the effort this young woman has dedicated to fulfilling her own potential and am ecstatic that she has received this prestigious award."
Offensively, Serrano currently has 203 kills in her name (third on the team). In fact Serrano's 203 kills put her at 593 in her career (14th all-time). Serrano is now seven away from being the 14th player to reach 600 kills. Defensively, the Sanford native spiced up the team as she leads the team and the A-SUN in total blocks (142). Serrano became an all-time leader again as she passed Olivia Mesner (342, 2011-14) as the all-time leader in total blocks (343) and extended her career block assist total to 293 and counting. She needs seven more block assists to be the first Eagle to reach 300 career block assists and become the first Eagle to get 600 kills and 300 blocks assists.
"Dani has been a rock in our lineup since her freshman year," Botsford said. "To play at the level she has, for that duration, has provided us unprecedented stability at a very important position. What she has done this year as an attacker and a blocker has really opened things up for other players, which can often get overlooked."
Serrano was a three-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 4, Oct. 15, Nov. 15) this year and was named to the All-Lobo Classic and All-Volleyknights Invitational teams.
"Her ability to read and adjust within the flow of the match is something that I have learned to really appreciate about Dani," Botsford said. "She understands what we are trying to do on the floor, how to do it and how to maximize her own impact on what is happening. She has really grown this season and is a much more cerebral player which adds an entire new wrinkle to an already stellar skill set."
Other members on the ASUN All-Conference Second Team included juniors Kainah Williams and Anna Gragg (Liberty), and seniors Adriana Nieto (NJIT), Hao Jin (Stetson) and Liesl Engelbrecht (Kennesaw).
ASUN All-Freshman Team:
With three of the freshman on the team that were active, all of them were named on the ASUN All-Freshman Team: Axner, Chelsey Lockey and Tori Morris. All three were unanimous picks for the accolades.
Following the footsteps of Rick, Lockey played as a key role for the Eagles while giving Rick a breather. Lockey, a native of Eaton, Colorado, finished the regular season with 412 assists. In the match against Liberty, Lockey had 18 assists along with seven digs.
"We have asked a lot out of Chelsey this season, and I couldn't be more pleased with the way she has responded," Botsford said. "She has played with poise and maturity well beyond her years, allowing us to a run a system that suited our personnel and put us in a great position to be successful. Being able to come in as a freshman and set an offense as well as she has, is quite an accomplishment. Beyond the setting, Chelsey has also proven to be a great defender on top of being a server that can pressure our opponents. She is dedicated to her craft, and I have really enjoyed working with her and watching her grow within the role."
As a member of the Block Party, Morris has 60 blocks in her name along with 51 kills. In the match against Liberty, the Virginia Beach had a kill and five blocks. Morris ranks third in the A-SUN in blocks per set (1.15). She started nearly every match the second half of the season and produced seven matches with four or more blocks, including a season-high nine twice - vs Lipscomb on Oct. 7 and Jacksonville on Oct. 21.
"Tori has done an excellent job in her freshman campaign, and the contributions she has made this conference season have helped us tremendously," Botsford said. "She has the potential in every match to make an impact as a blocker and as the year has progressed she has found a nice rhythm with her attacking. She is such a gifted athlete, and such a threat along the net, it forces teams to play us differently. You can see her development every time she takes the floor, and that upward trajectory has put her in a position where she is being relied upon much more as the year has gone on.
The four other members on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team were Logan Gish (Lipscomb), Dani Ballou (Kennesaw), Solimar Cestero (UNF) and Lilly Kruse (Liberty).
"I am very proud of Solimar, she's been a huge piece for us this year and has become a go-to hitter," UNF head coach Kristen Wright said Cestero. "Her ceiling is very high and I think this is just the beginning of hearing her name a lot, both in our program and beyond."
ASUN All-Academic Team:
Along with VanLiew and Rick being named on the A-SUN All-Academic Team, five other members were on the team: Engelbrecht (Kennesaw State), grad student Sara Dyslin (Jacksonville) and juniors Natalie Wehner (Jacksonville), Hannah Morris (Liberty) and Morgan Elmore (Lipscomb).
400 to 500:
As I was looking at the program's record book, I somehow stumbled on a few other accolades that I didn't even realize. It turned that junior Giogio Borgiotti and sophomore Snowy Burnam have made accolades of their own.
Borgiotti is currently fifth on the team in kills (176) and fifth in blocks (53) while Burnam is second on the team in kills (218) and fourth in blocks (56). What I found out with Borgiotti was she has 481 career kills and is 19 away from being the 16th player to reach 500 career kills. In the matches against Stetson and Liberty, the Vienna, Virginia native had a combined nine kills and five blocks.
In the matches against Liberty and Stetson, Burnam had 28 kills, 22 digs and two blocks. During the match against Liberty, Burnam reached the accolade of becoming the 22nd Eagle to reach 400 career kills and currently has 405 in her career.
Winning Assistance:
Long time assistant volleyball coach Daniel Mahy has also garnered career wins of his own. Mahy has been with the Eagles since the inaugural season (2004) with Jaye Flood and enters his 13th season as assistant coach for the Eagles.
Mahy left the Eagles from 2006-07 and joined NCAA DII Barry University before returning to FGCU in 2008 after head coach Dave Nichols (FGCU's 2nd head coach) took over the team before Botsford took over in 2014. Mahy has been an assistant coach for all three head coaches and has built up 262 total wins with FGCU and 290 in his overall coaching career in the NCAA, including the 28 wins at Barry. In the match against Liberty, Mahy got his 262nd win with FGCU and his 291st overall.
First-year FGCU assistant coach and former Rutgers University All-American Stephanie Zelinski earned her 53rd career win.
Block Party in Alico:
The Block Party (Serrano, VanLiew, Burnam, Pickering and fellow senior Kaiti Krivdo, Borgiotti and Morris) have a combined 508 total blocks (#6 in the nation) with Serrano leading the team and the A-SUN in total blocks (142). The squad had 22 total blocks against Liberty.
With blocks from the Block Party, along with total blocks from seniors Karissa Rhoades (2), an injured senior Amanda Carroll (7), Rick (17) and Lockey (1), the Eagles have 535 total blocks (2.84 per set), which is #9 in the nation. The Eagles are #4 in the nation from holding their opponents to a .137 hitting percentage.
Scouting the Owls:
Kennesaw is defending their championship from last year after they defeated FGCU 3-0 to punch their ticket to the national tournament. The Owls wrapped up their part of the regular season with a 3-0 shutout on the road against Jacksonville.
Offensively, sophomore Lauren Chastang leads the team with 385 kills. In the last match against Jacksonville, Chastang had 11 kills.
Defensively, the middle duo of Engelbrecht and sophomore Quin Sutphin take the reins. Engelbrecht is third on the team in kills (240) while Sutphin is fourth (212).
Both combine for 229 blocks (117 Sutphin, 112 Engelbrecht). In the last match against Jacksonville, Sutphin had four kills and three blocks while Engelbrecht had 10 kills and five blocks.
Also on defense is sophomore Karlee Grover. Grover leads the team with 465 digs (4.23 per set). In the last match against Jacksonville, Grover was held to only eight digs.
Scouting the Lady Bison:
Lipscomb is coming off of a 3-0 shutout against Jacksonville.
Offensively, Nusbaum leads the team in kills (398, 4.02 per set). In the last match against Jacksonville, Nusbaum had eight kills and 14 digs. Nusbaum has 14 double-doubles in the season.
Defensively, Ca'Layci Coffey is third on the team in kills (20), but leads the team with 81 blocks. n the last match against Jacksonville, Coffey had nine kills, but no blocks.
Scouting Liberty:
How to Keep Up to Date:
Livestats will be provided for all five matches and will air on ESPN+
Fans can also keep up on the teams' Twitter pages:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
Kennesaw: @KSUOwlsVB
Lipscomb: @LipscombVBall
Liberty: @LibertyWVB
Stetson: @StetsonVB
UNF: @OspreyVB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and ASUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards.
