FGCU MBB vs Stetson Preview

After finding their way to get back on track, the FGCU men's basketball team (6-13, 1-3 A-SUN) return home to the Alico Arena as they prepare to face Stetson (4-15, 0-4 A-SUN) on Monday, January 21 at 7 pm.

Last Time Out:
After losing their first conference at home against Liberty, the Eagles were on the road for the next three games. After falling to North Alabama (61-56) and UNF (87-66), the Eagles entered their final road trip game with a five-game losing streak which included the last two non-conference losses to Florida (77-56) and Ole Miss (87-57) and in the end, the Eagles managed to pull away with a 72-59 win over Kennesaw.

Offensively, redshirt senior Shadarac Casimir leads the Eagles with 12.9 points per game. Casimir had one of his best games this season as he finished with a season-high 34 points and seven rebounds and the second most in his career (11/26/14 vs Delaware State as a member of Iona). As a result of his performance, Casimir was named co-A-SUN Player and Newcomer of the Week with North Alabama's freshman Christian Agnew. This was his first A-SUN POTW and second A-SUN NOTW

Despite being unable to play due to a leg injury, junior RaySean Scott Jr. Scott Jr is averaging 9.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Junior Christian Carlyle is averaging 8.2 points per game despite going scoreless against Kennesaw and almost fouling out.

Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius also comes into play for the Eagles. Mercurius is averaging 8.4 points per game. Mercurius came off the bench and scored seven points against Kennesaw.

Junior Decardo Day has also been on key as far as assist-wise. Day is averaging 6.6 points and 3.5 assists per game. Against Kennesaw, the double transfer from Southern Utah and Iowa Western Community College had four points and five assists.

As far as defensively and rebounding, aside from Scott Jr., redshirt junior Brady Ernst and sophomore Brian Thomas have came in clutch as well.

Now being a starter for most of the season, Ernst is averaging 4.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Ernst had two points and three rebounds before being pulled out of the game against Kennesaw due to an injury.

After coming back from injury, Thomas is averaging 3.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while also pulling away with 1.6 blocks per game. Thomas, who filled in for Ernst after his injury, had a season-high seven points, eight rebounds and three blocks before fouling out against Kennesaw State, his hometown.

Redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. had nine points and three blocks against Kennesaw. The UNLV transfer is averaging 7.1 points and 0.9 blocks per game.

Ernst (12), Thomas (16) and Baxter Jr. (17) have a combined blocks 45 blocks.

Another Eagle Down:
Already losing redshirt senior Hannif Cheatham due to a shoulder injury, the Eagles also lost redshirt senior Ricky Doyle for the rest of the season due to a congenital back issue.

"We're really frustrated for Ricky, but I told him I hope he can find some peace knowing that all he has been dealing with physically for the past few years is out of his control," Fly said. "Ricky is a great student, person and representative of our program. He will always be part of our Eagle family. I look forward to his next step and maintaining a relationship with him for years to come."

Scouting Stetson:
The Hatter will play at North Alabama two days prior to facing FGCU. The Hatters have lost all three ASUN tilts to Liberty, Lipscomb and North Florida. They own victories over Johnson, Western Illinois, UNC Asheville and Edward Waters.

Stetson has two players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore Christiaan Jones' 11.4 ppg. Jones is also second in rebounding at 4.3 rpg. Fellow sophomore Abayomi Iyiola (10.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is the team's leading rebounder and ranks second in scoring.

The Hatters enter their UNA contest with a 0-9 road record this season.

Series History:
The series with the Hatters has also been contested every year since 2008. The Eagles are 19-7 against Stetson, and the 19 victories are the most against a single foe in school history. The Hatters picked up four wins in the first five games of the series, but since then FGCU has dominated to the tune of an 18-3 mark in the last 21 meetings. The Eagles also own a 13-1 mark in the last 14 meetings, and they are on a nine-game win streak inside Alico Arena.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Dave Moulton and color commentator Pete Lonergan.

Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB

Stetson: @StetsonMBB

Promotions:
Coaches vs Cancer- The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Since 1993, coaches have raised over $100 million for the American Cancer Society. The FGCU coaching staff will wear sneakers against Stetson to help raise awareness for the cause.

The game will be a Pinkout and will also serve as the Coaches vs. Cancer contest for FGCU. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to Alico Arena.

ESPN+:
FGCU will air on the subscription-based digital platform ESPN+,  the new home for all A-SUN sports. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee or $39.99 yearly afterwards.

Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238817

ESPN+ livestream link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/7756e6ec-1e13-4044-9a35-4424b9b7be00/stetson-vs-florida-gulf-coast

FGCU Swim and Dive Recap: Senior Night

The FGCU swimming and diving team (6-7, 2-1 CCSA) were narrowly defeated as Miami (4-3, 0-0 ACC) claimed a 126-116 victory Saturday evening at the FGCU Aquatics Complex.

Before the meet, the Eagles honored their 10 seniors, Antonia Baerens, Hannah Burdge, Kiley Eble, Doris Eichhorn, Christina Kaas Elmgreen, Margot Kessler, Lindsay Manganiello, Nicole Oppel, Gracie Redding, and Linda Shaw.

"We had phenomenal energy from the very beginning," said head coach Dave Rollins. "To get started by honoring all of our seniors was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Then having to deal with a delay but having our 200-yard medley relay team start with an in-season best time was really awesome. The girls raced really well all day as well as the divers with their performances. At the end of the day, we just ran out of events to close the gap a little bit."

"It was great to see the team rally together to get this win," Miami head swimming coach Andy Kershaw said. "This one was definitely a total team effort. Our team showed a lot of grit at the end of our races, and got their hands on the wall. That is a result of the hard work they have been putting in. Our front end speed is still developing, and by the time ACC's comes around we will have all systems in place. I can't wait to see the how fast they swim."

As they've been doing all season, the Eagles came out strong in the opening relay race, claiming first in the 200-yard medley. Eichhorn, sophomore Petra Halmai, Redding and sophomore Rebecca Moynihan clocked in a time of 1:43.68 to take the early lead. Swimming in her signature 1000 free, Shaw's performance of 10:26.52 helped her claim second. Meanwhile, Burdge placed third in the 200-yard free (1:53.53) as Redding produced FGCU's first top overall finish in the 50-yard free (23.42).

