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.