FGCU Sand Volleyball

With the spring semester winding down by each day, it doesn't stop people watching beach volleyball. FGCU's sand volleyball team went 4-11 last year and are coached by Matt Botsford from indoor voleyball. For some people, it is considered to be "spring training," especially for the team that has 9 players from the indoor volleyball team: Karissa Rhodes, Ella Kazarian, Marlene Moeller, Vanessa Benke, Caroline Jordan, Amanda Carroll, Leigh Pudwill, Kaiti Krivdo and Elisa Anne Aldrich. Mackenzie Allen is from indoor; however, as this past season ended, she will only be doing sand volleyball next season. Although Vanessa, Ella and Marlene have been on the team before, there are 4 players that are on the sand volleyball team: Madi Wilcox, Katherine Puisis, Kellie Pernula and Ashley Glickert.


The first player mentioned is Madi Wilcox. Wilcox is a5'10" junior from Mundelein, Illinois. As a freshman on the team, Madi went 7-15 with notable wins over teams like Tulane, FAU and Mercer. This year for Madi will change.


Next is Katherine Puisis. the 5'11" freshman from Mason, Ohio has good instinct with the team. She went to William Mason High School and played under Tiann Myer. There, Katie was named to the Second Team All-Conference in Ohio her freshman year, First Team All-Conference in her sophomore to senior year, First Team All-District as a junior and senior and Third Team All-State and the Conference Player of the Year. In addition, she was ranked first in Ohio in the U16 and U18 standings and finished top 20 at the JBT Nationals in Milwaukee. With her experience, Katie can bring a spark to the team.


Kellie Pernula is a perfect fit for the sand volleyball team. The 5'7" freshman from Plant City, Florida can bring it to the limit. Pernula went to Plant City High School. There she played volleyball under head coach Jessica Thorton. As a senior there, Kellie was named to the All-Conference and All-County teams. Kellie also played club volleyball for the Tampa United Volleyball Academy winning MVP 3 times. Kellie definitely has the tools for the team.


Last, but never least is Ashley Glickert. The 5'10" junior from Chesterfield, Missouri can show you what shes got. Unfortunately on the FGCU Athletics page, there is no info on her, but there is no doubt in my mind that she will show the fans what shes all about.

For sand volleyball, teaming with some of the indoor volleyball players is a really nice feeling for them and for the indoor volleyball players, teaming with the beach volleyball players helps them out for next season. People would underestimate Beach Volleyball and would think of it as a game just for the fun of it, but seeing these girls play is much more different than you would think. So if you think that the FGCU Beach Volleyball team is not a great sport to watch, you better think again because they can most likely beat you in a heartbeat.

FGCU Softball

I want to clarify something for my sports blogs that I forgot to clarify; normally, I have a good amount of info on some of the athletes that are transfers, but at times it can be very tricky to try and find out about the players and I would have to use other sources for info on the players such as NJCAA, NAIA, NCAA DII or NCAA DIII websites. Also for any newcomers as athletes that I cannot find enough info on them, it is not because I did not mention them enough, it's the amount of info that has not been applied to know about them; so I apologize for the viewers that read these blogs for any inconvenience.

The FGCU Softball Team will be talked about for this next blog. The team is coached by David Deiros, who is going into his 14th season as head coach and he is considered to be the "Founding Father" of FGCU Softball leading the team to 11 seasons with 35+ wins and a .699 winning percentage. Last season, it was not the team's best. The team went 23-30 and going 5-15 in conference. One interesting fact about this years team is 3 players are not from Florida. For the team, they have 3 seniors playing on the team: Louie Ross (SS), Makensie Mcavoy (OF) and Ashley Dobson (RHP).

Alexis Ross or Louie, as she is called, is considered, in my view, to be the one of the backbones of the FGCU Softball infield. A 5'6" shortstop from Cape Coral, Florida, Louie shows a lot of compassion playing softball. At the start of her freshman year, she played 34 games and started 9 of them. At the end of her freshman year, she finished the year with .315 batting average, 17 Hits and 7 RBIs. When sophomore year came, she was able to start 52 of the 56 games she played, playing as catcher, shortstop, first base and DP(Designated Player). She finished the year batting .245 with 5 home runs, 30 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .415. At her junior year, she went down a little bit, but finished with a .333 batting average and 25 RBIs. For her senior, Louie will spark the team up in any way possible.


Who do you know that has speed to make The Flash look slow? The answer is Makensie McAvoy. The 5'2" outfielder from Plant City, Florida is top notch for the team since her freshman year. At the start as a freshman, Makensie appeared in 32 games, mainly as a pinch hitter in 19 games and pinch runner in 13 games. Her only start was against Iowa State going 3-6 in the game. At the start of her sophomore year, Makensie got more playing time appearing and starting all 59 games with a .263 batting average, with 10 RBIs, 26 runs, 12 walks, and a .962 fielding percentage. At junior year, her batting average went from .263 to .296 with 4 RBIs, 24 runs, 16 walks, and a .982 fielding percentage. With her strong fielding, Makensie can made great strides for the outfield.


The last senior who I can say, in my view, has the beauty and appearance of a supermodel with the pitching power of Tim Lincecum is Ashley Dobson. The 5'10" right-handed pitcher from Wheatfield, Indiana can pack a punch on the mound. Prior to coming to FGCU, Ashley started her freshman and sophomore years at Tallahassee Community College (TCC) of the Panhandle Conference in FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8. In 47 games she pitched 278.1 Innings with 27-14 record, 1.99 ERA, 33 complete games, 207 strikeouts and 85 walks. She did so well those seasons that she led the team to win the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Championship and landed them as the No. 3 seed in the NJCAA National Tournament. After her 2 years, she transferred to FGCU and in her junior year, she finished with a 3.14 ERA through 118 IP with a 10-9 record, 80 strikeouts and 12 complete games (1 shutout). For her senior year, Ashley will bring her firepower for pitching to the extreme.

There are the other players that will backup the three seniors, although the majority of the teams' players are sophomores. On the team are 4 juniors (2 as transfers),12 sophomores and 3 freshman.

There are 2 returning juniors that have just as much experience as the 3 seniors: Jeanie Verderese (2B), and Taylor Wade (RHP).


The first junior is considered to be "the voice" of FGCU Softball and that is Jeanie Verderese. The 5'2"second baseman from Jacksonville, Florida can fire up the team before the team introductions. I got some competition with her for firing up the team LOL. At the Start of her freshman year, Jeanie started 53 of her 57 games played with a .237 batting average, 7 RBIs, and a .934 fielding percentage. When sophomore year hit, Jeanie got better offensively; in 56 games, she started 51 of them batting .248 with a 1 home run and 18 RBIs while still playing well at second base. She played so well offensively and defensively, Jeanie earned A-Sun Academic All-Conference honors with the team. Jeanie has the voice and defense to play her heart out.


