FORT MYERS, Fla. – For the third time since joining the Atlantic Sun, the FGCU volleyball team (19-10, 11-3 A-Sun) will host the Atlantic Sun Championship Tournament starting on Thursday, Nov. 20 at Alico Arena. After finishing second in the regular-season standings, the Green and Blue earned a first-round bye and will take on the winner of third-seeded Jacksonville (16-13, 7-7 A-Sun) and sixth-seeded North Florida (13-17, 6-8 A-Sun) at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.
 
Lipscomb earned the top seed and will face the victor of fourth-seeded Northern Kentucky (18-10, 7-7 A-Sun) and fifth-seeded Stetson (16-12, 7-7 A-Sun) at 5 p.m. Friday night.
 
The first round matchups between No. 4 NKU – No. Stetson and No. 3 Jacksonville and No. 6 UNF will take place on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively.
 
The Eagles will learn their opponent in the 7:30 p.m. battle Thursday evening at Alico Arena.
 
FGCU A-SUN TOURNAMENT HISTORY
With their second-place finish in the A-Sun regular season standings following an 11-3 mark, the Eagles qualified for their fifth showing in the conference postseason since joining in 2007.
 
Along with this year's tournament, FGCU hosted the A-Sun Championship Tournament in both 2009 and 2010. In 2009, the Eagles made a run to their first and only championship game appearance as a three seed, eventually falling to top-seeded Lipscomb. The Green and Blue did not qualify for postseason play in 2010.
 
In all, FGCU has mounted a 4-4 record in the A-Sun Tournament. The Eagles are unblemished in their first round games with a 3-0 mark. FGCU has either qualified or advanced to four semifinal contests but won its only semifinal match in 2009. In championship bouts, FGCU is 0-1.
 
FGCU will be the No. 2 seed for the first time in program history in A-Sun postseason action. The Eagles earned top billing as the No. 1 seed in 2012 and have been the No. 3 seed on two other occasions. The Eagles have also been slotted as the No. 4 seed.
 
Below is a complete breakdown of FGCU's A-Sun Championship Tournament history:
 
2013 (at Kennesaw State)
- First Round
#4 FGCU defeated #5 Stetson (3-2 | 28-30, 25-18, 25-12, 17-25, 15-12)
- Semifinals
#1 Jacksonville defeated #4 FGCU (3-1 | 25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 25-16)
 
2012 (at Lipscomb)
- Semifinals
#4 North Florida defeated #1 FGCU (3-2 | 25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 15-12)
 
2011 (at Lipscomb)
- First Round
#3 FGCU defeated #6 North Florida (3-1 | 25-22, 19-25, 25-11, 27-25)
- Semifinals
#2 Lipscomb defeated #3 FGCU (3-0 |  25-18, 25-13, 25-22)
 
2009 (at FGCU)
- First Round
#3 FGCU defeated #6 Campbell (3-0 | 25-18, 25-18, 25-17)
- Semifinals
#3 FGCU defeated #2 Jacksonville (3-0 | 29-27, 26-24, 25-18)
- Championship
#1 Lipscomb defeated #3 FGCU (3-0 | 25-22, 25-18, 25-21)
 
THE GREEN AND BLUE
FGCU glides into postseason action with some impressive numbers at both the conference and national levels.
 
Lead by junior Eleonora Kazarian (Tibilisi, Georgia/College of Central Florida) and senior Olivia Mesner (Boca Raton, Fla./Spanish River High School), FGCU possessed one of the most lethal offenses in the A-Sun. The Eagles' aggregate of 1,545 total kills was the top mark, overall, amongst all teams while their 749 kills within conference play ranked second. FGCU averaged 13.43 kills per set and a 13.62 total in league play, both good for second place.
 
Thanks to Mesner's accurate swinging and earning the league's top figure in hitting percentage, FGCU finished second, as a whole, with a percentage of .214. The Eagles also threw 4,210 total attacks at their opponents throughout the season, counting as the third-highest figure.
 
Senior Gigi Meyer (Gainsville, Fla./Buchholz High School) anchored the Eagles' top mark in assists this season as FGCU's total of 1,475 and 12.83 assists per set were both the top figures amongst all A-Sun members.
 
GREEN AND BLUE POSTSEASON HONORS
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, the A-Sun revealed its all-conference selections as the Eagles boasted a program-best five total representatives. Kazarian and Mesner earned All-Conference First Team selections while senior Whitney Masters (Muncie, Ind./Wapahani High School) and Meyer were tabbed to the All-Conference Second Team. Rookie Mackenzie Allen (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast High School) rounded out FGCU's day as a member of the All-Freshman Team.
 
Allen finished fifth for the green and blue with 130 kills at a clip of 1.74 per set and tossed down a season-best 11 kills on three different occasions.
 
Kazarian finished third in the conference in both kills (386) and kills per set (3.42) while her figure of 3.42 ranks 140th in the NCAA. The transfer not only posted a team-best 455.5 points, she logged the second-most service aces for the Eagles, landing 28 successful serves. On the defensive end, Kazarian posted the second-most digs on the team with 262.
 
Masters paced FGCU with 498 digs at a rate of 4.33 per set, ranking second and fourth, respectively, amongst the A-Sun leaders. Masters also recorded 79 assists, second behind Meyer, and added 28.0 points in 29 matches played.
 