Meanwhile, on the 3-meter spring, the Eagles placed second, third and fourth, respectively, with sophomore Megan Wakefield missing out on first place by 12 points with a score of 279.02. Kessler, the lone senior diver, finished third in the 3-meter with a score of 218.92.

Over the next two events, FGCU placed either first or second as junior Cassidy Fry took first in the 100-yard fly (56.01) and Moynihan with the top spot in the 100-yard free (51.21). Elmgreen (100-yard fly, 56.11), Burdge (100-yard free, 51.72) and Eichhorn (100-yard back, 57.36) all collected second-place finishes to keep FGCU within distance.

Shaw came away in first place in the 500-yard free (5:05.69) as Halmai (1:03.99) and junior Emily Glinecke (1:06.05) took second and third, respectively, to set FGCU for a close finish. In the final event of the evening, the 200-yard free relay, the team of Redding, Moynihan, freshman Wiktoria Czarnecka, and Burdge combined for a time of 1:34.81. Despite the first-place outing, it would not be enough as UM edged the Eagles 126-116.

UP NEXT
FGCU will travel to Miami for a dual meet against FIU (1-1) on Jan. 26 at noon.

FGCU vs #17 Miami Recap

The FGCU women's tennis team (1-2) suffered its second loss of the season as the Eagles fell to the 17th-ranked Hurricanes (2-0) 6-1, Saturday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex.

"Miami is a tough team and it showed today in the way that they were able to put pressure on us in tight moments," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "We had a lot of opportunities today and we are continuing to be challenged which is exciting! The ladies are learning to trust the plan and I love to see them trust each other and display courage. We can't wait to get back to work on Monday."

In doubles competition, the Eagles got a huge lift on the top court as the duo of Maja Ornberg and Julia Ascúa (2-1) defeated the No. 51-ranked doubles team in the nation. With a score of 6-2 over Yuna Ito and Ulyana Shirokova, the Green and Blue tandem moved to 2-1 on the year. UM would grab a 6-3 victory on court No. 2, as the Eagles dropped a hard-fought battle on the final court, 7-5, to give Miami a 1-0 lead.

Transition into singles, UM built its lead taking the first three matches until senior Ascúa (2-1) collected a straight-set victory (6-2, 6-4) for her second dual win this season. On court No. 2, Sara Kelly (1-1) produced a 6-2 result in set one, ultimately going into a third-set tiebreaker where the sophomore was edged out by Daevenia Achong (6-2, 4-6, 6-10) en route to the 6-1 final for the visitors.

Up Next:
FGCU returns to the courts for another set of back-to-back matches on Feb. 1-2 where they will face Middle Tennessee (1-1) and in-state foe FAU (1-2).

Raining 3s @ Kennesaw Recap

Redshirt senior Destiny Washington poured in a game-high 19 points as the FGCU women's basketball team (13-4, 4-0 A-SUN) won its fourth-straight game with a 69-46 victory over Kennesaw State (5-12, 1-3 A-SUN) on Saturday. With the win, the Eagles are now 23-2 against the Owls.

"We played a great third quarter to break open the game, and we had a good defensive effort" FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Ty was outstanding, while Des and Lisa both had great games."

The victory was FGCU's fourth straight to open the calendar year, and the Eagles pushed their A-SUN regular season winning streak to 11 straight and 17 of the past 18. Of those 18, 10 have come on the road, including three this year. Furthermore, the Green and Blue has now won 112 of its past 116 regular season conference games dating back to 2011-12.

An 8-0 run to close the first half that featured a key 3-pointer from freshman Tanner Bryant gave FGCU a 14-point lead. The Eagles then put the game away with a dominant 22-5 third quarter. In those 10 minutes, the Green and Blue held Kennesaw State to a 1-for-12 performance from the field, and three of their points came from the foul line.

Meanwhile, redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka led the offense with eight points in the frame, while redshirt sophomore Kerstie Phills hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute to give FGCU a 58-27 lead.

Washington finished 8-for-14 from the field, while adding eight rebounds and team-high three blocks. Over the past four games, the back-to-back reigning A-SUN newcomer of the week is averaging just under 15 points per contest with double-figures in each. Washington now has 901 and is 99 shy of reaching 1,000 career points

Zderadicka added 15 points for her third consecutive double-digit effort. She became the 21st player in program history to be perfect from the foul line (6-for-6) while attempting at least six shots, and she also added a team-high three assists. Zderadicka now has 955 career points and 45 shy of reaching 1,000 career points. In addition to her three assists, she now has 314 in her career.

Junior Tytionia Adderly produced nine points and 13 rebounds, while five other players had at least three points. Adderly's double-digit effort was her fifth-straight against Kennesaw State to open her career. With her 13 total rebounds, Adderly now has 698 (3rd all-time) and trails only Whitney Knight (735, 2nd all-time) and Sarah Hansen (887, all-time leader) while remaining two shy of reaching 700 career rebounds. With her nine rebounds on the offensive front, Adderly now has 289 career offensive rebounds and is 41 shy of passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2010-14) as the all-time leader while for her four defensive rebounds, she has 409 in her career as she passed Robyn Swain (404, 2002-14) for fifth all-time. She is 10 away from passing Adrianne McNally (418, 2006-10) for fourth all-time.

Redshirt junior Davion Wingate finished with seven points and two rebounds. Wingate's seven points put her at 747 in her career.

Defensively, FGCU held Kennesaw State to a 14-for-47 performance from the field, which is a season-low for field goals allowed, and the .298 field goal percentage for the Owls represents the lowest the Eagles have allowed against a Division-I opponent this year.

Up Next
FGCU will return home to host Lipscomb at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Fans are encouraged to wear blue.

FGCU MTEN @ USF Recap

The FGCU men's tennis team (0-1) produced a strong result in doubles but USF (1-0) would storm back in singles en route to the 5-2 final Saturday afternoon.