The other junior that it is a big factor is Taylor Wade. The 5'10" right-handed pitcher from Pace, Florida has just as much experience for the team. Starting her freshman year, Taylor played well as a pitcher and as a batter. For her pitching she went 4-4 with a 3.12 ERA pitching 58.1 innings, 14 strikeouts and throwing 6 complete games and earning 2 saves. As a batter she batted with a .222 batting average with 4 hits in 18 at-bats and started in 10 of her 28 games played. At her sophomore year, she only pitched and didn't bat, but it wasn't the best year she had. Taylor went 4-5 with 6.52 ERA, 1 complete game and 25 strikeouts. For her junior year, it will turn around for Taylor.

 For the softball, they managed to land 2 transfers from the JUCO area: Amber Plaza (C) and Bree Tourtillott (C).



For one of the two transfers, Amber Plaza is a good fit for the team. Amber is a 5'7" junior catcher from Ft. Myers, Florida. Prior to coming to FGCU, she started her first 2 years at Miami Dade College of the Southern Conference in FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8. In her freshman year at Miami Dade, Amber had a batting average of .284 with 14 RBIs and 8 runs. She did so well that she was named to the First Team All-Southern Conference Team. At sophomore year, she batted .191 with 10 RBIs, 10 runs and a stolen base, but she helped the team go back-to-back in the Southern Conference Championship. Amber is sure to bring her experience to the table

Bree Tourtillot looks like she wouldn't be the proper fit for the team, but if you tell that to the 5'6" catcher from Dixon, Illinois, then you're probably gonna have your face and possibly your head come off clean as a whistle. Bree has plenty of power and can use it well to her capability. Prior to coming to FGCU, Bree played at TCC, a year after Ashley Dobson transferred to FGCU. I'm not sure if she played her freshman year, but in her sophomore year, she did well. In the 50 games she played, Bree had a .314 batting average with 4 home runs, 42 RBIs, 21 runs and a stolen base. Bree will show the other teams that you don't mess with her.

As I mentioned earlier, the majority of the softball team are sophomores and there are 12 on the team: Natalie Lopez (OF), Emily Demurius (2B/SS), Kelsey Huff (OF), Ashley Swiderski (SS), Michaela Hynes (1B), Brittany McGuire (3B), Carissa LiCata (OF), Bri Innamorato (IF), Courtney Noonan (LHP), Chandler Middlebrook (3B), Gabbee Draney (RHP) and LuLu Newmark (C).


For Natalie Lopez, she can sure fire up the outfield both on and off the field. The 5'6" outfielder from Miami, Florida shows it too. At the start of her freshman year, she started 30 of the 50 games she played with .328 batting average (4th best on the team), 6 RBIs, 14 runs, 8 stolen bases, a .421 on base percentage and a .871 fielding percentage. For her sophomore year, heads will be turning to see her play to her fullest.


By her appearance, many would think Emily Demurius would not strike as much as a softball player, but if you said that to the 5'4" second baseman from Miami, Florida, then you better be careful. Although Demurias still has a long way to go, she is still a valuable asset to the team. She also plays shortstop too. In her freshman year, she did not play much in 30 of her games she played. she batted .150 batting average with 2 RBIs, 1 stolen base and 2 runs scored. Last season may not have been her year, but this year for Emily will turn around.


With her speed and powerful "slapping," Kelsey Huff can tell you that from her experience. The 5'7" outfielder from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida has enough "slapping" power to go to the moon. In her freshman, she played in 48 games, with 39 of them as a starter. She had a .331 batting average (3rd best on the team), 7 RBIs, 31 runs, 22 stolen bases, and had 12 multi-hit games. She did so well her freshman year that she was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team. For Kelsey, you can definitely count on her for speed.


For the 5'6" shortstop from Naples, Florida, Ashley Swiderski, she can bring pep in the step for the team. In her freshman year, she did not play much. In 33 games she played last season, she hit .042 with 5 RBIs. Currently at the moment, she is redshirting for the whole season due to an injury, but she will comeback from injury fast.


Michaela Hynes is a good force for the team in any way possible. A 5'6" first baseman from Windermere, Florida, Michaela can show you what power is all about. In her freshman year, she started 34 of her 48 games that she played, hitting a .220 batting average, 2 home runs, 13 RBIs, 7 runs, and a stolen base. For Hynes, this will be her time to shine.

If you need someone with power, then Brittany McGuire is the one to do it. The 5'8" third baseman from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida can bring a swing. In her freshman year, she started as a first baseman starting 42 of the 45 games she played. In that season, she had a .223 batting average with 25 hits, 4 home runs, 26 RBIs, 23 runs and 4 stolen bases. Since Brittany is switching to third base, it won't make no difference for her and her power.


When you see Carissa LiCata in her appearance, you would think she would look more like a model than a softball player. That might be true to some, but the old saying is "Looks can be deceiving." The 5'4" outfielder from Okeechobee, Florida can bring a lot to the table. In her freshman year, Carissa batted .200 with 13 runs and 15 stolen bases. She mainly would be a pinch runner for the team. So don't let Carissa's beauty and charm fool you in any way because when she's on the field, you won't be able to stop her.


 Bri Innamorato is still young, but the 5'9" infielder from Mullica Hill, New Jersey is learning pretty fast. In her freshman, Bri didn't play many games and she batted a .111 batting average with 1 stolen base. Although there is still a lot to learn for her, Bri won't ever give up on her role.


Courtney Noonan can keep a good face when pitching in a game. the 5'5" left-handed pitcher from Palm City, Florida can prove it too. Although she is a sophomore, I'm not sure whether she played her freshman year or if this year she tried out as a walk on, but either way, she will turn heads for her pitching.


Another powerful player to see in the infield is Chandler Middlebrook. The 5'8" third baseman from Auburndale, Florida can pack a punch with power. In her freshman year, Chandler started 33 of her 50 games hitting a .183 batting average with 19 hits, 5 home runs, 20 RBIs and 8 runs. She is a great asset to the team for power and it shows.


Gabee Draney is like Taylor Wade in a similar way: she can pitch and hit. The 5'6" right handed pitcher from Miami, Florida is a really good part of the team hitting and pitching. In her freshman year, Gabbee went 2-6 with a 5.73 ERA, 3 complete games, 55 innings pitched and 34 strikeouts. At the plate, she batted with .667 batting average, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 RBIs and 3 walks. Gabbee is good force for the team.

Which softball player do you know that can bring a pep in my step when her walk up music is "Ginza" by J. Balvin gets my feet moving? The answer is LuLu Newmark. Lauren or LuLu as she is called normally is a 5'3" catcher from Pembroke Pines, Florida. Prior to coming to FGCU, LuLu transferred from Bowling Green State University of the Mid-Atlantic Conference. She didn't have the best season her freshman year, batting .120 with 4 RBIs, 1 run scored and 4 walks. This year will turnaround for LuLu.

Now how about them freshman? FGCU landed 3 freshman: Morgan Sutherland, Racquel Fournet and Riley Randolph.

Morgan Sutherland has power you could never imagine. The 5'3" outfielder from Naples, Florida has a lot of power and it shows. She went to Barron Collier High School and was a force there, hitting .395 with 24 RBIs and 22 runs scored. She did so well that she earned First Team All-County Honors. Morgan will bring the power to the team.