Link to bracket: http://asunsports.org/sports/wvball/2018-19/files/2018_VB_Bracket.pdf
Livestats links:
Lispcomb vs UNF: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241134
Liberty vs Stetson: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241133
FGCU vs #4/#5 winner: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241135
Kennesaw vs #3/#6 winner: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241136
Livestream links:
Lipscomb vs UNF: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/dbe5cdf4-d82f-4a07-b3d8-d21fe3b815ec/asun-womens-volleyball-tournament
Stetson vs Liberty: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/312431f9-0dec-4272-a25b-b4e0b993f566/asun-womens-volleyball-tournament
FGCU vs #4/#5 winner: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/8d16c74f-a3ae-4d34-a93b-59dffc11f284/asun-womens-volleyball-tournament
Kennesaw vs #3/#6 winner: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/c9a68a65-c5aa-4231-8add-94c23b610c0a/asun-womens-volleyball-tournament
Tournament Seedings:
The seeds are listed as followed with the teams' overall records:
#1 FGCU (24-6)
#2 Kennesaw State (23-6)
#3 Lipscomb (17-11)
#4 Liberty (14-16)
#5 Stetson (16-12)
#6 UNF (11-21)
Jacksonville (5-24), North Alabama (4-21) and NJIT (4-28) did not qualify for the tournament due to their overall and conference records.
For Jacksonville, it was the first time since 2012 that they have not reached the postseason.
For NJIT, this is their fourth straight year of not qualifying for the tournament. Actually for NJIT, I'm not surprised since they've never been to the ASUN Volleyball Tournament since joining the ASUN fall 2015.
For North Alabama, it would not make much difference for them. If they would have won the conference, let alone qualify for the tournament and won, then they would not go to the national tournament due to the four-year transitional period and the regular season champions (FGCU) would go to the national tournament.
ASUN Awards, Accolades and New Commits:
Before the matchups, Wednesday marked National Signing Day along with the ASUN Conference announcing the winners of awards and members of honorable mentions. So far, the Eagles have inked five freshman so far: Kortney Reynolds, Aja Jones, Shelby Beisner, Erin Shoemaker and Emma Szypszak.
Kortney Reynolds:
Reynolds, a 6-3 middle blocker out of Plain City, Ohio, will join after graduating from Jonathan Alder High School.
Playing all four years on the varsity level, Reynolds put together a career total 442 kills and 318 total blocks while leading the Pioneers to the OHSAA Regional semifinals for her senior year. Reynolds was named Second Team All-Central Buckeye Conference (CBC) and Honorable Mention Division II All-Ohio by the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association as a senior. As a junior, she earned First Team All-CBC and First Team All-District honors while being voted the CBC Player of the Year. As a sophomore, she was Honorable Mention All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.
"Kortney will provide immediate depth to the middle position with the loss of two key players to graduation," Botsford said. "She has a fast arm and the potential to be an outstanding blocker at the next level. Having worked with her in a camp environment previously, she is a quick learner and has good instincts along the net. Kortney's height and athleticism are a perfect match for what we need in the interior."
"After visiting Fort Myers on family vacations, I fell in love with the beauty of the area," Reynolds said of her decision. "Once I was on the campus, it was such a welcoming feeling, and I could see myself going to school there."
Aja Jones:
Jones, a 6-1 middle blocker/right side hitter from Venice, Florida, will join FGCU after graduating from Venice High School. Jones played at a trio of high schools (Lakewood Ranch, Manatee and Venice) and helped lead Venice to the 2018 FHSAA 8A State Semifinals as a senior. During her prep career, she was the Spectrum Sports Athlete of the Week, All-State, All-Region and All-District while she finished her career with 418 kills."Aja was a late addition for us, and we are very lucky to have kept her close to home," Botsford said. "Her development over the last year and a half has been astounding, and she is just scratching the surface of what she can do. We expect Aja to play in the middle for us early in her career, but I think she has the potential to also attack at the pins as she progresses. She is an aggressive attacker and is good off one foot, which will add an important element to our offensive options."
"From the moment I stepped on the campus I was floored by how beautiful it was," Jones said of her decision. "My final check was when I met the team. They were all so nice and fun. I didn't want to go home. I wanted to start college right then."
Shelby Beisner:
Beisner, a 5-9 outside hitter, will be a third generation volleyball player from Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, Florida. Beisner has produced 900 kills, 1,100 digs, 100 aces and 100 blocks in her career. After tallying 20 kills in the Class 7A-District 10 title match as a senior, she had 15 kills, 18 digs and five aces in a Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinal win over Largo. She followed that up with 12 more kills in the semifinals.
As a senior, Beisner was elected Sun Prep Athlete of the Week and won the Gene Gorman MVP Award. She tallied 353 digs, 276 kills, 42 aces and 40 blocks as a junior. As a sophomore, Beisner was named the Sun Coast Sports Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Area.
"Shelby is going to fill a very important role for us with the loss of Karissa Rhoades," Botsford said. "She is such a well-rounded player, from serve-receive and defense to attacking, that our gym environment will immediately improve because of her presence. She is a dynamic athlete with a high volleyball IQ who can play multiple positions. Shelby will also be a big contributor to our beach program with the unique skill set she possesses.
"FGCU has a home-like feel to it," Beisner said of her decision. "The coaches and the girls were welcoming and the campus is beautiful. I also have a good amount of friends attending or planning to attend the university and with all those factors put together, I know that I will have a great time at FGCU."
Beisner follows the footsteps of her older sisters, JaNhea and Marisa. Both of her older sisters have NCAA collegiate experience as liberos/defensive specialists (JaNhea: DII Augusta; Marisa: DII Tampa*). In fact, Beisner does have a little background of FGCU blood as her brother, Brooks, was a former baseball player for FGCU in 2013. I've seen her sisters play before and I was always impressed with them, and have known them since their freshman years at State College of Florida (JaNhea 2013, Marisa 2015).
*side note: Marisa recently won the NCAA DII National Championship after defeating Western Washington in a 3-2 thriller.
Erin Shomaker:
Shoemaker, a 6-2 outside hitter from Granville, Ohio will join FGCU from Granville High School. Shomaker had one of the most decorated prep careers in the history of Ohio while at Granville, finishing with 1,686 kills, a .502 hitting percentage, 596 digs, 309 blocks and 165 aces. She broke the Licking County all-time record for career kills, surpassing Newark's Anni Thomasson in her final match. The total also puts her in the top five in Ohio High School Athletic Association history. She broke Granville's single match, season and career records for kills and hitting percentage, and she now holds the single season and career solo block records.
As a senior, Shomaker captured First Team All-Ohio recognition after recording 616 kills, hitting .651 and adding 242 digs, 77 aces and 61 blocks. She had seven matches with at least 30 kills while totaling just 57 errors over 859 attempts. She led the nation in hitting percentage, according to MaxPreps, and finished second in the state in kills. She had 31 kills in the Division-II district tournament to close her career, and she had seven matches with at least 30 kills, including a career-high 36 in a Sept. 25 matchup against Utica.
"I wanted to go south," Shomaker said of her decision. "I love the campus plus they have a great volleyball program and academic opportunities.
As a junior, Shomaker had 493 kills and hit .423 with 195 digs, 78 blocks and 15 aces en route to Second Team All-Ohio recognition. She is a three-time First Team All-Licking County League (LCL) as well as a two-time recipient of the LCL and Division-II Central District Player of the Year awards.
Emma Szypszak:
Szypszak, a 6-1 outside hitter from Mequon, Wisconsin, will join from Homestead High School.
Szypszak has earned First and Second Team, along with Honorable Mention All-North Shore Conference recognition during her time at Homestead. She is a two-time Honorable Mention All-Wisconsin selection by the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association and helped the Highlanders to the WIAAWI Playoffs while finishing her senior year with 195 kills and 465 in her career.
"We are expecting to transition Emma from the middle to the pin once she arrives at FGCU," Botsford said. "She is blessed with a very powerful arm, and we want to find ways to take advantage of the velocity she attacks with. Because of her experience as a middle, her blocking will also be a welcome addition to either the left or right side. Emma's experience playing at a very high club level will aid in her transition to the college game, and I am looking forward to watching her develop."