Meyer not only landed on the All-Conference Second Team, she was selected as the Atlantic Sun Conference's Setter of the Year. On top of her court prowess, Meyer gathered her second-consecutive Academic All-Conference award. FGCU's senior setter finished with the A-Sun's top mark in assists per set, doling out 1,330 in all at a rate of 11.57. The 5-7 setter's mark of 1,330 assists is just 24 shy of the top figure in the NCAA while her 11.57 assists per set is the 10th-best mark across the country. Meyer's current rate of 11.57 assists per set will go down as the all-time season record.
 
Mesner earned her second postseason honor from the A-Sun after claiming Second Team honors as a junior. The Boca Raton, Fla. Native finished fourth overall in both kills (368) and kills per set (3.42) amongst all A-Sun members, but was most recognized for her efficiency. Mesner logged the A-Sun's top hitting percentage at .362, killing 368 balls on 720 total attempts. At that rate, Mesner finished with a top-60 mark in the NCAA. The green and blue veteran finished the regular season with the second most points on the team (417.0), averaging 3.6 per set.
 
LAST TIME OUT
In the final weekend of regular season action, the green and blue split with a 3-0 sweep of North Florida followed by a 3-2 loss at Jacksonville.
 
FGCU picks up its third-consecutive victory on Nov. 14 with the 3-0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-18) win over the Ospreys in Jacksonville, Fla. The Eagles maintained an attack percentage of .308 with 40 kills and also churned out a season-high seven service aces.
 
Individually, senior Jessica Barnes (Winter Haven, Fla./Haines City High School) paced the team with 11 kills and a hitting percentage of .364 while Masters anchored the defense with 15 digs.
 
In the regular season finale, the Eagles squandered a two-set lead and eventually lost in five at Jacksonville in a 25-18, 25-15, 25-19, 25-23, 15-10 decision. FGCU maintained a hitting percentage of .186 with 59 kills alongside 92 digs. Kazarian led the team with 23 kills while Mesner added 14 in her final regular season contest. Meyer not only doled out 49 assists, she led the green and blue defensively with 19 digs.
 
FGCU swept North Florida on the season and split with Jacksonville after Saturday's setback.
 
Coincidentally, the Eagles will have a fresh look at their opponent Friday as they get the winner of the first-round matchup between the third-seeded Dolphins and the sixth-seeded Ospreys.
 
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
Jacksonville breaks into the 2014 Atlantic Sun Championship Tournament as the No. 3 seed and looks to become the fifth team in A-Sun history to win back-to-back A-Sun Championships.
 
The Dolphins have been guided by junior outside hitter and A-Sun Player of the Year Sammie Strausbaugh all year. Strausbaugh totaled 501 total kills on the year and is only player in the A-Sun to reach 500 kills in the regular season. Strausbaugh's mark is currently ranked 10th in the NCAA.
 
Junior Emily Laskelle turned in a solid offensive performance, finishing seventh in the A-Sun with 327 total kills.
 
Defensively, the Dolphins ranked second in the league in total blocks with 217. JU's biggest asset in the blocks department was freshman Olga Nushtayeva, who led the league with 109 total stuffs.
 
The Dolphins have been the No. 1 seed in the A-Sun Tournament on one occasion (2013) and have qualified for 12 A-Sun post season tournaments, in all.
 
SCOUTING THE OSPREYS
After missing out on qualification last season, sixth-seeded North Florida is back for the 2014 A-Sun Tournament with a 13-17 overall mark and a 6-8 total in conference play.
 
North Florida collected 242 total blocks during the season, 25 more than any other A-Sun team thanks to the duo of sophomore Morgan Van Alstine and senior Cameron McGuire. Van Alstine logged 12 solo blocks and 94 block assists while McGuire turned in five solo stuffs and 92 blocks assists, to formulate the most formidable blocking duo in the A-Sun.
 
Senior Cari Whitmire was a defensive stalwart for UNF all season long, posted the conference best marks in both digs (572) and digs per set (4.81).
 
Newcomer Courtney Miller was North Florida' top attacker, logging a team-best 328 kills.
 
Thursday's contest with Jacksonville marks the Ospreys' third showing in the A-Sun postseason tournament.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
All five matches of the 2014 Atlantic Sun Championship Tournament will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with Neil Solondz and Charlie Castillo on the call. Fans can also follow live stats, available via StatBroadcast at the tournament central page .
 
RPI
FGCU continues to hold the second-highest position in the RPI amongst A-Sun members, behind only Lipscomb. The Green and Blue reached as high as 64 and is currently slotted at 71 heading into the postseason. Here are the RPI rankings for all of FGCU's opponents and their latest RPI ranking.
 
Miami 27
Lipscomb 32
Ohio State 33
Seton Hall 55
FGCU 71
UT Arlington 79
UMKC 88
Auburn 101
Northern Kentucky 113
Florida Atlantic 130
Southern Illinois 131
Jacksonville 162
North Florida 179
Stetson 183
Florida A & M 196
Houston Baptist 200
Kennesaw State 245
FIU 249
USC Upstate 254
Texas Southern 266
Alabama State
Bethune-Cookman 306
 
Tickets for the 2014 Atlantic Sun Conference Volleyball Championship are on sale now. Fans can purchase single-day tickets or a full tournament pass through the FGCU Ticket Office by visiting the office, calling 239-590-7145 or visiting FGCUAthletics.com/asunvbtickets.
 
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.