Who do you know that has an awesome personality and a mother that designed the whole teams locker room? The answer is Racquel Fournet. The 5'6" first baseman from Windermere, Florida has a lot that shows that you can expect. Racquel came from Windermere Prepatory School and boy can she swing. In her junior year, she batted .655 with 6 home runs and 50 RBIs and it earned her First Team All-District Honors. In her senior year of high school, Racquel hit .600 with 6 home runs. She did so well that she earned First Team All-District Honors, was named Female Athlete of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year in Class 3A and was a First Team All-State Selection. With her power and credentials, you can expect the best of the best from Racquel.

Last, but never ever least is someone who I can see as my "twin" and it happens to be Riley Randolph. The 5'8" lefty pitcher from St. Petersburg, Florida can show you what it's all about. Riley came from Northeast High School and has a lot of credentials to show she's the real deal. In her sophomore year, she threw 141 innings, 164 strikeouts and earned a 0.89 ERA. Senior year, she had 0.52 ERA and 196 strikeouts and ending her career with 570 strikeouts. She also has the awards to prove it: a member of the FACA All-State Team, 2x Tampa Bay Times Second-Team Member, Tampa Bay Times All-Suncoast Team and First Team All-Pinellas County Atheltic Conference Member. Riley can surely bring a lot to the table for FGCU.

Meeting and greeting the softball players here is a wonderful and honorable thing to do. You see all the hard work, commitment and dedication they have to bring from freshman to seniors. You go to a game; it may seem boring, but when you see the level on intensity and spirit, the softball team shows so strong.

FGCU Men's Tennis

The FGCU Men's Tennis has just as great reputation as the women. The team is led by C.J. Weber, who is entering in his 5th season as head coach. Weber graduated from Eastern Illinois and was an outstanding tennis player and student. While playing tennis his senior year, he was three-time Ohio Valley All-Conference selection, as well as a Player of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year. He never went pro. Before coming to FGCU to coach, he spent his time at EIU being an assistant tennis coach and volunteered as an assistant coach for the University of Illinois and the University of Miami. Weber, with his great coaching experience with Eastern Illinois, Illinois and Miami, has great potential for these young men.

Last season, The Men's Team went 17-6 in the season, going 6-0 in conference and won their conference tournament beating UNF in the finals and securing a spot in the NCAA National Tournament before falling to #16 UCLA. This year, the team will bounce back in their conference and go to the national tournament again. This year, the team has 3 seniors: Lucas Vaz, Ricky Ventura, and Eduardo Alfonzo.

Lucas Vaz has a great reputation that shows for the team. The 6'3" senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil has plenty of experience to prove it. Prior to coming to FGCU, Lucas started his freshman year at Tulsa University of the American Athletic Conference, playing #3 singles there. It wasn't his best showing there. When he transferred over to FGCU his sophomore year, Lucas got better. Although going 8-14 in singles and 7-11 in doubles looks bad, he still did better than he did at Tulsa. At the start of his junior year, Lucas' overall singles record was 4-8, but in doubles teaming with fellow senior Ricky Ventura, he had an 11-4 record. This year, Lucas will fire up the team in a heartbeat.

Some tennis players would think that Ricky Ventura would be more of a basketball player and not a tennis player because of his height. Well if the 6'4" senior from Barcelona, Spain heard that, then you'd be a little intimidated by him, especially with a tennis ball and racket. There is not enough information on his freshman and sophomore years, but during his junior year, he was a powerhouse, finishing with a overall record of 14-5 in singles and 16-10 in doubles. Ricky was so dominant that he was named to the A-Sun All-Conference First Team and won MVP of the A-Sun Champinship All-Tournament Team. So the next time someone steps up to Ricky, all I can say is be careful what he'll do, especially with a tennis ball and racket.



Eduardo Alfonzo would be considered as the top backbone of the group. The 6'1" senior from Hollywood, Florida would probably say different and it shows. Tennis runs in his family literally as his younger brother, Andres, also plays for the team. Prior to FGCU, he started his freshman year at Barry University, an NCAA DII school of the Suncoast State Conference. There he went 7-1 in singles competition and 3-0 in doubles. At his sophomore year, Eduardo went 6-1 in singles and was even invited to play in the ITA Southern Intercollegiate Tournament. At his junior year, he transferred to FGCU ad went 9-9 in singles and 6-2 in doubles and finished with an overall record of 16-15, in which he earned A-Sun Player of the week on one occasion. He did so well that he was named to the A-Sun All-Conference Second Team for Doubles and was a member of the A-Sun All-Conference Second Team for Doubles as well. This year, he has the will to keep going til the bitter end.
With 3 seniors, it's not enough. So Coach Weber found and recruited the right players to help lead them into battle: 2 juniors, 3 sophomores and 3 freshman.

The 2 juniors that bring experience for the team are Andres Alfonzo and Chris Perrigan.



Still young, but very experienced, nothing can stop the intensity of Andres Alfonzo. The 5'10" junior from Hollywood, Florida joins his older brother, Eduardo, to bring fire to the team. Prior to coming to FGCU, he first started his college tennis career at Texas Christian University of the Big 12 Conference. As a freshman, he won his first 8 matches and was named to the 2013-14 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team. After that, he transferred to FGCU his sophomore year and joined his brother. He went 8-8 in singles and 9-2 in doubles and ended his sophomore year with an overall of 18-14. For his junior year, there will be more fire than you can imagine with Andres


Chris Perrigan seems liked the soft spoken kind of player, but on the court he is like a firework. The 5'11" redshirt junior from Tallahassee, Florida is a great fit for the team. At the start of his original freshman year, he resdhirted for the whole season, but as a redshirt freshman, he had 4 wins in singles, but his doubles was a little shaky going 3-7 in doubles. As a redshirt sophomore, he went 7-6 overall with an 1-0 singles record. It will definitely turn around for Perrigan.

Although these sophomores are still young, they still pack a punch for the team: Oliver Landert, Sam Chaffin and Austin Bates.


For Oliver Landert, he has tennis in his blood just like Eduardo and Andres (brothers) and Elizabeth and Sarah Means (sisters), and for the 6'0" sophomore from Naples, Florida, it's with his older sister, Alexandra, who is a senior on the Women's Tennis Team and the most interesting part of him is he has Swiss blood in him. Before coming to FGCU, he first started his college tennis career at the University of Florida of the Southeastern Conference. There as a redshirt freshman, he was ranked 43rd in the nation in doubles play. He is still young and has a long way to go, but he can sure bring a good amount of speed for the team.


For Sam Chafin, by his appearance, he looked more like a upper class student than a sophomore, but that would be an understatement in a way. The 6'0" Tampa, Florida native has a big determination with the team. At the start of his freshman year, he had a little struggle overall with a record of 4-9, but he picked up big wins against players from Boston College, Bethune-Cookman and UAB (University of Alabama-Birmingham). This year will a big turnaround for Sam.