"I had been touring colleges since I was a freshman, but none of them captured my attention quite like FGCU did," Szypszak said of her choice. "When I visited the campus as a junior, I knew this was where I wanted to be. After meeting Coach Botsford and the team, my decision was easy. I could never commit myself to saying yes anywhere else before that. It wasn't just one component of the school, it was a feeling - my home away from home."
ASUN Player of the Year:
In a unanimous landslide, sophomore Cortney VanLiew was named A-SUN Player of the Year. In addition, she was named a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team with her 4.0 GPA
"We knew that Cortney was going to play a big role within our line-up this season, but after the injury to Amanda, she was suddenly asked to do much more," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "Her response to that challenge was exactly what you hope for as a coach. She wanted to help her team, worked extremely hard to position herself to help her team and relished the opportunity to take on more responsibility out on the floor. She has made huge strides in every aspect of the game since last season and continues to improve as a player."
VanLiew leads the team and the A-SUN with 416 kills (4 per set). In the match against Liberty, VanLiew was held to seven kills. Among matches against RPI top-100 opponents, VanLiew had 16 kills and eight digs against UCF, 20 kills and nine digs against Miami (Fla.), 19 kills and 10 digs vs Yale, 17 kills vs FAU and a combined 34 kills and 24 digs in two matchups against Kennesaw State.
"Cortney is a volume attacker who is asked to bail us out of tough situations, and she has been amazing at doing exactly that," Botsford said. "The efficiency that she has played with this year has far exceeded my own expectations, but I don't think they have met her own. That is what makes her great. She always wants more. She has worked hard to be a better blocker, a better passer and a better defender. The fact that she is able to play such a significant role in all of those areas is why I think that the player of the year award is such a fitting honor."
VanLiew has 724 career kills in her name and became the ninth Eagles to reach 700 kills passing Heather Van Olst (700, 2004-06) for eighth all-time. The Seymour, Indiana native is two away from passing Jill Hopper (725, 2011-13) for seventh all-time.
Along with the player of the year accolade, VanLiew was also named one of the eight members on the Google Cloud CoSIDA All-Academic District 4 First Team, the fourth Eagle for the accolade and the third on the first team (Brooke Youngquist - 2010, Second Team, Gigi Meyer - 2012, First Team, Amanda Carroll - 2017, First Team)
Along with the stats, VanLiew has earned other accolades and set program records for the season:
1.Sunshine State Challenge MVP
2. 2x A-SUN Player of the Week (Aug. 27, Nov. 5)
I already knew that VanLiew would win that award and for that, now I can say is... WHAT IT DO VANLIEW!!!
ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year:
To me, it was the toughest guess on who would win between freshman Dana Axner and junior Dani Serrano for A-SUN Defensive Player of the year because they both played strongly on the defensive front. In the end, Axner was not only named unanimously as the A-SUN Freshman of the Year this season, but was named ASUN Defensive Player of the Year. In that moment, history was made as she became the first player in the ASUN to win the Freshman and Defensive of the Year in the same season. In fact, Axner is also the youngest player to do so.
"Dana has had an amazing freshman year and really put her stamp on this team," Botsford said. "What she has done for us defensively has been so impressive to watch, and when you remind yourself that it is only her first year, you can't help but be amazed."
I mean I knew that it was gonna be unanimous for Axner to win ASUN Freshman of the Year, but becoming the first player in A-SUN history to win that and the Defensive Player of the Year, words fail me on how awesome that is for Paul Bunyan's apprentice.
The Dublin, Ohio native came in clutch as the starting libero as she leads the team and the ASUN with 536 digs (5.15 digs per set). Axner is third all-time in most digs in a single season after she passed Whitney Hendry (514 digs) and is 23 away from passing Vanessa Benke (558) for second all-time. In fact, Axner already ranks 12th in career digs just 30 matches into her career.
Along with the stats, Axner has earned other accolades and set program records for the season:
1. All-Lobo Classic team
2. All-Homewood Suites Fort Myers/FGCU Classic team
3. 1x ASUN Defensive Player of the Week
4. Division-I era program single-match record 39 digs against West Virginia
5. Division-I era record 28 digs for a three-set match vs Stetson
6. Named a record-breaking 6x ASUN Freshman of the Week
"She is among the most competitive players I have ever coached, and you can see that each time she is out on the court," Botsford said. "Her passion for the game, her desire to excel in the position and her work ethic have made her what she is. To be chosen as the defensive player of the year as a freshman is an unbelievable honor - and a deserving one. Dana's addition to this program has helped us build a more complete team."
As much as I wanted senior Maggie Rick to win the ASUN Setter of the Year for the second time in her career, it didn't turned out to be the result I wanted, but actually expected it. The ASUN Setter of the Year for this season is junior Lexi Broadwater from Kennesaw State. Broadwater finished the regular season with a conference-leading 1,245 assists. In her last match against Kennesaw, Broadwater finished with 39 assists and three kills.
ASUN Coach of the Year:
In his fifth season, Botsford finally got the ASUN Coach of the Year. Since being named head coach for the Eagles in 2014, Botsford has compiled a combined 113 wins (73 shutouts) in all five seasons so far.
"Matt understands and analyzes the game more than anyone I've met," Rick said of her coach. "He's extremely passionate about winning and helping us play at the highest level we're capable of. But, beyond that, he cares so much about us as players and people. He wants nothing but the best for each of us individually and as a team. He's put in so much work since she's been at FGCU, and I'm so glad he is being recognized."
ASUN All-Conference First Team:
For FGCU, three players landed on the ASUN All-Conference First Team: Axner, VanLiew and Pickering.
Pickering leads the nation in hitting percentage at .439 this season. Pickering had a career-high 12 kills against Liberty with a .647 hitting percentage. The native of Sea Cow's Bay, Tortola, BVI is four points ahead of Wisconsin's 6-8 Dana Retteke (.435), one of the two tallest players in the nation (Florida's Rachael Kramer: 6-8). Pickering is fourth on the team with 200 kills and second behind Serrano in total blocks (114).
"Sharonda has had a remarkable season and has done so playing a new position," Botsford said. "The numbers are staggering and her ability to embrace the change has been so exciting for us as a staff. Her impact on the right side has been a big factor in our successes both offensively and defensively. Her ability to take over a game on both sides of the ball is something we knew existed, but the difference this year has been her consistency. I am so happy to see her being recognized for her contributions on the floor."
Senior Carlyle Nusbaum (Lipscomb), Broadwater and sophomore Lauren Chastang (Kennesaw) and junior Casey Goodwin (Liberty) were also named on the ASUN All-Conference First Team.
“I am excited for Carlyle to once again be recognized by the fellow A-SUN coaches,” said Lipscomb Head Coach Brandon Rosenthal. “I believe that it speaks volumes as to all the hard work that she has put in over her four years. To be named to this team for the past three years is a tremendous accomplishment. One that she doesn't take lightly and also one that she will acknowledge the assistance she gets when it comes to receiving individual accolades.”
“Carlyle is truly a special talent, and she and her hard work have brought a great deal of attention to Lipscomb Volleyball and A-SUN volleyball,” Rosenthal said. “I continue to be proud of her and the work that she and the rest of her team put in on a daily basis.”
ASUN All-Conference Second Team:
Rick and Serrano were named on the ASUN All-Conference Second Team.Rick has 766 assists this season and 4,451 in her career. During her match against Stetson, Rick passed Gigi Meyer (4,408) as the all-time leader in career assists and also reached 800 career digs (now 802). In the match against Liberty, the Alpharetta native had 21 assists and three digs.
In her career, Rick has 20 career double-doubles, including 10 as a senior alone and is one of just two players in program history with at least 1,000 assists and 800 digs in a career. She is the program's all-time leader in matches played (127) and owns the third, fourth and fifth highest single season assist totals in program history. Furthermore, she is the only player with four of the top 10 seasons and owns five of the top 15 single match assist totals in program history.
"Maggie has been such a great player for us over the years and this season she was asked to sacrifice a lot," Botsford said. "For three seasons, she ran this offense on her own and has been magnificent in doing so. This season, we thought we could explore another option that might provide us a different look, and when we did, she never once worried about herself. She wanted what was best for this team and her response to that change has made all the difference. The way she has handled herself speaks to the kind of leader and competitor she is. It has been an absolute pleasure to coach Maggie. She is such a talent and watching her grow over the years in her position has been so rewarding."
