FORT MYERS, Fla. – Once again led by an impressive offensive effort by Olivia Mesner, the FGCU volleyball team extended its win streak to seven matches Tuesday night with a 3-1 win over in-state foe Florida A&M. The Eagles fell in set one (25-17) but rallied for three-straight sets (25-21, 25-18, 25-22) to earn the nonconference victory. With the win, the Eagles move to 12-7 on the season, while the Rattlers fell to 7-11. The loss snapped FAMU's seven-game win streak that spanned 24 days.
"We got exposed in the first set without question and even in the second set we didn't execute at the level we would expect," explained head coach Matt Botsford of the team's second win over FAMU this season. "What I liked about the second set was that we fought and we found other ways to score as our blocking and our serving improved tremendously. In the first half we couldn't create any distance so the fact that were able to win was really important and really helped us win the match in four instead of extending it any longer. The performance we saw in sets three and four is what we're looking for all the time. Three and four were examples of the volleyball we are capable of playing."
Mesner led the Eagle attack with 22 kills on 35 attempts. The senior collected just three errors on the night and hit .543. Mesner has recorded an attack percentage over .500 on four occasions in the last six matches and currently leads the team and the league with a season mark of .393.
The attack was aided by senior Jessica Barnes and junior Eleonora Kazarian, who recorded 12 and 10 kills, respectively, in the four-set match. Sophomore Marlene Moeller also contributed to the offensive production with six kills on 11 attempts, while Gigi Meyer facilitated the attack with 49 assists.
Moeller led the team with four total blocks, while freshman Mackenzie Allen added two solo blocks for the Green and Blue. Senior libero Whitney Masters paced the defensive effort with a team-high 15 digs, with rookie Courtney Stephens added 10.
Collectively, the Eagles recorded 59 kills compared to the Rattlers' 49 and produced an attack percentage of .279. FAMU hit .211 on the night with 52 digs and four total blocks, while the Eagles saw 55 digs and seven team blocks.
The first installment of the opening set never saw a lead swell larger than two points as the teams traded points before Botsford hailed for a timeout with the Eagles trailing, 11-10.
Following the timeout, Kazarian and Allen teamed up for back-to-back kills, but the Rattlers settled in and strung together a 10-4 run, forcing the Eagles to burn their second timeout facing a 22-16 deficit in the opening frame.
Barnes did her best to keep the Eagles alive, but the Rattlers capped the first set with successful hits at the front of the net for a 25-17 opening set victory.
The start of the second set unfolded much like the first as neither side held more than a two-point advantage before the Eagles called for a timeout trailing, 14-12. The Rattlers hammered one off of FGCU's front lines and capitalized on an ace to take the two-point edge.
Following the Green and Blue's first timeout of the second stanza, Mesner took matters into her own hands and slammed down five kills to lift FGCU to a 25-21 second set victory.
In a set that saw 16 tie scores and seven lead changes, Mesner totaled seven kills in the second set and led the Eagles to an attack percentage of .258 to help the team swing the momentum in favor of the home team.
The Eagles' offense came out firing on all cylinders to initiate the third set. Mesner stayed hot from the end of the second set and channeled her momentum into back-to-back kills at the net for a 3-1 lead. Barnes followed suit and tossed down successive kills for a 6-2 FGCU advantage, coercing the Rattlers into taking a timeout.
FGCU carried the advantage following the timeout, as the offense spread it around and saw kills from Moeller and freshman Sydney Ferguson. FAMU struggled during the next two rallies, attacking long and hitting into a dual block of Kazarian and Moeller, before burning their second timeout while trailing 10-3.
The Green and Blue stretched its lead to nine points, 18-9, before FAMU grabbed the next six-of-eight exchanges to make it a five-point frame, 20-15, forcing the Eagles to regroup and call timeout.
Both teams played even after FGCU's timeout, but the Eagles utilized their large advantage from the onset of the third set to maintain the lead. Mesner again finished off the Rattlers with a tip in front to close out the third set in FGCU's favor, 25-18.
The early points of the fourth set saw less than stellar play on both sides, with each squad trading errors and settling on an 8-8 count before the Eagles called for a timeout.
After a 10-10 tie, the Eagles strung together five kills on the next six exchanges, with Mesner and Barnes contributing a pair and Kazarian slamming one down the right side to give FGCU a four-point lead, 15-11, and pressuring FAMU to call timeout.
In the ensuing string of points, the Eagles maintained their four-point edge and drove FAMU into its second timeout of the set after Moeller and Kazarian stuffed the Rattlers attempt at the net for a 20-16 edge.
Kazarian put the Eagles on the brink of victory with a vicious kill through the middle of FAMU's defense, but the Rattlers responded with three-consecutive points and forced the Eagles into timeout to regain composure for the final point.
FAMU made it a two-point game, 24-22, but like the previous two sets, Mesner finished the job with a strong swing down the right side to seal the match, 25-22.
The win marked the Eagles' seventh straight to tie the team's longest streak of the 2013 slate.
FGCU returns to Atlantic Sun action Friday, Oct. 17 with a highly-anticipated matchup with Lipscomb University. The Eagles will welcome the Lady Bisons for a 6 p.m. matchup at Alico Arena in a battle for first-place in the Atlantic Sun. The preseason favorite currently stands at 11-6 on the season and 5-0 in conference play. Following Friday's contest, the Eagles host Northern Kentucky in a 6 p.m. contest Saturday evening.
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU volleyball program, follow on Twitter at @FGCU_VB, on Facebook at /FGCUVolleyball and on Instagram at @FGCU_VB.
Head coach Matt Botsford is in his first year at the helm of the FGCU volleyball program. Prior to his time in Southwest Florida, Botsford held successful stints as an assistant at Notre Dame, Miami, IUIPI, Indianapolis and most recently Colorado State. Botsford is a former professional volleyball player and is a 1998 graduate of Tri-State University, where he earned a degree in Social Studies Education. He earned a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Indianapolis.
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
