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.