In addition, Rick was named the ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a member of the ASUN All-Academic Team for the second time in her career with her 3.89 GPA.
"For all the amazing things that Maggie has accomplished here at FGCU as an athlete, she has always been more than just that," Botsford said. "Her recognition as the scholar athlete of the year is representative of the person she is beyond the volleyball court and serves as a reminder of how the talents that make her great in the athletics arena have pushed her toward excellence in academics as well. Maggie has worked extremely hard throughout her career here at FGCU to take full advantage of the experience as a whole, and in doing so has impacted much more than our volleyball program. She has shown that you can balance these two worlds and excel in both. I am so proud of the effort this young woman has dedicated to fulfilling her own potential and am ecstatic that she has received this prestigious award."
Offensively, Serrano currently has 203 kills in her name (third on the team). In fact Serrano's 203 kills put her at 593 in her career (14th all-time). Serrano is now seven away from being the 14th player to reach 600 kills. Defensively, the Sanford native spiced up the team as she leads the team and the A-SUN in total blocks (142). Serrano became an all-time leader again as she passed Olivia Mesner (342, 2011-14) as the all-time leader in total blocks (343) and extended her career block assist total to 293 and counting. She needs seven more block assists to be the first Eagle to reach 300 career block assists and become the first Eagle to get 600 kills and 300 blocks assists.
"Dani has been a rock in our lineup since her freshman year," Botsford said. "To play at the level she has, for that duration, has provided us unprecedented stability at a very important position. What she has done this year as an attacker and a blocker has really opened things up for other players, which can often get overlooked."
Serrano was a three-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 4, Oct. 15, Nov. 15) this year and was named to the All-Lobo Classic and All-Volleyknights Invitational teams.
"Her ability to read and adjust within the flow of the match is something that I have learned to really appreciate about Dani," Botsford said. "She understands what we are trying to do on the floor, how to do it and how to maximize her own impact on what is happening. She has really grown this season and is a much more cerebral player which adds an entire new wrinkle to an already stellar skill set."
Other members on the ASUN All-Conference Second Team included juniors Kainah Williams and Anna Gragg (Liberty), and seniors Adriana Nieto (NJIT), Hao Jin (Stetson) and Liesl Engelbrecht (Kennesaw).
ASUN All-Freshman Team:
With three of the freshman on the team that were active, all of them were named on the ASUN All-Freshman Team: Axner, Chelsey Lockey and Tori Morris. All three were unanimous picks for the accolades.
Following the footsteps of Rick, Lockey played as a key role for the Eagles while giving Rick a breather. Lockey, a native of Eaton, Colorado, finished the regular season with 412 assists. In the match against Liberty, Lockey had 18 assists along with seven digs.
"We have asked a lot out of Chelsey this season, and I couldn't be more pleased with the way she has responded," Botsford said. "She has played with poise and maturity well beyond her years, allowing us to a run a system that suited our personnel and put us in a great position to be successful. Being able to come in as a freshman and set an offense as well as she has, is quite an accomplishment. Beyond the setting, Chelsey has also proven to be a great defender on top of being a server that can pressure our opponents. She is dedicated to her craft, and I have really enjoyed working with her and watching her grow within the role."
As a member of the Block Party, Morris has 60 blocks in her name along with 51 kills. In the match against Liberty, the Virginia Beach had a kill and five blocks. Morris ranks third in the A-SUN in blocks per set (1.15). She started nearly every match the second half of the season and produced seven matches with four or more blocks, including a season-high nine twice - vs Lipscomb on Oct. 7 and Jacksonville on Oct. 21.
"Tori has done an excellent job in her freshman campaign, and the contributions she has made this conference season have helped us tremendously," Botsford said. "She has the potential in every match to make an impact as a blocker and as the year has progressed she has found a nice rhythm with her attacking. She is such a gifted athlete, and such a threat along the net, it forces teams to play us differently. You can see her development every time she takes the floor, and that upward trajectory has put her in a position where she is being relied upon much more as the year has gone on.
The four other members on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team were Logan Gish (Lipscomb), Dani Ballou (Kennesaw), Solimar Cestero (UNF) and Lilly Kruse (Liberty).
"I am very proud of Solimar, she's been a huge piece for us this year and has become a go-to hitter," UNF head coach Kristen Wright said Cestero. "Her ceiling is very high and I think this is just the beginning of hearing her name a lot, both in our program and beyond."
ASUN All-Academic Team:
Along with VanLiew and Rick being named on the A-SUN All-Academic Team, five other members were on the team: Engelbrecht (Kennesaw State), grad student Sara Dyslin (Jacksonville) and juniors Natalie Wehner (Jacksonville), Hannah Morris (Liberty) and Morgan Elmore (Lipscomb).
400 to 500:
As I was looking at the program's record book, I somehow stumbled on a few other accolades that I didn't even realize. It turned that junior Giogio Borgiotti and sophomore Snowy Burnam have made accolades of their own.
Borgiotti is currently fifth on the team in kills (176) and fifth in blocks (53) while Burnam is second on the team in kills (218) and fourth in blocks (56). What I found out with Borgiotti was she has 481 career kills and is 19 away from being the 16th player to reach 500 career kills. In the matches against Stetson and Liberty, the Vienna, Virginia native had a combined nine kills and five blocks.
In the matches against Liberty and Stetson, Burnam had 28 kills, 22 digs and two blocks. During the match against Liberty, Burnam reached the accolade of becoming the 22nd Eagle to reach 400 career kills and currently has 405 in her career.
Winning Assistance:
Long time assistant volleyball coach Daniel Mahy has also garnered career wins of his own. Mahy has been with the Eagles since the inaugural season (2004) with Jaye Flood and enters his 13th season as assistant coach for the Eagles.
Mahy left the Eagles from 2006-07 and joined NCAA DII Barry University before returning to FGCU in 2008 after head coach Dave Nichols (FGCU's 2nd head coach) took over the team before Botsford took over in 2014. Mahy has been an assistant coach for all three head coaches and has built up 262 total wins with FGCU and 290 in his overall coaching career in the NCAA, including the 28 wins at Barry. In the match against Liberty, Mahy got his 262nd win with FGCU and his 291st overall.
First-year FGCU assistant coach and former Rutgers University All-American Stephanie Zelinski earned her 53rd career win.
Block Party in Alico:
The Block Party (Serrano, VanLiew, Burnam, Pickering and fellow senior Kaiti Krivdo, Borgiotti and Morris) have a combined 508 total blocks (#6 in the nation) with Serrano leading the team and the A-SUN in total blocks (142). The squad had 22 total blocks against Liberty.
With blocks from the Block Party, along with total blocks from seniors Karissa Rhoades (2), an injured senior Amanda Carroll (7), Rick (17) and Lockey (1), the Eagles have 535 total blocks (2.84 per set), which is #9 in the nation. The Eagles are #4 in the nation from holding their opponents to a .137 hitting percentage.
Kennesaw is defending their championship from last year after they defeated FGCU 3-0 to punch their ticket to the national tournament. The Owls wrapped up their part of the regular season with a 3-0 shutout on the road against Jacksonville.
Offensively, sophomore Lauren Chastang leads the team with 385 kills. In the last match against Jacksonville, Chastang had 11 kills.
Defensively, the middle duo of Engelbrecht and sophomore Quin Sutphin take the reins. Engelbrecht is third on the team in kills (240) while Sutphin is fourth (212).
Both combine for 229 blocks (117 Sutphin, 112 Engelbrecht). In the last match against Jacksonville, Sutphin had four kills and three blocks while Engelbrecht had 10 kills and five blocks.
Also on defense is sophomore Karlee Grover. Grover leads the team with 465 digs (4.23 per set). In the last match against Jacksonville, Grover was held to only eight digs.
Scouting the Lady Bison:
Lipscomb is coming off of a 3-0 shutout against Jacksonville.
Offensively, Nusbaum leads the team in kills (398, 4.02 per set). In the last match against Jacksonville, Nusbaum had eight kills and 14 digs. Nusbaum has 14 double-doubles in the season.