"I felt USF played the better match today," said head coach CJ Weber. "We came out and did our business in doubles, but USF sustained the level in singles and beat us out in the long run. It was a good match for us to learn more about what we need to focus on this year."

"What was really nice was we were able to win without playing our best tennis," said USF head coach Ashley Fisher. "The tennis will come, and we'll get better as the season goes along. I'd much prefer to have the competitiveness and the problem-solving ability, which the team was able to show collectively today when we got a win after losing the doubles point"

Junior Feliksas Sakalauskas and sophomore Juan Montes (1-0) gave FGCU its first doubles win of the season on court No. 3 with a 6-4 victory. Despite USF responding with a win on court No. 2 against seniors Mateo Ruiz (0-1) and Javier Fernandez (0-1), the Green and Blue received the clinching point from junior Marcelo Tebet (1-0) and senior Ezequiel Cerrini (1-0) as they registered a 6-4 win.

Sakalauskas (1-0), who was making his debut after transferring from Virginia Tech, carried the doubles win momentum onto court No. 4 as the Lithuanian produced a 7-5, 6-0 triumph. The tide then began to turn into the home side's favor as the Bulls knotted up the match 2-2 with a win on court No. 5. From there, USF snagged the remaining three courts for the 5-2 final. Senior Felipe Escobar's match (0-1) was the only one to go into three sets as the senior dropped a hard-fought 6-1, 6-7, 4-6 decision.

Up Next:
FGCU will hit the road and travel to Phoenix, Ariz., from Jan. 25-26 for matches against Grand Canyon (1-0) and Sacramento State (0-1).

FGCU MBB @ Kennesaw Recap

The FGCU men's basketball team (6-13, 1-3 A-SUN) picked up its first A-SUN Conference victory of the season with a 72-59 win over Kennesaw State (3-16, 0-4 A-SUN) Saturday evening at KSU Convocation Center. With the win, the Eagles are now 18-7 over the Owls.

The Eagles were led by a monster performance from senior Schadrac Casimir, who finished with season highs in scoring (34), rebounding (7) and free throws (10-for-10). He knocked down six 3-point field goals and finished 9-for-15 from the field to record the second-highest point total by any A-SUN player this season.

True freshman Zach Scott added 10 points for FGCU, all coming in the second half.

"I'm really proud of the effort our guys showed on the road in a week where we lost both RaySean (Scott Jr.) and Brady (Ernst)," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "We had a great few days of practice leading up to tonight. I thought our players did a great job of locking in on our game plan and making plays when we needed them. We're always excited to get a win, but we know it's time to refocus quickly to prepare for Stetson."

"At times we [distributed it well], and that is part of the things that we have to overcome," said Kennesaw head coach Al Skinner. "We have to do it a little more consistently. I thought we were a little inconsistent with our offense. Hopefully as we get a better feel moving forward, we'll handle the ball better and if we do that, it will help us tremendously. But that's something that we have to continue to work on."

Scott Jr was unable to play due to an injury he suffered at UNF while Ernst, who finished with two points and three rebounds, only played four minutes before being pulled out due to a concussion.

With Ernst sidelined, sophomore Brian Thomas, despite fouling out, filled in for Ernst and finished with his best game of the season of six points and a team-leading eight rebounds in his hometown.

The Eagles shot 42.4 percent (25-for-59) overall, 30 percent (9-for-30) from behind the 3-point line and 76.5 percent (13-for-17) at the free-throw line. KSU shot just 35.8 percent (19-for-53) overall, 33.3 percent (5-for-15) from deep range and 76.2 percent (16-for-21) at the charity stripe.

FGCU led the way in assists (12-10), fewer turnovers (13-15), blocks (6-1), steals (7-6), points in the paint (33-19), points off turnovers (13-11), second-chance points (6-3), fast-break points (9-7), and bench production (17-10).

Redshirt junior Tyler Hooker entered the game leading the A-SUN in scoring at 19 points per game, but he was held to just 13. Danny Lewis led the Owls with 16, while Bobby Parker added 12.

"The defensive end is going to be really important for us, and again, it's the inconsistencies that we have," said Skinner on the Owls' defense. "We played well defensively for a period of time and then we'd give up a couple of easy opportunities. Those things have to improve and with a young team, unfortunately, this is what happens. As the season goes along, we will continue to get better in that area."

FGCU scored the first eight points of the game and never allowed KSU to get closer than five. The Eagles initially found a 21-6 advantage but allowed the Owls to use an 8-0 run to pull within seven at the midway point of the opening frame. A quick 6-0 run by Casimir extended FGCU's lead back out to 13, and the visitors maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the first half. Sophomore Brian Thomas converted a put-back layup at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 40-28 cushion at the break. The 12-point halftime lead was the second-largest of the season and the most since the team entered the locker room up 14 over UMBC on Dec. 16.

Scott came out on fire in the second half, scoring the first seven points for the Eagles to help the visitors extend their lead to 21 points. They maintained that advantage all the way until KSU used a 7-0 run to get within 63-55 at the 4:32 mark. Casimir ended any comeback threat, however, by icing the game with seven points down the stretch.

Up Next:
After a three-game road swing that will have spanned 16 days, the Eagles return home for a Jan. 21 clash with Stetson. The Eagles and Hatters will lock up at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 in the Pinkout game, which will also double as the Coaches vs. Cancer contest. The FGCU staff will wear sneakers to help raise awareness.

Miles Drains 3s for SCF Basketball Over Impact

Sophomore Clearance Miles made a big impact behind the arc as the SCF basketball team (11-9, 2-1 Suncoast) took a breather from Suncoast Conference play with a 95-65 win over Impact Academy. With the win, the Manatees are now 7-0 overall against Impact (2012-present).

"Our whole mindset going into this game was first we can't look over anybody," said head coach Tom Parks. "We dropped a prep school game our first game of the year and will never look over anyone. We didn't overlook them (Impact), but we definitely never look over any opponent. The second was we wanted to play really really hard, be really unselfish, work the ball and play on both sides of the floor."

