JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Currently on a four match winning streak, FGCU volleyball travels north for three matches over a four day span. The Eagles enter the weekend 4-1 in conference play and in second place in the Atlantic Sun. UNF and Jacksonville are the first opponents FGCU will meet this weekend and both trail FGCU by one game in the standings at 3-2. Action wraps up with the final non-conference contest of the year, when the Eagles play the Rattlers of Florida A&M.

The Eagles and Ospreys are set to meet Friday, Oct. 16 in the first of two crucial A-Sun matches. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Jacksonville. On Saturday, Oct. 17, FGCU will face Jacksonville at 5 p.m. as the Green and Blue look to solidify their position in the standings. The final contest of the weekend and the last non-conference match of the year is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19 against Florida A&M with first serve at 6 p.m.

Live stats for the first two contests will be available through UNF's website and Jacksonville's website. Fans are also encouraged to follow along on twitter, @FGCU_VB, for score and news updates throughout the match.

THE GREEN AND BLUE

Since the Eagles loss to Lipscomb Oct. 4, FGCU has held opponents to a .129 hitting percentage, allowing the Green and Blue to win 12 of the 15 sets played. Now in sole possession of second place in the A-Sun at 14-7 overall and 4-1 in conference play, FGCU has limited opponents to hitting percentages of .200 or less in seven of the past eight matches.

FGCU picked up its second consecutive sweep, defeating Bethune-Cookman Tuesday, Oct. 13. Led by a double-double from Maggie Rick (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic High School) and 13 kills from Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia High School), FGCU outhit the Wildcats .215 to .158. A strong offensive performance propelled the Green and Blue to a 25-11 win in the first set before the Eagles were forced to come from behind to take the second set 25-23. A solid defensive push midway through the third set gave FGCU a slight edge, leading to a 25-22 win the final stanza.

Four Eagles find themselves in the top 100 nationally in their respective statistical categories. As of Thursday's (Oct. 15) NCAA rankings, Rick is 87th in assists per set (9.95) and 36th in total assists (756). Marlene Moeller (Lüdinghausen, Germany/Pascal Gymnasium) moved into 85th in hitting percentage, hitting at a .356 clip this season. Carroll is 99th in total attacks (711) and 82nd in total kills (258) and Vanessa Benke (Toledo, Brazil/College of Central Florida) is now 66th in total digs with 320 on the season.

UNF

At 16-5 overall and 3-2 in the A-Sun, UNF holds the edge over Jacksonville for third place with its earlier 3-2 win over Jacksonville. The Ospreys are 5-1 at home, with their only loss coming to Lipscomb. Tessa Alyman leads the team with 223 kills, while Carina Hoff adds 181. Abby Fesl has supplied 584 assists for UNF.

On defense, Morgan Van Alstine is second in the conference with 70 total blocks. She is helped along the net by 58 blocks from Erin Edwards. Kimberly Ferguson has dug out 319 attacks from opponents to pace the Ospreys.

The two programs first met in 2004, with UNF earning a 3-1 win in the postseason. Since then, the Eagles have had the better of the Ospreys, winning 16 of the 20 total matches.

JACKSONVILLE

After a rough September, the Dolphins have started October winning three of four matches. Jacksonville faces Stetson Friday and begin the weekend 6-11 overall but 3-2 in the A-Sun. Emily Laskelle leads the A-Sun with 284 kills and 4.18 kills per set. Kelly Koop sits second on the team with 153 kills and Jizzyan Gesualdo helps power the offense with 655 assists.

Ana Nieto-Gomez and Olga Nushtayeva have been the primary figures along the net, both posting more than 50 blocks heading into the weekend. Meanwhile Mayara Prestes leads the Dolphin floor defense with 333 digs.

After taking four of the first five matches, FGCU has struggled recently against Jacksonville. Notably, the Dolphins took two matches last season against the Eagles, including the A-Sun Semifinal matchup between the two. FGCU and Jacksonville have split the 18 total meetings heading into the weekend.

FLORIDA A&M

The Rattlers dropped their first 13 matches of the season but have taken four of six recently and are now 4-15 overall and 4-1 in the MEAC. Pamela Soriano paces the attack with 158 kills while Starmichael Tucker and Deija Martin both have eclipsed 100 kills. With 268 assists, Valeria Lopez leads Florida A&M with the help of 188 assists from Ailin Donati.

At the net, Ginna Lopez has recorded 37 blocks in 2015, while Soriano has chipped in with 28. Valentina Carrasco's 220 digs is a team-best for the Rattlers.

FGCU is 4-0 all-time against Florida A&M, including a pair of wins last season.

RPI Top 100
 
The Eagles cracked the RPI top 100 for the first time this season following the weekend slate. In Monday's RPI rankings, FGCU jumped from No. 143 in last week's RPI to No. 93, surpassing North Florida as the second-highest rated team in the A-Sun. Lipscomb remains the conference's highest-rated team, coming in this week at No. 77. Last season, the Eagles climbed as high as No. 64.
 
Of FGCU's seven losses, six have come against RPI top 100 teams and four against RPI top 30. FGCU will have one more match against a current RPI top 100 team when the Eagles welcome Lipscomb to Alico Arena Nov. 13. 
 
UP NEXT
 
FGCU returns home for three-straight home matches. The Eagles welcome Stetson on Saturday, Oct. 24 to begin the second half of the conference slate. Following the meeting with the Hatters, the Green and Blue welcome UNF and Jacksonville to Alico Arena on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, respectively.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
 
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.
 
COACH BOTSFORD
 
Head coach Matt Botsford is in his second year at the helm of the FGCU volleyball program and his teams have combined for an overall 33-18 (.647) record, including a 15-4 (.789) mark in A-Sun play. In his inaugural season, the Eagles finished with a record of 19-11 with a second-place finish in the A-Sun. Botsford's team also had five players recognized as All-Conference honorees, to set a new program high. Prior to his time in Southwest Florida, Botsford held successful stints as an assistant at Notre Dame, Miami, IUPUI, 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.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
 
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.