The final sophomore would be considered to be the "voice" of FGCU, literally and that guy would be Austin Bates. The 6'1" sophomore from Marietta, Georgia has a lot of energy to keep the team fired up for a battle. At the start of his freshman year, Bates had a good year as a freshman, with an overall record of 10-9, a 6-2 record in singles and 6-record in doubles. He did so well that he was named to the A-Sun All-Conference Second Team and A-Sun All-Freshman Team. Hopefully, he will bring more fire than anyone can imagine.

You thought I 'd stop there right? WRONG!!! Coach Weber was able to find three international freshman players to bring impact to the team: Javier Fernandez, Ezequiel Cerrini and Manfred Fellin.


For Javier Fernandez, being a great part of the team means wonders for FGCU. the 5'8" freshman from Ibiza, Spain has enough speed to make the Flash look shocked. Although there is not much information on Javi, he will still bring impact for the team.


Ezequiel Cerrini has the best will power for FGCU. Originally from Buenos Aries, Argentina, the 6'0" freshman that resided in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, about 2 hours away from FGCU, can blow your mind with his playing. From tennisrecruiting.net, Ezequiel was ranked as the No. 18 prospect and No. 868 in the ITF rankings. With his experience, he will definitely be a big help for the team.


Never underestimate certain players, especially Manfred Fellin. The 5'11" freshman from Monza, Italy can make a surprise for other players that face him. Although there is not much information on Manfred, he can definitely bring a spark to the team.

Meeting the whole Men's Tennis and seeing them play is really amazing. No one should not miss a chance to see them play because they can sure bring intensity and amazement when you see them. I'm glad I get to see them play and you should too.

FGCU Women's Tennis

You would think that FGCU was mainly known for just basketball and soccer, but there are other sports too. The FGCU Women's Tennis is another team that will be in this blog. Last year, the team went didn't do so hot going 8-11 in the season before falling to UNF in the A-Sun Conference finals in Jacksonville. The team is led by Courtney Vernon, who's in her 3rd season as head coach. Vernon was also a former tennis player for USF and when she turned pro, she was ranked No. 638 in singles and No. 811 in doubles in the WTA (Women's Tennis Association). This year the team has 2 seniors playing: Alexandra Landert and Elizabeth Means.

For Alexandra Landert, playing for FGCU was a good fit for her. Nothing can stop the 5'8" senior from Zurich, Switzerland from her playing career and playing tennis is in her family blood and not only does she play, but her younger brother, Oliver, plays as well for the Men's Tennis Team. Prior to coming to FGCU, she played her first two years at Seton Hall University, a NCAA Division I team in the Big East Conference. At the start of her freshman year, Landert totaled 12 victories and ended up beating Providence University in doubles with her partner, Anna Guryanova of Russia and also earned honors as Big East Academic All-Star as well as going to the Quinnipiac Invitational at Quinnipiac University. At her sophomore year, Alex went unbeaten in her final five singles competition and finished with a 10-8 record and 13-10 record in doubles. Landert played in 5 invitational tournaments (West Point Invitational, USTA Collegiate Invitational, NJIT Invitational, Cornell Invitational and BIG EAST Championship). After the season, she transferred to FGCU her junior year, but it wasn't her best year as she went 6-8 overall in singles and 9-7 in doubles teaming with Julianna Curtis and then junior Johanna Sterkel. This year will be a big change for her.

Taking the senior reigns with Landert is Elizabeth Means. At 5'5", the Washington D.C. native also has tennis in her family blood for her older sister, Sarah, played on the team last year and is now an assistant coach for head coach Vernon. At the start of her freshman year, Liz was a dominant force on the team as the No. 5 singles player. While playing aside her sister that year, she finished her doubles 10-5 overall with 5-3 in conference and in singles she finished 15-3 overall with 6-1 in conference. Means did so well that she was unanimously named to the A-Sun All-Freshman Team. At sophomore year, Liz fell down just a little bit in doubles going 8-11 overall, but finished 13-7 in singles overall, which also earned her a spot on the Atlantic Sun Academic All-Conference team. At junior year, She fell to a 9-10 record in singles, but bounced back and finished 10-5 in doubles with her sister. Liz was named to Atlantic Sun All-Conference Second Team in doubles with her sister, earned A-Sun Academic All-Conference honors and was named a member of the A-Sun Championship All-Tournament Team. This year, Elizabeth will turn the tables on every one of her opponents.

Since Landert and Means are the only seniors on the team, and wouldn't be able to go into battle alone, Coach Vernon has found the perfect players to help them out. The team has 2 returners and 3 newcomers to back up the 2 seniors.

The 2 returners on the team are junior Breana Stampfli and sophomore Julianna Curtis

Who do you know has a lot of fire to help the team and ice to cool herself down? That would be Breana Stampfli. The 5'4" junior from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago has a lot of reputation with the team. At the start of her freshman year, Breana was on fire. She played No. 2 singles and recorded a 13-8 record in singles and a 8-6 record in No. 3 doubles. Her success was so phenomenal that Bre was selected to the A-Sun All-Conference Second Team and was named A-Sun Women's Tennis Freshman of the year. At sophomore year, Bre struggled a little bit going 9-13 in singles and 6-6 in doubles and had an overall record of 10-15. For her junior year, Bre will definitely turn the tables on her opponents.

This next player has been called many nicknames: Juls, Juje, Juju, and even Jewels. That player is Julianna Curtis. The 5'8" sophomore from Tampa, Florida is still young, but really does know her role. Last year as a freshman, she finished with 6-7 overall record with a 3-5 record in singles and 2-6 in doubles. She will turn heads around her sophomore year and prove it with style.

Coach Vernon took the liberty to recruit 3 international freshman to join the brigade: Joselyn
Treyes Albarracin, Julia Ascúa and Laura Falceto Font.

Joselyn Treyes Albarracin has the speed that can make cheetahs lose their fur. The 5'2" freshman from Guayaquil, Ecuador has the it factor for FGCU. She has recently won singles and doubles in the ITF Tournament in Ecuador Quito and was also a 2012 representative for Ecuador in the FedCup. Bringing that much experience can help us out with wonders.

Who wouldn't want someone to add more depth to the team? Julia Ascúa sure brings that. The 5'5" freshman from Santa Fe, Argentina has a good reputation. Julia hold a 6-6 record in singles and a 6-5 in double in Junior ITF play. She will make sure to keep the wheels rolling for the team.

Last, but never least is Laura Falceto Font. At 5'3" and hailing from Zaragoza, Spain, Laura is still young and is adapting quite well for the team. In the Junior ITF play, she currently holds a record of 1-1 in both singles and doubles. She will be a great impact for the team.

Meeting the whole team is quite awesome because not only do I get to see them make supreme history, but I get to see them on campus whenever and when they play. You'd be amazed by what tennis can do to bring such intensity. When you go to their matches, you'll know how hard they work to get the victory.

FGCU Men's Basketball Team

I've been to a lot of the athletic events at FGCU including the Volleyball, Men's and Women's soccer. For this 2nd blog, I will talk about the FGCU Men's Basketball team. I never got to see the Men's basketball team play at first. Yes I said it! I hadn't been to a Men's basketball game until I went to my first one on November 22nd vs University of North Dakota, where we won the game by the final score 73-60. It was an amazing experience to see them play for the first time.