Before the game took place, Saturday was dubbed as SCF Alumni Weekend beginning with the inaugural women's tennis scrimmage that featured alum Abby Martinez (2011-13), Mia Popaja (2011-13), Emily Acierno (2014), Miranda Talbert (2013-15) and of course, current head coach Chloe Murphy (2013-14). The alum played in mixed doubles competition against the current team that included sophomores Camile Portalier and Laura Illanes-Rodriguez and freshmen Sara Ramirez-Goncalves and Britain Botsford.

This was followed by the annual SCF Softball Alumni Game with the alumni playing against the current SCF softball team. The alumni that were in attendance included Jaclyn Cokeroft (2012-13), Emma Barlow (2012-13), Ashley Burney (2012-13), Kassidy Neptune (2015-16), Cacey Simmons (2015-16), Nikki Sedivy (2015-16), Alisa Jackson (2015), Kayleigh Walters (2016-18) and Brittany Gilliam (2015-16).

Side Note: Since I was an alum, I even got to be a part of the game on the field and at the plate. I made a couple of good fielding plays and even brought in a run on a fielder's choice.

Later, the SCF baseball hosted their annual alumni game with a few players I know, which included Brad Zunica (2015) and Ronny Orta (2015-16) going against the current team.

Now we turn to the basketball game. Impact opened the floodgates in the first half with a 3-pointer until the Manatees got their first points on the board from a layup by sophomore Cyrus Barnes. After a second Impact 3-point shot made it 6-2, the Manatees would answer with another Barnes layup, which was followed by steal and thunderous dunk by freshman D'Moi Hodge that tied the game at 6-6 before Barnes gave the Manatees an 8-6 lead.

Sophomore DeAndre Osuigwe would extend the lead to 11-6 after a 3-pointer, but another Impact 3-pointer cut the Manatees lead to one by a score of 11-10 before freshman Remy Robert II re-extended the lead to 14-10 before adding a fade-away jump shot, which was followed by an Osuigwe lay up before Impact cut the Manatees' lead to 18-13 before a timeout.

After the timeout and another thunderous dunk from sophomore Miles Wilson, defense was the main reason in the first half from several steals leading to buckets. It was smooth sailing for the Manatees in the first half as they were ahead 48-27.

"There were a couple times when we're having a little bit too much fun, but obviously we all started playing the game of basketball because it's fun," said Parks.

In the second half, the game got really hot. Impact began with a 10-0 run that put the Manatees lead at 48-38. Little did Impact know was that there was a spark growing, but it did not come from the starting lineup though. In fact, the game got hot from the bench, mainly behind the 3-point line from an unexpected source in Miles. In the first half, Miles hit one 3-pointer, which was the only one he had, but when the second half hit, the native of Fredricksburg, Virginia went on an onslaught. After scoring two of his three free throws, Miles went on a shooting spree after his first 3-pointer in the second half five minutes in and continued to get three after three after three. To the end, it was smooth sailing for the Manatees. Miles lead the team off the bench as he finished with a career-high 29 points while going 9-for-16 from the 3-point line.

"I just got hot out there," said Miles. "The team kept feeding me the ball and they're the reason why I scored."

"I never want to take the fun away from our team," said Parks on Miles. "So it was really fun to watch Clearance hit a bunch of 3s. It was even more fun to watch the bench and the teammates react to his threes because that shows you how much we care about each other and how much we want the next man up to do well in the game."

Along with Miles, two other players from the bench lead the Manatees offensively, sophomore Corey Davis and freshman Max Richards. Davis finished behind Miles with 12 points (5-for-10 FG, 2-for-4 FT) and eight rebounds while Richards added 11 points (5-for-6, 1-for-2 3PT), one rebound and one assist.

"It was pretty intense," said Davis. "We all came out hungry, ready to battle and ready to compete. Coach (Parks) tells us all the time to treat every game like it's your last and every game we play, we play to get better. We don't step to play backwards, we step to play forwards."

From the starters, Hodge finished with six points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and three steals, while Osuigwe finished with seven points and seven assists. Barnes led all starters with eight points and three assists while Robert finished with five points, four rebounds and four assist and sophomore Joel Coffey finished with six points and an assist.

Freshmen Christnoff Scarborough (two rebounds and one assist) and Max Bell-Ramos (seven points, one rebound, one assist and one steal) and sophomores Miles Wilson (four points, one rebound and one steal) and Shelby Rhodes (five rebounds and two assists) also contributed in the game.

The Manatees were without redshirt sophomore Tre Alexandrea and freshman Isaiah Dasher in the starting lineup as they were getting rest due to minor injuries.

Up Next:
The Manatees will resume Suncoast play as they welcome Polk State (10-10, 3-1 Suncoast) Wednesday night, January 23 at 7 pm. The Eagles defeated SCF 96-72 in the opening of Suncoast play.

FGCU MBB @ Kennesaw Preview

The FGCU men's basketball team (5-13, 0-3 A-SUN) wrap up their three game road trip as they travel to Kennesaw, Georgia to face Kennesaw State (3-15, 0-3 A-SUN) on Saturday, January 19 at 4:30 pm at the KSU Convocation Center. The game will be part of a doubleheader as Raining 3s (12-4, 3-0 A-SUN) will also play Kennesaw (5-11, 1-2 A-SUN).

Last Time Out:
The Eagles are entering the matchup on a five-game losing streak as they have dropped their first three conference games to A-SUN newcomers Liberty (81-63) and North Alabama (61-56) and UNF (87-66).

FGCU was buoyed by a personal-best effort against UNF from junior Christian Carlyle. Carlyle erupted for a career-high 21 points, while also earning new top marks in made field goals (8) and 3-point baskets (3). Carlyle is averaging 8.7 points per game.

Senior Schadrac Casimir also reached double figures, finishing with 10 points. Casimir is averaging 11.5 points per game.

True freshman Caleb Catto had a solid all-around performance that included five points, three rebounds and a season-best five steals against UNF. His five swipes were the most for an Eagle since Feb. 17 of last year (Brandon Goodwin). In addition, Cotto was named FGCU's Scholar-Athlete of the Month. Catto is averaging 2.8 points per game.

