FORT MYERS, Fla. – After a month of tournament play, the FGCU volleyball team will begin Atlantic Sun Conference action this weekend as the team welcomes cross-state foe Stetson University.  The Eagles will take on the Hatters on Saturday, Sept. 27 with a 7 p.m. match at Alico Arena.
 
THE GREEN AND BLUE
FGCU enters the weekend with a record of 5-7 on the season after going 1-2 last weekend at the Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Airport Classic at Alico Arena.  The Eagles earned wins over Florida A&M, Southern Illinois, Houston Baptist, Texas Southern and Alabama State in the preseason and will look to move above .500 in the opening weeks of conference play.
 
Despite two losses, the Eagles produced one of their stronger weekends statistically in the home event.  The team maintained an attack percentage of .192 with 144 kills, 200 digs and a season-high 21.5 total blocks in the three-match stretch.
 
Overall, the Eagles have hit .180 this season with a conference-leading 12.9 kills per set.  The team also leads the league with 12.1 assists per set and ranks third with a mark of 15.2 digs per set.  FGCU leads its opponents in all three categories but falls behind foes at the net with a 108.5-71.5 blocking disadvantage.  The team has averaged 1.5 blocks per set but has allowed opponents to record 2.3 blocks per set.
 
Individually, the FGCU attack has been led by four heavy hitters this season but will rely on just three moving forward.  Senior Jessica Barnes (Winter Haven, Fla./Haines City High School) leads the team with 151 total kills this year and an average of 3.15 per set, while senior Olivia Mesner (Boca Raton, Fla./Spanish River High School) adds 2.75 kills per set and holds a league-leading attack percentage of .332.  In addition to the senior leadership, a pair of junior transfers have set their mark on the program's success early this season.  Vanessa Benke (Toledo, Brazil/College of Central Florida) and Eleonora Kazarian (Tibilisi, Georgia/College of Central Florida) have averaged 3.14 and 2.76 kills per set, respectively, in 12 matches this season with Benke also contributing 123 digs on the year. However, Benke's play was limited last weekend after leaving the UMKC match with an injury.   
 
In Benke's absence, sophomore Shelby Joslin (Alva, Fla./Evangelical High School) and freshman Mackenzie Allen (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast High School) will add to the Eagle attack.
 
With a list of options to attack, senior setter Gigi Meyer (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz High School) will facilitate the offense this weekend.  Meyer has recorded 517 total assists on the year and leads the conference with an average of 10.77 assists per set.
 
Defensively, senior libero Whitney Masters (Muncie, Ind./Wapahani High School) paces the team with 4.04 digs per set and has totaled 194 on the season, while rookie Lauren Tutwiler (Louisville, Ky./Assumption High School) has led the blocking effort with 36 total blocks to begin her career. Mesner has added 29 blocks, with Kazarian also contributing 29 to the team's total of 71.5.
 
SCOUTING THE HATTERS
Stetson travels to Fort Myers with a record of 8-5 on the season and is in the midst of a three-game win streak.  The Hatters most recently defeated Bethune-Cookman for the second time this season.
 
With leadership from first-year head coach Kristina Hernandez, the Eagles return all but two starters from a team that went 18-16 last season.  With a record of 9-9, the Hatters took fourth place in the conference standings.
 
This season, Stetson has averaged 12.7 kills per set with an attack percentage of .193 as a whole.  The team ranks third in the conference in hitting percentage and kills and among the top five with 11.9 assists per set.  Defensively, the Hatters hold a reception percentage of .911 and have amassed 13.6 digs per set and 88 total blocks.
 
The DeLand-based team is led by a duo of underclassmen with over 3.0 kills per set.  Freshman McKenna Foster paces the team with 3.19 kills per stanza to rank fifth in the conference, while sophomore Madison Akins adds 3.04. Foster also leads the team with 16 service aces in 13 matches. 
 
Junior Kayla Weller has produced 497 assists on the year and ranks second on the team with 107 digs, with classmate Alexa Drost leading the digging effort with 171 this season.  The defensive game is tethered by 43 total blocks from senior leader Erika White and freshman Shelby Connors.
 
The Eagles and Hatters have met 13 times since 2007, including three matches during the 2013 season.  Last year, the teams split the regular-season series before meeting in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Championship Tournament.  In a thrilling match that saw 14 kills from Mesner and 34 digs from Masters, the Eagles edged Stetson 3-2 to move on the in tournament.  Overall, the Eagles are 11-2 against the Hatters with losses in 2011 and at home a year ago.  Prior to the loss last season, the Eagles held a five-game win streak and have now win six of their last seven against the in-state foe.
 
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
After tying Stetson at fourth in the standings last season, the Eagles were selected to finish third among the league's teams in this year's preseason coaches' poll. The Eagles received 45 points in the poll to sit behind only Lipscomb and Jacksonville.  Stetson picked up 27 points and tied for sixth in the poll.
 
GAME DAY
Fans are encouraged to download the brand-new Wings Up mobile app in conjunction with SuperFanU prior to arriving at Saturday's match. The fully-customized, loyalty-rewards platform allows fans to check in at each of FGCU's sporting events to earn points throughout the school year toward exclusive prizes not offered anywhere else.
 
Saturday's match promotion will be 'Mad Hatter Night'.  Fans are encouraged to wear hats and anyone in a crazy hat will win a prize courtesy of Blu Sushi.
 
Single-game tickets for FGCU volleyball are available at a cost of $6 for adults and $3 for groups of ten (10) or more. Season tickets are also available. For more ticket information and additional deals, visit FGCUathletics.com/tickets, call or visit the ticket office at 239-590-7145.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans can access a video stream of FGCU's match against Stetson free of charge via FGCUathletics.com, while live stats will be available via StatBroadcast.
 
UP NEXT
After the weekend, the Eagles will continue the quest for the Atlantic Sun Conference championship with two more home games the following weekend. The team will host the University of North Florida on Friday, Oct. 3 and will take on Jacksonville on Saturday, Oct. 4.  The UNF bout is slated for 7 p.m., while Saturday's contest is scheduled for 6 p.m.