Now everyone knows about the FGCU Men's Basketball Team. When they were coached by Andy Enfield at the time, they were mainly known for their Cinderella Story in the 2013 NCAA National Tournament. This historic Cinderella Story is still today known as Dunk City. You're probably wondering why this was their Cinderella Story and where the name came from. During the 2012-13 season, FGCU didn't seem like the fit competitors to be in the NCAA Tournament, but after they beat Mercer University, who was in the A-Sun Conference at the time, they won by a score of 88-75 in the A-Sun Conference Tournament Finals and won an automatic bid in NCAA National Tournament and soon things became a little more interesting. Entering into the tournament as the #15 seed in the South Region part of the tournament, the first team they played in their part of this story was Georgetown. Georgetown was the #2 seed going into the tournament and at first glance, it looked like they would easily beat FGCU because they were not a top seed and looked like one of the easiest teams to beat, but the old saying still comes into play is "Looks can be deceiving" or in this case "Teams can be deceiving." Things seemed in control for Georgetown at first, but they were losing in the 1st half 24-22. After a 21-2 scoring run in the 2nd half, FGCU had control of the upper hand and moved on to the 2nd round by the score of 78-68 and it was thanks to top scorers Sherwood Brown (24 points) and Bernard Thompson (23 points). FGCU made history as the 7th #15 seed to advance in the NCAA Tournament. The next team they played was the #7 seed, San Diego State University (SDSU), who played and beat #10 seed Oklahoma University by the score of 70-55 in the 1st round. It seemed like yet again, the Cinderella Story would now stop there, but it didn't. Thanks to another impressive scoring game each from Sherwood Brown (17 points) and Bernard Thompson (23 points), FGCU beat the San Diego State 81-71 to advance to the Sweet 16 and would play #3 seed Florida after they beat #11 seed Minnesota 78-64, but FGCU would fall to Florida by the score of 62-50. Although they didn't advance anymore, that Cinderella Story known as Dunk City was never forgotten. A few years later, it became so popular that the FGCU Men's Basketball Team got an ESPY Award in the category for Best Upset and it still lives up to that historic moment. The Men's Basketball team have the same conference teams like all the other sports: USC Upstate, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State, North Florida, Jacksonville,  NJIT, and Stetson.

For this season, the Eagles are led by current coach Joe Dooley, who is in his 3rd season with FGCU and currently there are 2 seniors on the team that were both redshirts, but still have eligibility to play and they are Julian Debose and Filip Cvjeticanin.

For someone with experience like Julian Debose, there is no comparison. A 6'4" guard from Washington, D.C., Debose's skills are probably as smooth as his attire and choice of clothing style. Before he came to FGCU, he was a transfer player from Rice University in the C-USA Conference and during his freshman year, he had a struggle playing with the Owls, scoring 3.7 points per game, and grabbing 1.5 rebounds per game. When he reached his sophomore year, Debose got better and increased his points per game from 3.7 to 10.4 and rebounds from 1.5 to 4.3. After his time at Rice, Debose transferred to FGCU following the 2012-13 season, but he had to redshirt the whole 2013-14 season due to the NCAA transfer regulations. When junior year hit, Debose caught fire scoring 11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 1.4 apg. His success was so good that he was named A-Sun Conference Newcomer of the Week and had 933 minutes, which was the 3rd longest amount of minutes for any FGCU Men's Basketball Player, but his success didn't stop there though. Prior to this year, Debose participated in the 2015 Summer World University Games representing The United States averaging 4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 10.8 minutes per contest. The USA won the World University Games and Debose earned a gold medal as a member of the US team. Debose is definitely a great asset to the team.

When I mentioned in the beginning about Dunk City, there is someone that is still a part of it. He is last member of great name and brings a lot of experience as a 3 point specialist and that guy is Filip Cvjeticanin. Filip is a 6'9" forward from Zagreb, Croatia and is considered to be the lone wolf and the last active member of Dunk City. Filip is very well know for having basketball blood in his family because of his father, Danko Cvjeticanin. His father was a 2x Silver medalist for the Yugoslavian National Olympic Team and Croatian National Olympic Team earning a silver medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea for Yugoslavia and in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain for Croatia. An intersting fact about Filip's dad is that he played on the same Croatian Olympic basketball team with former Chicago Bulls, Toni Kukoč and played against the United States Olympic Gold Medal winners which included Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and the legendary Michael Jordan. During his freshman year at FGCU, Filip avraged 6.8 ppg and 1.8 rpg and finished 2nd in the A-Sun in shooting percentage with 43%. During his Sophomore year, although he was part of Dunk City, his ppg dropped to 3.6 ppg, but his rebounding went up from 1.8 to 2.1. Junior year hit for Filip and his ppg and rpg increased again (6.8 ppg and 2.7 rpg) and in 25 games, he hit at least one 3 pointer in the game, 2 in 17 games and 3 or more in 7 games. It was so successful that he finished 6th all-time with 139 3-pointers made for FGCU. Unfortunately, he had to medical redshirt the whole 2014-15 season because he had to have back surgery, but he was grateful that he had one more year of eligibility to play this season. For Filip, he will dominate by any means as a 3 point specialist and not let his injury return and plague him.

For Cvjeticanin and Debose being the only 2 seniors on the team, they will have plenty of backup to help them out. This year, the team have 3 returning juniors, 1 returning sophomore, 3 transfers (2 juniors and 2 sophomores), 3 true freshman, and 4 walk-on players (2 juniors and 2 freshman).

The 3 returning juniors to start the season off well are pretty good for standards for the team this year: Marc-Eddy Norelia (forward), Demetris Morant (forward) and Brian Greene Jr. (guard).

For someone who considers himself to be the"ladies man", Marc-Eddy Norelia is your best pick for that. Norelia is a 6'8" forward from Orlando, Florida and he has the hot hands on the court. Before coming to FGCU, Marc played for Tulane University in New Orleans of the American Athletic Conference, but only during his freshman year. It was not a successful year for him playing only 9 games. After transferring to FGCU, Marc had to utilize as a redshirt during the year of Dunk City, but when his sophomore year hit, things really changed big time for him, playing all 33 games and scoring 8.3 ppg and snagging 5.2 rpg. Marc will earning himself a nickname real soon for his junior year to make impact for the team.

For someone that doesn't start his college basketball career off good and then turn it around, Demetris Morant is that guy to do so. A 6'9" forward from Miami, Florida, Demetris shows that way of turning his career around. For his freshman year, he first started at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas in the in the Mountain West Conference, but it was not the best year for him to start there. After scoring less than a point per game in nine games, Demetris transfered to FGCU and was granted a waiver to play for the Eagles immediately for the 2014 season. During his sophomore year, Morant career changed instantly. It was a little slow at first because he finished with 4.5 ppg and 4.4 rpg, his playing time got better. This year it will change more than ever for him.