Defensively, Ca'Layci Coffey is third on the team in kills (20), but leads the team with 81 blocks. n the last match against Jacksonville, Coffey had nine kills, but no blocks.
Scouting Liberty:
The Eagles swept the series against the Lady Flames as they won 3-2 on the road on October 12 at the Vines Center before winning 3-1 at the Alico Arena on November 10 in their season finale.
Offensively, Goodwin and Gragg lead the Lady Flames on the offensive front. Goodwin leads the team with 287 kills and 40 aces, while Gragg is behind Goodwin with 230 kills. Goodwin had seven kills while Gragg had five kills against the Eagles.
Defensively, senior Margaret Latchford leads the team in digs (395). Latchford had 18 digs against the Eagles.
Scouting the Lady Hatters:
Stetson clinched a spot in the ASUN Tournament after sweeping UNF. They had their best moment when they shutout and upset Kennesaw at home, handing the Owls their first loss in conference play, and putting themselves in 5th place. The Lady Hatters lost their final season match at home with a 3-1 loss to Liberty.
Offensively, junior Evi Deisa and senior Hao Jin pave the way for the Hatters.
Along with Jin, redshirt junior Brianna Schmid also plays key for the Hatters defense as she is tied for first on the team with Jin in blocks (102). Against Liberty, the transfer from Robert Morris had five blocks along with four kills.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys are coming off a weekend where they defeated North Alabama 3-1 before getting a 3-0 shutout against NJIT.
Junior Taryn Griffey leads the team with 317 kills and 105 blocks. Griffey was shutdown for the weekend.
Redshirt sophomore Gabby O'Connell is second on the team with 308 kills and leads the team with 314 digs. O'Connell has 13 double-doubles for the season. In the weekend against North Alabama and NJIT, O'Connell had a combined 26 kills and 19 digs.
Senior setter Madilyn McCarty lead the team with 1,014 assists and has 3,484, including the 1,229 assists in her freshman year at Winthrop. McCarty had 32 assist against NJIT and 49 assists against UNA.
Series History:
Against the Owls, the Eagles are 14-11 overall. FGCU fell 3-1 to Kennesaw on October 6 at the Alico Arena, but then won 3-1 at the KSU Convocation Center on November 4 to split the series. The win against the Owls helped the Eagles gain sole possession of first place.
FGCU is 10-16 overall against the Lipscomb. The Eagles swept the Lady Bison at home on October 6 and won 3-1 before travelling to the Allen Arena with a 3-0 win for their third sweep against Lipscomb overall (2012, 2017).
The Eagles are 22-6 against the Ospreys. The Eagles shutout the Ospreys 3-0 at the UNF Arena on September 22 and at the Alico Arena on October 19.
The Eagles are 21-2 overall against the Lady Hatters where they swept them 3-0 at home on October 9 and on the road on November 6.
Early Ticket Punches:
Seven teams have already punched their tickets to the national tournament: #1 Brigham Young (WCC), #3 Minnesota (Big Ten), #2 Stanford (PAC-12), #5 Texas (Big 12), #10 Pittsburgh (ACC), #21 UCF (AAC), and Yale (Ivy). All seven teams do not have a conference tournament as it is based on their regular season.
Regardless if they came in second place, Minnesota would go to the national tournament as an at-large bid based on their ranking. In fact, nine teams in the Power 5 Conference have an at-large bid:
#4 Illinois, #6 Nebraska, T-#7 Wisconsin and Penn State, and #12 Purdue (Big Ten), #14 Southern California (USC) and #16 Oregon (PAC-12), #11 Kentucky and #13 Florida (SEC).
The ACC, AAC, Big 12, Big Ten, Big West, Ivy League, Mid Atlantic American Conference (MAAC), Mountain West (MWC), PAC-12, SEC, and West Coast Conference (WCC) do not have a conference tournament. I never understood why though.
ASUN Tournament Breakdown:
The ASUN Conference Volleyball Tournament is a three-day single elimination tournament from Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17 and will take place at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia.
FGCU and Kennesaw State are the top two seeds in the tournament (#1 FGCU, #2 KSU) and as a result, they will have a first-round bye and await the winners of the quarterfinals matches from the #3 to #6 seeds.
The Eagles will await #4 Liberty and #5 Stetson, while the Owls await #3 Lipscomb and #6 UNF.
Liberty and Stetson will play at 5 P.M. and Lipscomb and UNF will follow at 7:30 P.M. on November 15
What's at Stake:
The winners of quarterfinals will play at 5 P.M. (vs FGCU) and 7:30 P.M. (vs Kennesaw) on November 16 before the semifinalists play in the championship final on November 17 at 7 P.M.
The winner of the tournament will represent the A-SUN and punch their ticket to the 2018 NCAA National Volleyball Tournament.
The runner-up can decide whether they will or will not compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament (NIVC), which is basically the volleyball version of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). If the runner-up is the regular season champions, then they will automatically be in the tournament, should they decide to do so.
History Lesson of NIVC:
The NIVC started in 1989 as a 20-team tournament and ended in 1995. The inaugural champion was Wisconsin. The Badgers were the last champions in the tournament before shutting down and being defunct. In 2016, the NCAA brought back the tournament as a 64-team tournament. In last year's NIVC, Ole Miss was the inaugural champions of the revamp of the tournament after they defeated Texas Tech 3-0.
The list of champions:
1989 – Wisconsin
1990 – Houston
1991 – Kentucky
1992 – Washington State
1993 – Louisiana State
1994 – Cal-State Northridge
1995 – Wisconsin
2017- Ole Miss
NIVC Breakdown:
The NIVC is simply like this:
1. 64 DI teams from all 32 conferences that did not get berths in the NCAA Tournament will be in line for their opportunity for the postseason.
2. Teams offered an automatic berth shall be the team that is the highest-finishing team in its conference’s regular-season standings, and not selected for the NCAA Tournament in which their overall record is not a criteria. There will, however, be a list of tiebreakers and other criteria involved.
3. The NIVC will give 32 at-large berths to the top teams available. Any team from a Division I conference, or a Division I independent team, will be considered.
4. It is a single-elimination tournament that will feature 32 first-round matches, followed by 16 second-round matches, eight third-round matches, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal matches, and the championship. It's similar to the MNIT and WNIT in college basketball.
5. The 32-40 team field will be announced late Sunday, November 25. The first and second rounds will start Tuesday, November 29-30 and December 1-2, with the championship ending Tuesday, December 11.
Stetson clinched a spot in the ASUN Tournament after sweeping UNF. They had their best moment when they shutout and upset Kennesaw at home, handing the Owls their first loss in conference play, and putting themselves in 5th place. The Lady Hatters lost their final season match at home with a 3-1 loss to Liberty.
Offensively, junior Evi Deisa and senior Hao Jin pave the way for the Hatters.
Deisa leads the team in kills (259) and aces (18). In the match against Liberty, the Latvian was held to only two kills for the second time this season.
Jin is second on the team in kills (226) and is tied in blocks (102). In the match against Liberty, the native of Shijiazhuang, China was held to only three kills, but had one block.
Defensively, sophomore Chelcie Spence leads the team with 480 digs (third in conference). Against Liberty, Spence had 12 digs.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys are coming off a weekend where they defeated North Alabama 3-1 before getting a 3-0 shutout against NJIT.
Junior Taryn Griffey leads the team with 317 kills and 105 blocks. Griffey was shutdown for the weekend.
Redshirt sophomore Gabby O'Connell is second on the team with 308 kills and leads the team with 314 digs. O'Connell has 13 double-doubles for the season. In the weekend against North Alabama and NJIT, O'Connell had a combined 26 kills and 19 digs.
Senior setter Madilyn McCarty lead the team with 1,014 assists and has 3,484, including the 1,229 assists in her freshman year at Winthrop. McCarty had 32 assist against NJIT and 49 assists against UNA.
Series History:
Against the Owls, the Eagles are 14-11 overall. FGCU fell 3-1 to Kennesaw on October 6 at the Alico Arena, but then won 3-1 at the KSU Convocation Center on November 4 to split the series. The win against the Owls helped the Eagles gain sole possession of first place.