The Eagles shot 36.7 percent (22-for-60) from the field, 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from 3-point land and 62.5 percent (15-for-24) at the free-throw line. UNF shot 47.7 percent (31-for-65) overall, 48.4 percent (15-for-31) from deep and 62.5 percent (10-for-16) at the line.

Following Casimir is junior RaySean Scott Jr. Scott Jr is averaging 9.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. The Compton native did not play against UNF.

Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius also comes into play for the Eagles. Mercurius is averaging 8.5 points per game. Mercurius came off the bench and scored seven points against UNF.

As far as defensively and rebounding, aside from Scott Jr., redshirt junior Brady Ernst and sophomore Brian Thomas have came in clutch as well.

Now being a starter for most of the season, Ernst is averaging 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in comparison to last season (2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game). Ernst had three points and six rebounds against UNF.

After coming back from injury, Thomas is averaging 2.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while also pulling away with 1.4 blocks per game. Thomas had a season-high five points, four rebounds and two blocks against UNF. In fact, this will be the second time Thomas will play in his hometown of Kennesaw, Georgia. The first time was on January 18, 2018 where he finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

Junior Decardo Day has also been on key as far as assist-wise. Day is averaging 6.8 points and 3.6 assists per game. Against UNF, the double transfer from Southern Utah and Iowa Western Community College had four points and six assists. Day's best game so far was against North Alabama where he dropped a career-high 20 points.

Redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. had eight points and three blocks against UNF. The UNLV transfer is averaging 6.9 points and 0.9 blocks per game.

Ernst, Thomas and Baxter Jr. make a combined blocks 39 blocks with Baxter Jr leading the way (14).

Another Eagle Down:
Already losing redshirt senior Hannif Cheatham due to a shoulder injury, the Eagles also lost redshirt senior Ricky Doyle for the rest of the season due to a congenital back issue.

"We're really frustrated for Ricky, but I told him I hope he can find some peace knowing that all he has been dealing with physically for the past few years is out of his control," Fly said. "Ricky is a great student, person and representative of our program. He will always be part of our Eagle family. I look forward to his next step and maintaining a relationship with him for years to come."

Scouting Kennesaw:
The Owls enter Saturday's game also on a five-game losing skid. The three wins this season for the program have come over Oglethorpe (NCAA DIII), Tennessee Tech and Southeastern (NAIA). The Owls have lost all three conference games so far, falling by at least 20 points to NJIT, Jacksonville and Liberty. They also have narrow setbacks to Kansas State, Missouri, Gardner-Webb and Elon.

Redshirt junior Tyler Hooker leads KSU in scoring at 18.9 points per game, and he is also third in rebounding at 4.5 rpg, redshirt junior Bryson Lockley (6.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg) is the top rebounder, and senior Kosta Jankovic (9.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg) is second in both scoring and rebounding. All three victories for KSU have come at home.

Series History:

FGCU leads the all-time series with the Owls 17-7. The 17 victories are tied for third-most for the Eagles against one opponent in school history. KSU nipped the Green and Blue 97-93 in Fort Myers last year, but before that FGCU had won 15 straight against Kennesaw State. The series began in 2008, and the two sides have met every year since then. FGCU is also 7-4 over Kennesaw State inside KSU Convocation Center.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. The game will also be heard on Owl Radio.

Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Chris Mooneyham and color commentator Terrance Hill.

Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB

Kennesaw: @KSUOWLSMBB

ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the subscription-based digital platform ESPN+,  their new home. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards or $39.99 a year.

Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=237662

Livestream Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/31d0f1ba-0fa5-4ce1-b3fd-7375757bfde2/florida-gulf-coast-vs-kennesaw-state

Audio Link: http://ksuradio.com/

FGCU MTEN @ USF Preview

The FGCU men's tennis team will open its 2019 campaign on the road for a third-straight year as the Eagles head up I-75 to take on USF Saturday afternoon at 2 pm.

Last Time Out:

FGCU finished the 2018 campaign 9-12 overall, going 3-3 in ASUN action. After taking home the ASUN Championship in 2017, resulting in the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance, the Eagles are poised heading into 2019.

Including a pair of 2018 A-SUN Second Team members in senior Javier Fernandez and unior Felipe Ramirez, the Eagles bring back five of their six-man singles lineup. Also added to the mix was a pair of transfers in sophomore Juan Montes and junior Feliksas Sakalauskas.

This past fall, seniors Felipe Escobar and Mateo Ruiz made FGCU history as the first doubles tandem to receive an entry into the Oracle ITA National Championships in November.

Preseason Coaches Poll:

FGCU was slotted No. 2 with 52 points as UNF finished ahead of the Eagles with 63 points and seven first-place votes. Liberty (47) was picked third as the Flames took the final first-place vote.

Stetson (43) placed fourth as Lipscomb (34), Kennesaw State (25), NJIT (16) and North Alabama (8) capped off the poll.

Scouting the Bulls:

USF finished its 2018 season with a 10-16 overall record, going 2-3 in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Seeded fifth in the AAC Tournament, the Bulls made a run into the title match, ultimately falling to Tulane, 4-3.

The Bulls roster this season includes six newcomers which helped USF land the No. 15-ranked recruiting class in the nation according to Tennis Recruiting Network. 

Alberto Barroso-Campos returns for his senior season as he captured 11 wins between courts one and two last season. Barroso-Campos is currently ranked No. 43 in singles play. 

Junior Jakub Wojcik collected a team-best 11 victories in singles last season while also adding 13 wins in doubles.

Series History:

Overall the Eagles are 0-3 against the Bulls.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be available for fans that are unable to travel to Tampa.

Fans can also keep up on Twitter:

FGCU: @FGCU_MTen

USF: @USFMTEN

Livestats link: http://sidearmstats.com/usf/mten/xlive.htm

FGCU Swim and Dive vs Miami: Senior Night Preview

The FGCU swimming and diving team (6-6, 2-1 CCSA) wrap up their final home meet at the FGCU Aquatic Complex as they welcome Miami (3-5) for a rematch on Saturday, January 19 at 6 p.m.

Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off of facing Bowling Green, Buffalo and CCSA rival Liberty Saturday morning. The Eagles defeated Bowling Green (175-120) and Buffalo (172-117) before falling to Liberty (173-122).

The Eagles earned first place finishes in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay, but it was sophomore Petra Halmai and senior Gracie Redding that took first place finishes individually and in the relays. Both Halmai and Redding took first in the 200 medley relay while Halmai took first in the 200 medley and Redding took first in the 50 free and 400 free relay.

Halmai and Redding also took second and third places in other events (Halmai: 2nd in 100 breast and 200 breast; Redding: 2nd in 100 fly).

Meanwhile on the diving portion, sophomore Megan Wakefield would take second place in one meter dive (244.45) and third in the three meter (248.22).

Weekly Awards:
As a result of their performances against Bowling Green, Buffalo and Liberty, Redding and Wakefield were named CCSA Swimmer (Redding) and Diver (Wakefield) of the Week. This was the second time this season both have won the weekly awards. Overall, it was both their third weekly awards in their careers.

"Gracie is competing and practicing at another level right now," stated head coach Dave Rollins on Redding's performance. "To start her final semester as an Eagle in such an incredible way will only help build her confidence and the confidence of her teammates as we approach the championship season."

"Megan continues to be incredibly consistent each and every meet," said Rollins on Wakefield's performance. "Getting a chance to compete, and compete very well, against strong competition, will continue to help her and our program as the season continues.  She consistently comes up huge for us each and every meet."

Senior Soundoff:
The meet will be dubbed as senior night for 10 seniors: Redding, Antonia "Toni" Baerens, Hannah Burdge, Kiley Eble, Doris Eichorn, Christina "Tina" Kaas Elmgreen, Margot Kessler, Lindsay Manganiello, Nicole Oppel, and Linda Shaw. Kessler is the lone senior on the diving team while Redding (FSU) and Baerens (Nevada) are the lone transfers on the team so far.

"It's a special time of the year when you can honor an incredible class like this one," said head coach Dave Rollins. "Not only are these are these ladies world-class people that we will be saying goodbye to, but they are some of the best and brightest that have ever come through this program. It's been an absolute pleasure to coach these young women. They are set up to do some amazing things not just in the pool but in life as well."

Scouting Miami:
The Hurricanes are coming off of competing in a tri meet against Florida State and Alabama where they lost 225-71 against Alabama and lost 239-59 to FSU.

On the swimming portion, sophomore Carmen San Nicolas placed fifth with a time of 1:53.48, while junior Manon Viguier placed seventh at 1:54.06 in the 200 free.

Meanwhile, sophomore Sydney Knapp placed sixth in the 50 free with a time of 24.12, just .02 seconds faster than her teammate, Viguier, who finished sixth.

San Nicholas added a fifth-place finish in the 100 free to her resume, hitting the wall in a time of 52.33, while senior Roxanne Yu (2:03.37) notched a fifth-place finish in the 200 back.

The Hurricanes closed out the tri-meet with freshman Zorry Mason (24.16), Viguier (23.48), freshman Coco Hull (23.88) and Knapp (23.87) securing fourth in the 200 free relay (1:35.39).

On the diving side, Freshman Millie Haffety edged out Florida State's Molly Carlson by 0.4 points in the 3-meter (308.40), to secure the first-place finish. In the 1-meter, the freshman placed third (277.80), just 13.05 points behind first-place finisher Carlson.

In the 1-meter, senior Carolyn Chaney finished fourth with a score of 269.20, while redshirt sophomore Alicia Blagg (242.55) placed seventh.

Series History:
Despite the Eagles falling 121-119 to Miami in Atlanta on October 19, 2018, the Eagles are 8-5 all-time against the Hurricanes.

How to Keep Up:
Fans can keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_WSwim

Miami: @CaneSwimDive

List of Events:
200 Medley Relay
1000 Free
200 Free
50 Free
200 IM
1M Dive
100 Fly
100 Free
100 Back
500 Free
3M Dive
100 Breast
200 Free Relay

FGCU WTEN vs Georgia State Recap

The FGCU women's tennis team (1-1) were put to the test as they defeated Georgia State 4-1. With the win, the Eagles are now 1-2 against the Panthers.

"Georgia State is a tough team, they battled hard against us today and we were thankful to be challenged by them," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "The ladies are committed to giving 100 percent of what they have to give each day. We spoke after the match about the moments they showed courage and stepped into the court and played outside their comfort zone. We're excited and grateful to compete against Miami tomorrow."

Beginning with doubles, the team of redshirt sophomore Sara Kelly and senior Laura "Lau" Falceto (1-0) defeated junior Anastasia Grosheva and senior Lara Vovk (0-1) 6-3 at #3 doubles.

After the team of junior Sofia Perez and sophomore Madison Gallegos (1-1) fell 7-5 to junior Damira Muminović and freshman Eva Chivu at #2 doubles, the rubber match came down to the team of senior Julia Ascua and junior Maja Ornberg (1-1) as they secured the doubles point and defeated senior Daniela Ramirez and freshman Andreea Stanescu (0-1) 7-5 to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead

Heading into singles, Gallegos (1-0) would added on to the Eagles' lead as the Denver native defeated Grosheva (0-1) 6-2, 6-1 to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead at #6 singles.

The Panthers did manage to get on the board as Ramirez (1-0) defeated Ascua (1-1) with a 6-0 pair decision. Hoping to avenge the point, Perez gave the Eagles a 3-1 lead as she defeated Vovk 6-3, 6-4 at #5 singles leaving to three matches: Ornberg vs Chivu, Kelly vs Muminović, and Font vs Stanescu.

With one final push, the Eagles pulled away with the win as Ornberg (1-1) defeated Chivu (0-1) 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (8-2).

Since Ornberg secured the final point, the Eagles decided to forgo their last two matches despite Kelly being up 7-6 (7-5), 4-3 and Font ahead 6-1, 1-3.

Up Next:
The Eagles remain at home as they welcome #17 Miami (1-0) to the FGCU Tennis Complex on Saturday, January 19 at 9 a.m.