For someone that was an 4th Team All-State Class 4A as a senior, First-Team All Area and Team MVP for Thorton Township High School and played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, that guy that shows it would be Brian Greene Jr. Greene, a 6'3" guard from Chicago, Illinois, has the skills to make impact. Before coming to FGCU his sophomore year, Brian originally started at the Auburn University in the Southeastern Conference. Although he started 2 of the 27 games he played, Brian was at a very slow start scoring only 3 ppg for the Tigers his freshman year. It didn't work out very well for him at all. Greene transferred to FGCU, but had to redshirt his sophomore year in the summer of 2013 because of the NCAA Transfer rules. When his sophomore year came, it was not his best year there too only averaging 1 ppg that season. Greene is still young, but he will make sure to turn things around for this season.

Surprisingly this year, there is only one returning sophomore for FGCU and that is Christian Terrell. Terrell, a 6'5" guard from Jacksonville, Florida can really bring impact as a backup 3 point specialist for Filip when he needs a rest. As a freshman last season, Christian, although scoring 3.3 ppg and grabbing 1.6 rpg, it was still good enough to earn him a spot for the A-Sun Conference All-Freshman Team and was the first FGCU selection since Bernard Thompson and Brett Comer were selected during the 2011-12 season. With his hot shots, Christian will be making sure to backup Cvjeticanin whenever he's needed.

There are some players that transfer to help FGCU or any other universities out, but there are times when they cannot play instantly or immediately because of the NCAA Transfer rules where it states that because the athlete transferred late into the season or into the semester, they must sit out the entire basketball season or a portion of it unless they are granted a waiver by the NCAA to let them play immediately for the season. Although FGCU has some players that have to sit out, they still managed to land 4 transfers to help them out: Kevin Mickle (sophomore forward), Antravious Simmons (sophomore forward), Brandon Goodwin (junior guard) and Patson Siame (junior forward).

Kevin Mickle is certainly in good use to help add depth to the team in any way. A 6'7" forward from Brooklyn, New York, Mickle can certainly bring the depth to the team. Before coming to FGCU, he was first about to start for Central Connecticut State of the Northeast Conference, but he had to redshirt for the entire season. Instead of waiting for that, Mickle decided to transfer to NJCAA (National Junior College Atheltic Association) Region 8 Broward College, an FCSAA (Florida State College Activities Association) junior college in Ft Lauderdale, Florida for the Southern Conference. Although it was a difficult change to make, Mickle managed to dominate there. During his sophomore year, he managed to average a double-double per game with 13.6 ppg and 9.5 rpg. During that time, Mickle managed to help lead the Seahawks to a 22-8 record while earning NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Week in January, helping rank the Seahawks as No. 3 in the NJCAA Region 8 Poll, and finishing 10th in the nation with 4.2 offensive rebounds per game. Kevin is certainly someone that brings good use and height to the team.

Another sophomore transfer player to play for the team is Antravious Simmons. Antravious is a 6'9" 250 pound forward from Miami, Florida and certainly has the body to box out opposing big men and it shows. You might think that Simmons has more physic to be a football player than a basketball player and arguably it's true. he originally played offensive line in high school before being a basketball player to transform his body better to play basketball. As a freshman for VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) of the Atlantic 10 Conference, he had to redshirt to transform his body. When freshman year came, Simmons was able to play in 3 games for VCU, but that he decided to transfer to FGCU afterwards. Now he wasn't expected to be eligible to play, but the NCAA gave him a waiver 24 hours before the season started. For someone like him, he was very lucky to play for FGCU.

The most common transfer players would mainly be from a JUCO school, but for Brandon Goodwin, it's different. Goodwin is a 6'2" guard from Norcross, Georgia, which is about 30 minutes away from Atlanta. before coming to FGCU this season, he first played at the University of Central Florida (UCF) of the American Athletic Conference. When he started his freshman year there, Brandon had a small struggle in 28 games scoring only 3 ppg and snagging 1.9 rpg and 1.8 apg. Of course for most freshman players, it's not uncommon to get those jitters. Then when sophomore year hit for Brandon, things turned around for him. He managed to scoring 10.2 ppg, dishing 4.2 apg and a team-leading 1.9 spg. Currently this season he is not eligible to play because of the NCAA Transfer Rules, but he will make great strides for next season with FGCU.

The last transfer player here is another junior and when you meet Patson Siame face to face, he might at look intimidating because of his height, but he is a really a nice guy once you talk to him. Patson is a 6'11" forward from Luanshya, Zambia and is one of two foreigners on the team with Filip. Before transferring to FGCU, he first started playing for Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in the West Coast Conference. He didn't play his freshman year because he was serving in residence, but when his sophomore year hit, Patson finally saw some action. He averaged 5.7 ppg and 4 rpg last season that set the bar in his basketball career. Currently at the moment, Patson is redshirting because of the NCAA Transfer Rules, but once you see on the court he will dominate.

The next group of underclassmen are the true freshman on the team: Zach Johnson (guard), Reggie Reid (guard) and Rayjon Tucker (guard)

You might think that someone like Zach Johnson would not be fit choice for FGCU, but the saying that comes into play again "Looks can be deceiving". a 6'2" guard from Miami, Florida, Johnson can overcome many odds that fit the eye. He was originally suppose to play the start of his freshman year at FGCU, but had to medical redshirt, but before coming to FGCU, he played in high school for Norland High School in Miami. In RMF Magazine, he was rated as the no. 1 prospect in South Florida, no.8 prospect in Florida and was a 4 star recruit in the same outlet and the numbers show. During his senior year in high school, Zach averaged 14.8 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.9 rpg and 2.2 spg and those numbers were so good that he was named FHSAA 6A All-State Team and the State Final 4 MVP and was a champion in 2013. This year, Zach will make plenty of impact for the team.

With just as much experience as Johnson, Reggie Reid is another player that is in good use for the team. A 5'11" guard from Harlem, Georgia, Reggie has experience to prove that he can make it worth while. As a player for Harlem High School, Reggie would nearly average a triple-double per game of 22 ppg, 9 rpg and 8.5 apg. As for awards with the team, he won the Region 3-AA Player of the year and a 2x Colombia County Player of the Year in Georgia during his freshman and sophomore years and was also selected as a Class 2A First Team All-State Selection. with those numbers, they will add up well for this year for Reggie.

From what I heard about this player is he is one of the best choices that FGCU has recruited and that is Rayjon Tucker. Rayjon is a 6'5" guard from Charlotte, North Carolina and his credentials show it. In the USA Today, he was named the no. 1 sleeper in the nation his senior year for early signing. FGCU was one of his choices he made for college basketball as well as Ohio State, Notre Dame, Baylor and South Carolina. As a player for Northside Christian Academy, Rayjon average 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks per game. He was also rated as a 4-Star recruit and a top 100 player in the nation during his senior year and led Northside to a state championship during his junior year. One interesting fact about Rayjon is his cousin, Jia Perkins, currently plays in the WNBA for San Antonio Stars; basically like Filip, basketball is in his blood too and he sure to spread that when he plays this year.

You think that the blog would end here, but there are other players that may have not played for a college basketball team. Those players would be mainly trying out for the team as a walk-on. there are 4 walk-on players that have tried out and made the team: Josh Ko (junior guard), Maxx Bleecher (freshman guard), Alvin Cunningham (junior guard) and Dolan Mahoney (freshman guard).