FGCU is 10-16 overall against the Lipscomb. The Eagles swept the Lady Bison at home on October 6 and won 3-1 before travelling to the Allen Arena with a 3-0 win for their third sweep against Lipscomb overall (2012, 2017).
The Eagles are 22-6 against the Ospreys. The Eagles shutout the Ospreys 3-0 at the UNF Arena on September 22 and at the Alico Arena on October 19.
The Eagles are 21-2 overall against the Lady Hatters where they swept them 3-0 at home on October 9 and on the road on November 6.
Early Ticket Punches:
Seven teams have already punched their tickets to the national tournament: #1 Brigham Young (WCC), #3 Minnesota (Big Ten), #2 Stanford (PAC-12), #5 Texas (Big 12), #10 Pittsburgh (ACC), #21 UCF (AAC), and Yale (Ivy). All seven teams do not have a conference tournament as it is based on their regular season.
Regardless if they came in second place, Minnesota would go to the national tournament as an at-large bid based on their ranking. In fact, nine teams in the Power 5 Conference have an at-large bid:
#4 Illinois, #6 Nebraska, T-#7 Wisconsin and Penn State, and #12 Purdue (Big Ten), #14 Southern California (USC) and #16 Oregon (PAC-12), #11 Kentucky and #13 Florida (SEC).
The ACC, AAC, Big 12, Big Ten, Big West, Ivy League, Mid Atlantic American Conference (MAAC), Mountain West (MWC), PAC-12, SEC, and West Coast Conference (WCC) do not have a conference tournament. I never understood why though.
ASUN Tournament Breakdown:
The ASUN Conference Volleyball Tournament is a three-day single elimination tournament from Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17 and will take place at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia.
FGCU and Kennesaw State are the top two seeds in the tournament (#1 FGCU, #2 KSU) and as a result, they will have a first-round bye and await the winners of the quarterfinals matches from the #3 to #6 seeds.
The Eagles will await #4 Liberty and #5 Stetson, while the Owls await #3 Lipscomb and #6 UNF.
Liberty and Stetson will play at 5 P.M. and Lipscomb and UNF will follow at 7:30 P.M. on November 15
What's at Stake:
The winners of quarterfinals will play at 5 P.M. (vs FGCU) and 7:30 P.M. (vs Kennesaw) on November 16 before the semifinalists play in the championship final on November 17 at 7 P.M.
The winner of the tournament will represent the A-SUN and punch their ticket to the 2018 NCAA National Volleyball Tournament.
The runner-up can decide whether they will or will not compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament (NIVC), which is basically the volleyball version of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). If the runner-up is the regular season champions, then they will automatically be in the tournament, should they decide to do so.
History Lesson of NIVC:
The NIVC started in 1989 as a 20-team tournament and ended in 1995. The inaugural champion was Wisconsin. The Badgers were the last champions in the tournament before shutting down and being defunct. In 2016, the NCAA brought back the tournament as a 64-team tournament. In last year's NIVC, Ole Miss was the inaugural champions of the revamp of the tournament after they defeated Texas Tech 3-0.
The list of champions:
1989 – Wisconsin
1990 – Houston
1991 – Kentucky
1992 – Washington State
1993 – Louisiana State
1994 – Cal-State Northridge
1995 – Wisconsin
2017- Ole Miss
NIVC Breakdown:
The NIVC is simply like this:
1. 64 DI teams from all 32 conferences that did not get berths in the NCAA Tournament will be in line for their opportunity for the postseason.
2. Teams offered an automatic berth shall be the team that is the highest-finishing team in its conference’s regular-season standings, and not selected for the NCAA Tournament in which their overall record is not a criteria. There will, however, be a list of tiebreakers and other criteria involved.
3. The NIVC will give 32 at-large berths to the top teams available. Any team from a Division I conference, or a Division I independent team, will be considered.
4. It is a single-elimination tournament that will feature 32 first-round matches, followed by 16 second-round matches, eight third-round matches, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal matches, and the championship. It's similar to the MNIT and WNIT in college basketball.
5. The 32-40 team field will be announced late Sunday, November 25. The first and second rounds will start Tuesday, November 29-30 and December 1-2, with the championship ending Tuesday, December 11.
Livestats will be provided for all five matches and will air on ESPN+
Fans can also keep up on the teams' Twitter pages:
FGCU: @FGCU_VB
Kennesaw: @KSUOwlsVB
Lipscomb: @LipscombVBall
Liberty: @LibertyWVB
Stetson: @StetsonVB
UNF: @OspreyVB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN Conference Volleyball Tournament will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and ASUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards.
Link to bracket: http://asunsports.org/sports/wvball/2018-19/files/2018_VB_Bracket.pdf
Livestats links:
Lispcomb vs UNF: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241134
Liberty vs Stetson: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241133
FGCU vs #4/#5 winner: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241135
Kennesaw vs #3/#6 winner: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=241136
Livestream links:
Lipscomb vs UNF: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/dbe5cdf4-d82f-4a07-b3d8-d21fe3b815ec/asun-womens-volleyball-tournament
Stetson vs Liberty: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/312431f9-0dec-4272-a25b-b4e0b993f566/asun-womens-volleyball-tournament
FGCU vs #4/#5 winner: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/8d16c74f-a3ae-4d34-a93b-59dffc11f284/asun-womens-volleyball-tournament
Kennesaw vs #3/#6 winner: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/c9a68a65-c5aa-4231-8add-94c23b610c0a/asun-womens-volleyball-tournament
FGCU WBB vs Florida Memorial Recap
In a wave of 2,000 fans, the FGCU women's basketball team (1-1) soared in their home opener at the Alico Arena as they defeated NAIA Florida Memorial (3-1) by a score of 99-68.
"I thought we were a little better offensively than last game," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We shared the ball more, we moved the ball more. I thought we got good shots on offense for the most part. The concern is obviously on defense. We fouled too much in the first half and they were able to beat us off the dribble and get the ball into the paint. That's something we're going to have to work on."
Prior to the game, the Eagles banners were revealed in recognition of winning the 2017-18 regular season championship, A-SUN Conference Tournament and their sixth NCAA National Tournament appearance.
In addition, the game did count as a season game for the Eagles, but will not effect their RPI ranking, while it is listed as a exhibition for the Lions.
During the game, between timeouts and end of the quarters, the FGCU athletic department recognized people in attendance that served in all five branches of the United States military with the respect of Veterans Day.
Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka opened the game with a layup, and the Eagles went on a 15-0 run moments later to open up a 19-4 lead.
Redshirt sophomore Kerstie Phills closed the quarter with an old fashioned 3-point play to push the margin to 18. The 33-point first quarter tied the Dec. 4, 2016 performance against Ave Maria for the program's most in an opening quarter since the NCAA went to its current format.
In the second, redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan and sophomore Alyssa Blair combined for a trio of 3-point field goals in the final two minutes, including one at the buzzer from Blair to give the Eagles a 22-point margin at the break.
Jewett-Giles then scored eight points to spur a 13-4 run to open the second half, giving FGCU a 70-39 lead.
Another old fashioned 3-point play, this one from redshirt freshman Tyra Cox, capped off an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer from freshman Tanner Bryant, and a layup from redshirt senior Brittany Johnson then gave the Eagles its largest lead, 36, in the final two minutes.
For the Eagles, six players finished in double-digit points with Jewett-Giles leading the way. The hometown favorite finished with 15 points (6-for-11, 3-for-6 3 PT), four rebounds and three assists.
"It was just a great experience playing in front of my home crowd," Jewett-Giles said. "I'm just glad to be back home and playing for this university. It's just a great feeling. Last year, I spent a lot of time sitting out. I've been waiting forever to get back."
Phills was two rebounds shy of her first double-double with the Eagles as she finished with 11 points (4-6, 3-7 FT), eight rebounds, a block and an assist. Both Jewett-Giles and Phills were in the starting lineup.
Junior Nasrin Ulel had nine points and two rebounds, while redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka had six points, two rebounds and two assists.