FGCU WTEN vs Georgia State; Miami Preview

The FGCU women's tennis team (0-1) is faced with two-straight matches as they welcome Georgia State Friday at 10 am and #17 Miami Saturday morning at 9 am.

Last Time Out:
The Eagles fell in its season-opener to I-75 foe USF in a 5-2 battle. After the Bulls clinched the double point, Sara Kelly tied the match 1-1 with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 win on court No. 2.

Senior Julia Ascúa's match went into three sets as she came out on top 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, to bring the deficit down to one (3-2) before the visitors pulled away.

Scouting Georgia State:
Friday will mark the Panthers' season-opener as they finished the 2018 season going 12-15 overall, capturing the Sun Belt Tournament Championship en route to an NCAA Tournament First Round appearance.

Leading returners for the Panthers include Damira Muminovic and Daniela Ramirez who both recorded 12 wins apiece in singles play. On the doubles side, Anastasia Grosheva and Ramirez teamed up to go 4-3.

Scouting Miami:
The Hurricanes will commence its season at FAU Friday after going 18-8 overall with an 11-3 mark in ACC play. The Hurricanes ended their season in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, falling to Vanderbilt.

UM enters the 2019 season with two ranked ITA players in No. 7 Estela Perez-Somarriba and Daniella Roldan at No. 82.

On the doubles side, Yuna Ito and Ulyana Shirokova are ranked No. 51. Perez-Somarriba was named the ACC Player of the Year and an ITA All-American after going 39-8 in singles and 15-13 in doubles. Meanwhile, Roldan finished 14-15 in singles and 13-11 in doubles.

Miami will be the highest-ranked opponent the Eagles will have faced at home. Duke entered the Nest ranked No. 18 back in March of 2017.

Series Histories:
Overall with the two teams, the Eagles are 0-2 against the Panthers while against the Hurricanes, they are 0-4.

How to Keep Up:
Fans can keep up with all three teams on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_WTen

Georgia State: @GSUWTennis

Miami: @CanesWTennis

Raining 3s @ Kennesaw State Preview

Wrapping up their three-game road trip, the FGCU women's basketball (12-4, 3-0 A-SUN) travel to Kennesaw, Georgia as they prepare to face Kennesaw State (5-11, 1-2 A-SUN) on Saturday, January 19 at 2 p.m. at the KSU Convocation Center. The game will be featured as a doubleheader as FGCU's men's team (5-13, 0-3 A-SUN) will face Kennesaw's men's team (3-14, 0-2 A-SUN).

Last Time Out:
The Eagles opened their three-game road trip with wins over North Alabama (68-52) and UNF (105-66). Currently, the Eagles sit in first place in the A-SUN and as a result of their week, the Eagles moved up in the polls as they moved to #5 in the Collegeinsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major Poll.

Offensively, junior Nasrin Ulel and redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles lead the Eagles offensively.

Ulel is averaging 15.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Against UNA, Ulel was held to nine points and three rebounds, but against UNF, she had 18 points and a rebound while adding two blocks. With her 18 points, Ulel has 689 in her career and passed DyTiesha Dunson (673, 2012-16: 19th), Robyn Swain (675, 2002-04: 18th) and Delia De La Torre (683, 2006-08: 17th). Ulel now sits 17th all-time with two more upcoming milestones in sight: becoming the 17th player to reach 700 career points and surpass Andrea Clarke (726, 2003-05) for 16th all-time.

Despite a few bumps in a couple of game, Jewett-Giles is averaging 13.1 points and 2.7 assists per game. The hometown hero of Ft. Myers had 14 points and one assist against UNA while against UNF, she had 18 points and four assists. All of Jewett-Giles' points against UNF were from the 3-point line (6-of-9), which was a career-high.

The Empress of Assists:
Now earning the title of "Empress of Assists" is redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka. Zderadicka is averaging 9.3 points and 3.7 assists per game. Against UNA, Zderadicka had 14 points and five assists, while against against UNF, she earnd something that she never had, even at Houston Baptist: her first collegiate double-double. The Vienna, Austria native posted 15 points and 10 assists against UNF. Zderadicka's 10 assists was a career-high for her and now has 311 career assists, including the 152 assists with Houston Baptist. Zderadicka became the fourth player to record double-digit assists against an A-SUN opponent as her 10 assists tied with Brittany Kennedy (12), associate head coach Chelsea Banbury (10) and Shannon Murphy (10 twice) for the fifth most in a single game.

The Rebound Queens:
As far as rebounding, leading the way for the Eagles in the category are junior Tytionia Adderly and redshirt senior Destiny Washington.

Adderly is averaging 5.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Adderly had eight points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal against UNA while against UNF she had five points and 11 rebounds (two offensive, nine defensive). Adderly has 280 career offensive rebounds and is 50 shy of passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2010-14) as the all-time leader while for defensive rebounds, she has 405 in her career as she passed Robyn Swain (404, 2002-14) for fifth all-time. In overall rebounds, Adderly's has 685 (3rd all-time) and is now trails only Whitney Knight (735, 2nd all-time) and Sarah Hansen (887, all-time leader). In addition, Adderly is 13 points shy of reaching 500 career points.

Meanwhile, Washington is averaging 7.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The Loyola Chicago/Ball State transfer had two straight double-doubles against UNA (20 points and 11 rebounds) and UNF (10 points and 10 rebounds). As a result, Washington was named A-SUN Newcomer of the Week for the second straight time.

"Des has just been playing better and better," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She is starting to see her opportunities to make plays, and she is making the most of them."

She Got Smarts:
despite not being able to play against UNF due to an injury she suffered against UNA, redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan continues to "make it rain" inside the classroom (no pun intended). Ryan, who is averaging 8.9 points per game, was named FGCU's Scholar-Athlete of the Month for the month of December. A criminal justice major, Ryan carries a 3.81 GPA and will graduate this semester with Magna Cum Laude honors after just three years.

"Chandler is an excellent student who takes her academics very seriously," said Smesko. "She's also performed well on the court this season."