Josh Ko is the first walk-on to talk about. He is a 6'1" guard from Kailua, Hawaii. Before coming to FGCU, he actually played for the University of Pittsburgh of the Atlantic Coast Conference his freshman and sophomore years, although he only played a total of 15 games those 2 years. For this season, he has to redshirt due to the NCAA Transfer Rules, but will have 2 years of eligibility starting next year. I'll look forward to seeing him play next season and hopefully with him too.

Maxx Bleecher would also not seem like a fit for FGCU's Men's Basketball team, but that's where you wrong. A 6'2" guard from Boca Raton, Florida, Maxx played for West Boca Raton High School under head coach Steve Graves. During his senior year, Maxx led Palm Beach County in scoring averaging 24.9 ppg and scored 1000+ points overall. Those stats were so phenomenal that it earned him a selection for All-Palm Beach County First Team and All-Area Honorable Mention. Currently this season, he is eligible to play and does not have to redshirt this season and Maxx will make great strides for the team.

The next player on the team is Alvin Cunningham. Alvin is a 6'4" guard from St. Petersburg, Florida and he, just like Josh is a transfer student. Before coming to FGCU, he first started at Livingstone College, an NCAA Division 2 college in Salisbury, North Carolina hoping to play, but it didn't work out for him, so Alvin transferred over to Coastal Bend College, an NJCAA Region 14 junior college in Beville, Texas. There he averaged 4.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg and 0.6 apg. Currently, Alvin is eligible to play, although he is still young, he will make a big difference to help the team in any way possible.

The last, but never least player on the team is Dolan Mahoney. There is not much info I know about the 6'2" guard from my town I lived in since I was 9: Bradenton, Florida, but he will make a difference with FGCU. During his basketball career in high school, he first played at Bradenton Christian School and then played at the famous private athletic school in Florida, IMG Academy. Currently at the moment, he is eligible to play on the team and will also make a difference as a walk-on.

Meeting and greeting the Men's Basketball Team is a true blessing to do so. A quote from Cuban-American author Anaïs Nin says "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." I'm glad I'll be seeing each of them for this season and the other upcoming seasons during my time at FGCU. If anyone has never seen them, then you're missing out or you have to see them play, whether you are a current student, alumni or a supporter, from learning about their famous Cinderella story to the current players playing  is something to talk about for a memorable moment and meeting the last active member of FGCU's Dunk City moment, Filip Cvjeticanin to meeting the current 4 star recruit, Rayjon Tucker is really something to enjoy in any way possible and hopefully when I try out for the team, it would be a memorable moment to play with the younger players, seeing that I make history as the oldest player and walk on to play for FGCU's Men's Basketball team. You never know what can happen when you try something you'd never tried before and always keep your minds open with what you try.

The FGCU Volleyball Team 2015

While I'm enjoying my semester at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), I've been going to a lot of the sporting events. So far, the teams I've seen play were Women's Volleyball, Men's soccer and Women's soccer. For this blog, the first team I will start with is the volleyball team. Last year, Volleyball finished 19-11 with a 11-3 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference before falling in the A-Sun Conference Semifinals match to the #3 seed Jacksonville Univeristy at the time. They were led by head coach Matt Botsford, who is under his 2nd year as the head coach. The conference rivals they play are Lipscomb, Stetson, University of North Florida (UNF), Kennesaw State, Jacksonville, University of South Carolina Upstate (USCU) and New Jersey Institiute of Technology (NJIT). It won't be easy games to play, but the team knows they will never give up.
This year, FGCU has only 2 seniors that were both transfer students one year ago: Eleonora Kazarian and Vanessa Benke.

Eleonora or "Ella" as she likes to be called, hails from Tibilisi, Georgia (no it is not in the US). She was a transfer from College of Central Florida (CCF), a Junior College in Ocala. Last season, Kazarian played and started all 30 games and finished with 402 kills while scoring 3.34 points per set and 262 digs, which was the 2nd most on the team. In addition, she was also named a member to the A-Sun All-Conference First Team. She has a lot of power and experience that is brought to the table and will surely bring an impact to the Atlantic Sun Conference and the NCAA overall.

Vanessa Benke, the other senior, is from Toledo, Brazil and she is also a transfer from CCF. During her junior year, it was not fully the best for her. She only played 11 games and couldn't continue due to a season ending injury, but that didn't mean she was gonna quit. Vanessa's playing style is very unique, especially her serving. When she serves the ball, she throws it in the air and it looks like the ball is heading for outer space and is not sure when it is coming back and I realized that she has the same serving style as Maja Ristic, a former volleyball player from State College of Florida (SCF) and current player for Florida Atlantic University (FAU). For this year, she will be better amd stronger than last year and will bring a lot of impact this year.

For this year, since Kazarian and Benke are the only 2 seniors, they will be receiving a lot more help and support from their teammates. Returning players from last year that are still a part of the backbone of the team include Juniors Marlene Moeller (Middle Blocker) and Caroline Jordan (Libero/Defensive Specialist), Sophomores Courtney Stephens (Libero/Defensive Specialist), Lauren Tutwiler (Middle Blocker) and Mackenzie Allen (Outside Hitter/Libero). In addition, FGCU also managed to land 2 transfers to play for them: Leigh Pudwill (Outside Hitter UNI) and Marina Adami (Setter CCF). They will also have a chance to see 5 freshman players to back them up as well: Karissa Rhodes (Outside Hitter), Maggie Rick (Setter), Kaitlan Krivdo (Opposite Hitter/Middle Blocker), Elisa Anne Aldrich (Middle Blocker) and Amanda Carroll (Outside Hitter).

"The only things you learn are the things you tame"-  

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

For someone who has a lot of experience on the team, nothing can or will stop Marlene Moeller. Moeller, a 6'2" Middle Blocker from Lüdinghausen, Germany, has played for FGCU since her freshman year. In her freshman year she played in 18 matches with 10 starts. One of her best games freshman year was recording 17 kills in the Atlantic Sun Tournament against Jacksonville. Last year, as a sophomore, Marlene had a .667 hitting percentage in the final season game against Jacksonville. I am definitely looking forward to see more of her experience on the court.

Another returning junior that has also played since her freshman year is Caroline Jordan. a 5'8" Libero and Defensive Specialist from Orlando, Florida, Caroline has just as much experience as Moeller. During her freshman year, she played in 85 sets and had 107 digs, 7 kills, 6 assists and 9 service aces. Her best game that year was against UNF 2 kills, 2 assists, 2 service aces and a career-high 19 digs. For someone with her experience, she is definitely gonna make great strides this season.

The players that have played for FGCU last year are great, but what about the transfer players? Two great additions for the team that are going to be a big help for the team this year are Leigh Pudwill and Marina Adami.

Just like Moeller, Leigh Pudwill will also bring a good amount of height to the team. Leigh is a 6'2" Outside Hitter from Lino Lakes, Minnesota, but she didn't transfer from a NJCAA or NAIA college. She transfered from another Division 1 college: University of Northern Iowa Panthers of the Missouri Valley Conference. Although this is her first season with FGCU, she is still just as dominante like  she was at UNI. Last year at UNI, she appeared in all 32 games playing 122 sets while  recording 334 kills with 2.7 kills per set and 70 blocks. In addition, she help lead the Panthers to the MVC Championship match beforing losing to Illinois State in the finals. This year for Leigh can be a similar or different situation for her, but no matter what she still is going to be a big help for FGCU.