Although she did not score any points, junior Tytionia Adderly finished with 13 rebounds (four offensive) and three assists. With four of her rebounds on the offensive end, Adderly is now second all-time in career offensive rebounds (244) as she passed Adrianne McNally (240, 2006-10). Adderly is 86 away from passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2010-14) as the all-time leader in career offensive rebounds. With her nine defensive rebounds, Adderly now has 334 career defensive rebounds and is 48 away from passing Taylor Grandijan (381, 2012-3, 14-18) for sixth all-time. With her 13 total rebounds, the Jupiter native now has 578 and is 26 away from passing Courtney Chihil (603, 2008-12) for fifth all-time.
Off the bench, sophomore Alyssa Blair (four rebounds, three assists), redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan (five rebounds, three assists) and redshirt junior Davion Wingate (six rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals) scored 13 points each. For Ryan and Blair, it was a career-high for them.
Freshman Tanner Bryant had 10 points (4-for-8, 2-for-5 3PT) and two rebounds.
Redshirt senior Destiny Washington finished with four points and three rebound, Cox had three points, two rebounds and two assists, Johnson had two points, two rebounds, an assist and a block, sophomore Sheahen Dowling contributed with two rebounds, and freshman Samantha Streeter contributed with an assist.
Johnson made her FGCU debut as a grad student after graduating and transferring from Quinnipiac University.
Streeter, a former student manager for the Eagles, made the team as a walk-on from Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida. Streeter was an All-Cape Coast Conference standout for both her junior and senior year, a Brevard County Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Year and the FHSAA Class 6A District 13 leading scorer her senior year.
For the Lions, it was the Battles that led the team and by that I mean the Battle sisters, junior Kanesha, sophomore Bri, and freshman Tyesha. All three sisters scored in double figures. Kanesha led the team with 31 points (10-for-19, 5-for-9 3PT, 6-for-7 FT), three rebounds and a steal, Bri had 21 points (5-for-18, 3-for-13 3PT, 8-for-9 FT), six rebounds and three assists and Tyesha had 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
As a team, FGCU's 59 rebounds was just three shy of matching the Alico Arena record as the team improved to 11-0 all-time against Florida Memorial. The 99-point outburst is tied for the eighth-most points in a Division-I era game, and the team's field goals made (38) and attempted (78) is tied for fifth and fourth-most, respectively, in the same era.
Up Next:
FGCU will be back in action at home this Friday at 5 p.m. against Florida International (0-3). The Eagles have met FIU once each year since 2009 and are 9-0 all-time against them.
"I thought we were a little better offensively than last game," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We shared the ball more, we moved the ball more. I thought we got good shots on offense for the most part. The concern is obviously on defense. We fouled too much in the first half and they were able to beat us off the dribble and get the ball into the paint. That's something we're going to have to work on."
Prior to the game, the Eagles banners were revealed in recognition of winning the 2017-18 regular season championship, A-SUN Conference Tournament and their sixth NCAA National Tournament appearance.
In addition, the game did count as a season game for the Eagles, but will not effect their RPI ranking, while it is listed as a exhibition for the Lions.
During the game, between timeouts and end of the quarters, the FGCU athletic department recognized people in attendance that served in all five branches of the United States military with the respect of Veterans Day.
Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka opened the game with a layup, and the Eagles went on a 15-0 run moments later to open up a 19-4 lead.
Redshirt sophomore Kerstie Phills closed the quarter with an old fashioned 3-point play to push the margin to 18. The 33-point first quarter tied the Dec. 4, 2016 performance against Ave Maria for the program's most in an opening quarter since the NCAA went to its current format.
In the second, redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan and sophomore Alyssa Blair combined for a trio of 3-point field goals in the final two minutes, including one at the buzzer from Blair to give the Eagles a 22-point margin at the break.
Jewett-Giles then scored eight points to spur a 13-4 run to open the second half, giving FGCU a 70-39 lead.
Another old fashioned 3-point play, this one from redshirt freshman Tyra Cox, capped off an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer from freshman Tanner Bryant, and a layup from redshirt senior Brittany Johnson then gave the Eagles its largest lead, 36, in the final two minutes.
For the Eagles, six players finished in double-digit points with Jewett-Giles leading the way. The hometown favorite finished with 15 points (6-for-11, 3-for-6 3 PT), four rebounds and three assists.
"It was just a great experience playing in front of my home crowd," Jewett-Giles said. "I'm just glad to be back home and playing for this university. It's just a great feeling. Last year, I spent a lot of time sitting out. I've been waiting forever to get back."
Phills was two rebounds shy of her first double-double with the Eagles as she finished with 11 points (4-6, 3-7 FT), eight rebounds, a block and an assist. Both Jewett-Giles and Phills were in the starting lineup.
Junior Nasrin Ulel had nine points and two rebounds, while redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka had six points, two rebounds and two assists.
Although she did not score any points, junior Tytionia Adderly finished with 13 rebounds (four offensive) and three assists. With four of her rebounds on the offensive end, Adderly is now second all-time in career offensive rebounds (244) as she passed Adrianne McNally (240, 2006-10). Adderly is 86 away from passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2010-14) as the all-time leader in career offensive rebounds. With her nine defensive rebounds, Adderly now has 334 career defensive rebounds and is 48 away from passing Taylor Grandijan (381, 2012-3, 14-18) for sixth all-time. With her 13 total rebounds, the Jupiter native now has 578 and is 26 away from passing Courtney Chihil (603, 2008-12) for fifth all-time.
Off the bench, sophomore Alyssa Blair (four rebounds, three assists), redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan (five rebounds, three assists) and redshirt junior Davion Wingate (six rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals) scored 13 points each. For Ryan and Blair, it was a career-high for them.
Freshman Tanner Bryant had 10 points (4-for-8, 2-for-5 3PT) and two rebounds.
Redshirt senior Destiny Washington finished with four points and three rebound, Cox had three points, two rebounds and two assists, Johnson had two points, two rebounds, an assist and a block, sophomore Sheahen Dowling contributed with two rebounds, and freshman Samantha Streeter contributed with an assist.
Johnson made her FGCU debut as a grad student after graduating and transferring from Quinnipiac University.
Streeter, a former student manager for the Eagles, made the team as a walk-on from Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida. Streeter was an All-Cape Coast Conference standout for both her junior and senior year, a Brevard County Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Year and the FHSAA Class 6A District 13 leading scorer her senior year.
For the Lions, it was the Battles that led the team and by that I mean the Battle sisters, junior Kanesha, sophomore Bri, and freshman Tyesha. All three sisters scored in double figures. Kanesha led the team with 31 points (10-for-19, 5-for-9 3PT, 6-for-7 FT), three rebounds and a steal, Bri had 21 points (5-for-18, 3-for-13 3PT, 8-for-9 FT), six rebounds and three assists and Tyesha had 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
As a team, FGCU's 59 rebounds was just three shy of matching the Alico Arena record as the team improved to 11-0 all-time against Florida Memorial. The 99-point outburst is tied for the eighth-most points in a Division-I era game, and the team's field goals made (38) and attempted (78) is tied for fifth and fourth-most, respectively, in the same era.
Up Next:
FGCU will be back in action at home this Friday at 5 p.m. against Florida International (0-3). The Eagles have met FIU once each year since 2009 and are 9-0 all-time against them.
FGCU WBB vs Florida Memorial Preview
The FGCU women's basketball team (0-1), which is ranked eighth in the first CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll of the season, will look for its first win of the season in a home-opening matchup against Florida Memorial (3-3) on Monday at 7 p.m. in Alico Arena.
Prior to the game, FGCU will drop the banner to honor last year's team that made its fifth NCAA tournament trip in seven seasons and broke the NCAA's single season record for most 3-point field goals. At halftime, the men's basketball team will receive their watches for winning last year's ASUN regular season championship.
Throughout the night, the FGCU athletic department will honor veterans, who can receive a free Priority 4 or 5 general admission ticket with a valid U.S. Military ID and receive half off tickets for all family members. Rally towels will also be presented to the first 100 fans and students.
Home Openers:
Since becoming a Division-I program, FGCU has compiled a 9-2 record in home openers, including some notable wins over Power-5 schools such as an 85-61 win over Illinois last year, a 59-58 win over Michigan State on Nov. 19, 2011 and an 88-86 win over Florida on Nov. 14, 2008.