Milestones:
The trio of Zderadicka, Washington and Wingate continue to trend toward 1,000 points in their NCAA careers (Zderadicka, 940; Washington, 893; Wingate, 740).

Another milestone for Washington is in rebounds. Washington currently has 593 career rebounds and is seven shy of reaching 600.

Scouting Kennesaw:
The Owls are coming off of 67-61 loss to Liberty and sit seventh in conference. This was their first loss at home this season.

Offensively, sophomores Kamiyah Street and Alexis Poole lead the way for the Owls.

Street is averaging 16.4 points per game. Against Liberty, the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year had 16 points. This was her ninth straight game scoring in double digits.

Poole averages almost a double-double per game as she is averaging 14.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Against Liberty, Poole recorded her eighth double-double as she finished with a career-high 27 points and 15 rebounds and became the first player since Allison Johnson (Savannah State – Nov. 26, 2016) to record 15 or more rebounds.

Freshman Amani Johnson and junior Carlotta Gianolla also play big roles for the Owls.

Johnson is averaging 10.4 points and 5.1 assists per game. Johnson had 10 points and six assists against Liberty.

Gianolla is averaging 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Gianolla had five points and one rebound against Liberty.

Series History:
The Eagles are 22-2 against the Owls. The last time both teams met was on February 22, 2018 at the Alico Arena where the Eagles won 78-51.  The Owls last win against the Eagles was on February 14, 2011 where they won 63-52 at the KSU Convocation Center.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Nathan McCreary, color commentator Autumn Johnson and sideline reporter and Brooke Moore.

Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB

Kennesaw: @KSUOWLSWBB

ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.

Link to Livestats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=237674&vislive=fguu

Link to  Livestream: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/62e239d1-a5be-4a7e-a5be-5c8c7757b5d3/florida-gulf-coast-vs-kennesaw-state

FGCU WTEN vs USF Recap

The FGCU women's tennis team (0-1) dropped its first match of the season as USF (1-1) came away with a 5-2 victory Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex. With the loss, the Eagles are now 1-8 against the Bulls

"USF played well today," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "They played the game points with more intent than us. We will grow much from today and we'll continue to work hard every day and embrace the many opportunities we have to grow each time we compete. We're grateful for all of our fans that came out today and thankful for the support we always have at our matches."

Beginning with the doubles competition, it was a tight battle on court No.1 as senior Julia Ascúa and junior Maja Ornberg squared off against Nicole Dzenga and Vanja Klaric. Knotted mid-way through the set, the momentum swung in the Bulls favor as they walked away with a 6-4 victory. Meanwhile, the clinching point would come on court No. 3 as sophomore Madison Gallegos and junior Sofia Perez fell 6-3, giving the Bulls a 1-0 advantage heading into singles play.

FGCU tied the match at one with a dominating victory from redshirt sophomore Sara Kelly on court No. 2. The Naples native, who returned to the Eagles, cruised in the first set, 6-1, and came out on top 6-4 in the second set. USF regained its lead to go up 2-1 after claiming the victory on court No. 6. Perez nearly captured her first set in a hard-fought 7-6 battle as the junior fell in the second stanza, 6-2.

Ascúa's match was the only one to go into three sets Sunday afternoon. The senior took the first set 6-3, only to have Laura Pellicer take the second 6-3. Up 2-1 in the third set, Ascúa pulled away from her counterpart for a 6-3 final, cutting FGCU's deficit to one.

USF's Ana Roman secured the match on court No. 1 over Ornberg (4-6, 3-6) as the Bulls collected the final match of the day on court No. 6 for the 5-2 final.

Up Next:
The Eagles will host Georgia State on Friday, Jan. 18 at 10 am.

FGCU W-TEN vs USF Preview

The FGCU women's tennis team (0-0) kicks off its season hosting I-75 foe USF for a Sunday matinee meeting beginning at 2 pm at the FGCU Tennis Complex. The match against the Bulls is part of a five-match homestand the Eagles will host this month and into February.

Last Time Out:
FGCU capped off the 2018 season going 10-8 overall with a perfect 6-0 league record for a second-straight year. The reigning A-SUN Player of the Year Maja Ornberg produced a 12-1 record on court No. 1 last season as she was one of three Eagles to turn in double-digit wins going 15-3 (19-12 overall) in dual action and posted a 6-0 mark in A-SUN play.

Senior and three-time A-SUN First teamer Julia Ascúa racked up seven wins on court No. 2 (second-most in the A-SUN), producing eight dual wins.

All said the Green and Blue bring back a bolstered roster with seven players returning to the mix.

A-SUN Preseason Poll:
The back-to-back A-SUN regular season champs collected 52 points and one first-place vote in the A-SUN Coaches Poll released Friday afternoon. Atop the poll, conference newcomer Liberty and UNF each garnered 57 points apiece for a first-place tie. The Ospreys came away with four first-place votes compared to the Flames' three.

Lipscomb (37) was selected to finish fourth in the poll, ahead of Stetson (35) and NJIT (24). Kennesaw State (18) and the A-SUN's second newcomer team this year North Alabama (8) rounded out the poll.

Scouting USF:
The Bulls kicked off its season Saturday afternoon suffering a 4-3 loss to FAU. The Bulls went 12-10 overall in 2018 with a 4-3 mark in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

The squad is led by three seniors in Nicole Dzenga, Vanja Klaric, and Ana Roman Dominguez. Dzena produced a 12-5 record last season highlighted by an eight-match win streak. Dzena lost her match at #6 singles (6-3, 1-6, 6-7)

Meanwhile, Klaric registered a team-best nine-match win streak going 13-8 in singles last season. Klaric won her match at #4 singles (7-5, 6-1)

Coming off of a 5-12 record in single, Roman Dominguez upset 88th ranked Natalia Boltinskaya at #1 singles (6-0, 6-1).

Series History:
The Bulls hold a 7-1 record against the Eagles. The Bulls won 4-3 last season. The Eagles lone win was on January 24, 2017 where the Eagles won 5-2 at the FGCU Tennis Complex.

How to Keep Up:
Fans can keep up with both teams on their Twitter pages:
FGCU: @FGCU_WTen
USF: @USFWTEN