You would think that Vanessa Benke would be the only Brazilian to play on the team right? WRONG!!! Vanessa will not be alone and she has backup with her and that is Marina Adami. Marina is a 6'1" Setter from Caxias Do Sul, Brazil and comes from CCF as a transfer, in which she played with Ella and Vanessa during their sophomore years. Before transferring to FGCU, Adami made an impact for CCF. In her freshman year with Ella and Vanessa, she earned First Team All-Mid-Florida Conference Honors before finishing 2nd in the nation in kills with a single-season school record of 1,621 in 42 matches. On 2 occasions against Hillsborough Community College (HCC), Marina recorded a season-high 62 assists before heading to the FCSAA/NJCAA Region VIII State Championship. Although they lost the state championship to HCC, CCF still qualified as one of 3 Florida teams for the NJCAA National Championship Tournament in Casper, Wyoming. Although they lost in the opening round they managed to snag 5th place in the tournament. During her sophomore, Marina had 1,381 assists and 243 digs, once again earning First Team All-Mid-Florida Conference Honors as well as being an All-State and All-Tournament Team member in the postseason. Adami definitely has got a good reputation for the team.

For the sophomores that returned this season, you might think by their heights would be a yin-yang kind of situation. For Mackenzie Allen, it's fine, but for Lauren Tutwiler and Courtney Stephens, it's a different ball game and a different scenario.

You've heard the saying: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."
For Courtney Stephens, you would think she hadn't heard her being called names like "short", "tiny" or even "fun-size," but don't let her height fool you for one second because she can bring the game to a whole other level. Stephens, a 5'4" Libero comes from Winter Park, Florida. For her freshman year, Courtney played all 30 games and started 15 of them and played in 108 sets. Her best game in first season was when she played Stetson and had 19 digs in that games. So the next time you want to call her those names, just remember this saying when you face: "Be careful what you say next."

The saying is still in session for another returning player and you better be aware of and be careful to face sophomore Lauren Tutwiler. Why do I say be careful you ask? Oh I don't know, how about the fact that this Middle Blocker from Louisville, Kentucky is 6'3" and can tower over a lot of players easily! Last year as a freshman, Lauren played and started 25 of all 30 games. Her best game that year was against Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) scoring 13.5 points with 12 kills, 3 digs, 1 solo block and 1 block assist. So don't let her smile fool her because when that smile leaves her face, you know what's gonna happen next.

If you ever need an extra Libero to help out the team, who you gonna call? No not the ghostbusters, but you gonna call Mackenzie Allen. Mackenzie, a 5'10" Outside hitter and Libero from Naples, Florida has been an important role for FGCU. Why you ask? Well when Vanessa Benke got injured last season, the young freshman at the time took over as Libero and stepped up to fill the void in the starting lineup. She did so well that she finished 5th on the team with 130 kills and 200 digs. Mackenzie also managed to get 11 kills on three different occasions (UNF, Stetson, and Kennesaw State) and 22 digs against UNF earning a double-double in that game. The void she filled earned herself a selection on the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team. For someone that was a freshman last year fill in for a great player with a season-ending injury, Mackenzie sure has done an excellent job doing that.

Now that we got the seniors, juniors, sophomores and transfers talked about, what about them freshman??? For this year, the volleyball team has 5 freshman on the team, but are sure to make as much of an impact this year: Karissa Rhoades, Maggie Rick, Kaitlan Krivdo, Elisa Anne Aldrich and Amanda Carroll.

You want to see some impact from the freshman, then why not first talk about Karissa Rhoades. A 5'11" outside hitter from Valrico, Florida, Karissa's capability is definitely something to bring to the table. Graduating from Bloomingdale Senior High School, she was one of the top volleyball players in her school. Under  head coach Claudia Cabrera, Karissa is an A-list player. She led BSHS to the 2014 8A District Championship and record 18 kills in the championship match. Her awards were also a key factor to her volleyball career: 2x First Team All Suncoast honors in 2013 and 2014, 2x All County First Team selection and a 3x First Team All Western Conference honoree. I look forward to bring those credentials with her.

You can't just have one setter on the team because it wouldn't be fair to have Marina do all the work as a setter. So she definitely needs backup and that's where Maggie Rick comes into play. A 5'10" setter from Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Alpharetta, Georgia that played under head coach Paul Stevens, Maggie is definitely a one-of-a-kind setter and her credentials show: A state champion in 2014, 4x First Team All-Area selection and a 3x First Team All-State honoree. Rick is a definite role player that can bring definite backup to help Marina and the team.

You would think that someone tall like Kaitlan Krivdo would unassumingly be a sophomore or junior, but the saying "Looks can be deceiving," does come into play for the 6' Opposite Side Hitter and Middle Blocker from Hope Mills, North Carolina. Kaitlan or Kaiti, as she likes to be called, played for Gray Creek High School under head coach Crystal Waddell. She is a 2x coaches award winner in 2013 and 2014 and earned the Gray Creek scholar-athlete award for 3 straight years. She will definitely bring true height to the team.

You'll need backup that can help big time for Marlene and Lauren and the person to do that is Elisa Anne Aldrich. Aldrich is 5'11" Middle Blocker from Charleston, South Carolina. As a graduate from Wando High School, she played all 4 years under head coach Alexis Glover. Last season, Aldrich helped Wando to 47-5 record and led them to the 4A State Championship and led the team in blocks. In addition, during her senior year, she was named to the All-Region and All-Country teams. This high school All-American volleyball player is sure willing to give 100% effort to play for  FGCU.

Finally, who do you know that has curly hair, a strong spirit and is considered to be called Mrs. Aces by my standards? No doubt in the world that it has to be none other than Amanda Carroll. A 5'10" Outside Hitter from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Amanda can surely bring fire to the team. A graduate from Sandia High School, she played for the volleyball team under head coach Kris Borland. She played all 4 years in high school and her credentials for her accomplishments show. Amanda was named All-Metro Athlete of the Year and First Team All-Metro honoree for 3 years in a row, a 3x All-District Honoree and a 2x New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year (2013, 2014). She also led SHS to a record of 21-1 and Class 5A State Title in 2013. You think that you'll be able to stop Amanda from getting an ace, then you're crazy.

When you see these ladies play, they're amazing. Just seeing the first game when they played The University of New Orleans in the first game of the season and win can give you chills and it sends a message to the other teams saying "You better watch out... FGCU is ready." On the outside of Volleyball, each of the players are really sweet and really kind.I'm honored that I get to talk and be friends with them for as long as I can. You talk to one of them, then you'll be talking to the whole team by then and they will make you feel like you're a part of their lives. So whether you're having a good conversation with Courtney Stephens to Lauren Tutwiler, just know that even if they play in intense games, they still have time to get to know you and have fun talking to you.