Division-I Era Home Openers
11/12/17 - W 85-61 vs Illinois
11/15/16 - W 89-42 vs Florida International
11/17/15 - L 62-55 vs Florida Atlantic
11/14/14 - W 88-75 vs George Washington
11/08/13 - W 71-38 vs Bethune-Cookman
11/10/12 - W 100-31 vs Warner
11/19/11 - W 59-58 vs Michigan State
11/12/10 - W 64-57 vs Seton Hall
11/13/09- W 66-54 vs UTEP
11/14/08 - W 88-86 vs Florida
11/09/07 - L 93-53 to No. 19/19 Florida State
Approaching History:
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko entered this season with a 496-114 (.813) career head coaching record, which ranked him as the third winningest active Division-I head coach behind UConn's Geno Auriemma (1,027-136, .883) and Baylor's Kim Mulkey (539-98, .846). Thus, Smesko is just four wins shy of a major coaching milestone, his 500th win. He earned his 400th victory in just 493 games, which was two faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma.
Here's a look at his previous milestones:
100th career win – Dec. 28, 2003 vs Cheyney (85-46)
200th career win – Jan. 19, 2008 vs Kennesaw State (75-64)
300th career win – Dec. 19, 2011 vs USC Upstate (77-53)
400th career win – Feb. 21, 2015 vs USC Upstate (75-59)
500th career win – four wins away
Last Time Out:
FGCU opened the season with an 80-62 loss at South Dakota State on Friday. They were hurt by a 21-2 run that started late in the first half and included a 14-0 run to open the third quarter.
Redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan matched her career-high with 12 points, while draining a new career-high four 3-point field goals. Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka added 10 points, and fellow redshirt senior Destiny Washington blocked a game-high five shots.
Washington, redshirt sophomore Kerstie Phills, freshman Tanner Bryant, redshirt juniors Davion Wingate and Keri Jewett-Giles, and redshirt freshman Tyra Cox all made their FGCU debuts.
Washington joined FGCU as a grad student/double transfer after spending her freshman year at Loyola-Chicago and sophomore and junior years at Ball State.
Jewett-Giles (Southern Miss), Phills (Wagner), Wingate (Stony Brook) and Cox (William and Mary) all made their debuts after sitting out the 2017-18 season per the NCAA transfer rule.
Bryant was the only true freshman that played in the opening game.
Scouting the Lions:
Florida Memorial, led by fifth-year head coach Gregory Stanback, finished 16-10 overall in 2017-18. This year, his team features a trio of sisters - Brianna, Tyesha and Kanesha Battle. Brianna and Kanesha are Division-I transfers from Bethune-Cookman. The team competes as an NAIA member of The Sun Conference.
Series History:
FGCU is 10-0 all-time against Florida Memorial, although the first nine meetings predated the Green and Blue's Division-I era.
Last year's 82-43 win over the visiting Lions witnessed Jessica Cattani (23) and Erica Nelson (16) combine for 39 points. Among returning players, juniors Tytionia Adderly (8) and Nasrin Ulel (7) and Zderadicka (5) combined for 20 points, while Adderly led the way with 12 rebounds.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. It will cost $4.99 a month to watch all A-SUN Conference games.
The commentary at FGCU will be led by play-by-play commentator Dave Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep up on the teams' Twitter pages:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
Florida Memorial: @GoFmuLions
Promos:
Throughout the night, the FGCU athletic department will honor veterans, who can receive a free Priority 4 or 5 general admission ticket with a valid U.S. Military ID and receive half off tickets for all family members. Rally towels will also be presented to the first 100 fans and students.
Livestats link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=240604
Livestream link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/0d99c35d-5f13-4f83-a3dd-9a246e034995/florida-memorial-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Prior to the game, FGCU will drop the banner to honor last year's team that made its fifth NCAA tournament trip in seven seasons and broke the NCAA's single season record for most 3-point field goals. At halftime, the men's basketball team will receive their watches for winning last year's ASUN regular season championship.
Throughout the night, the FGCU athletic department will honor veterans, who can receive a free Priority 4 or 5 general admission ticket with a valid U.S. Military ID and receive half off tickets for all family members. Rally towels will also be presented to the first 100 fans and students.
Home Openers:
Since becoming a Division-I program, FGCU has compiled a 9-2 record in home openers, including some notable wins over Power-5 schools such as an 85-61 win over Illinois last year, a 59-58 win over Michigan State on Nov. 19, 2011 and an 88-86 win over Florida on Nov. 14, 2008.
Division-I Era Home Openers
11/12/17 - W 85-61 vs Illinois
11/15/16 - W 89-42 vs Florida International
11/17/15 - L 62-55 vs Florida Atlantic
11/14/14 - W 88-75 vs George Washington
11/08/13 - W 71-38 vs Bethune-Cookman
11/10/12 - W 100-31 vs Warner
11/19/11 - W 59-58 vs Michigan State
11/12/10 - W 64-57 vs Seton Hall
11/13/09- W 66-54 vs UTEP
11/14/08 - W 88-86 vs Florida
11/09/07 - L 93-53 to No. 19/19 Florida State
Approaching History:
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko entered this season with a 496-114 (.813) career head coaching record, which ranked him as the third winningest active Division-I head coach behind UConn's Geno Auriemma (1,027-136, .883) and Baylor's Kim Mulkey (539-98, .846). Thus, Smesko is just four wins shy of a major coaching milestone, his 500th win. He earned his 400th victory in just 493 games, which was two faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma.
Here's a look at his previous milestones:
100th career win – Dec. 28, 2003 vs Cheyney (85-46)
200th career win – Jan. 19, 2008 vs Kennesaw State (75-64)
300th career win – Dec. 19, 2011 vs USC Upstate (77-53)
400th career win – Feb. 21, 2015 vs USC Upstate (75-59)
500th career win – four wins away
Last Time Out:
FGCU opened the season with an 80-62 loss at South Dakota State on Friday. They were hurt by a 21-2 run that started late in the first half and included a 14-0 run to open the third quarter.
Redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan matched her career-high with 12 points, while draining a new career-high four 3-point field goals. Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka added 10 points, and fellow redshirt senior Destiny Washington blocked a game-high five shots.
Washington, redshirt sophomore Kerstie Phills, freshman Tanner Bryant, redshirt juniors Davion Wingate and Keri Jewett-Giles, and redshirt freshman Tyra Cox all made their FGCU debuts.
Washington joined FGCU as a grad student/double transfer after spending her freshman year at Loyola-Chicago and sophomore and junior years at Ball State.
Jewett-Giles (Southern Miss), Phills (Wagner), Wingate (Stony Brook) and Cox (William and Mary) all made their debuts after sitting out the 2017-18 season per the NCAA transfer rule.
Bryant was the only true freshman that played in the opening game.
Scouting the Lions:
Florida Memorial, led by fifth-year head coach Gregory Stanback, finished 16-10 overall in 2017-18. This year, his team features a trio of sisters - Brianna, Tyesha and Kanesha Battle. Brianna and Kanesha are Division-I transfers from Bethune-Cookman. The team competes as an NAIA member of The Sun Conference.
Series History:
FGCU is 10-0 all-time against Florida Memorial, although the first nine meetings predated the Green and Blue's Division-I era.
Last year's 82-43 win over the visiting Lions witnessed Jessica Cattani (23) and Erica Nelson (16) combine for 39 points. Among returning players, juniors Tytionia Adderly (8) and Nasrin Ulel (7) and Zderadicka (5) combined for 20 points, while Adderly led the way with 12 rebounds.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. It will cost $4.99 a month to watch all A-SUN Conference games.
The commentary at FGCU will be led by play-by-play commentator Dave Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep up on the teams' Twitter pages:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
Florida Memorial: @GoFmuLions
Promos:
Throughout the night, the FGCU athletic department will honor veterans, who can receive a free Priority 4 or 5 general admission ticket with a valid U.S. Military ID and receive half off tickets for all family members. Rally towels will also be presented to the first 100 fans and students.
Livestats link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=240604
Livestream link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/0d99c35d-5f13-4f83-a3dd-9a246e034995/florida-memorial-vs-florida-gulf-coast
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