FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU volleyball team dropped a five-set match to Jacksonville on Saturday (Oct. 31), ending a nine-match winning streak. The Eagles fell 3-2 (17-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-20, 12-15) and are now 19-8 overall and 8-2 in the Atlantic Sun. The Dolphins meanwhile moved to 9-13 in 2015 and 6-4 in conference play.

"It was a bit of a roller coaster tonight," said head coach Matt Botsford. "A lot of credit goes to Jacksonville though, they played really well tonight. I was actually pretty pleased at the conclusion of the third set and even in the fifth set. Jacksonville was playing on a different gear on a couple plays. There's a lot of positives to take away from tonight but obviously we're disappointed to lose a match like that here at home."

For the second time this season, FGCU and Jacksonville went into a fifth-set. Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia High School) paced the Eagle attack with 18 kills and also tallied 17 digs. Leigh Pudwill (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial High School/Northern Iowa) and Lauren Tutwiler (Louisville, Ky./Assumption High School) also eclipsed 10 kills for the Green and Blue. Eleonora Kazarian (Tibilisi, Georgia/College of Central Florida) and Karissa Rhoades (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale Senior High School) each ended the night with eight kills. Courtney Stephens (Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park High School) came off the bench to energize the floor defense, tallying 20 digs. Vanessa Benke (Toledo, Brazil/College of Central Florida) recorded 30 digs to lead the team. Maggie Rick (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic High School) concluded the night with 48 assists.

"With how we played this weekend, we still feel really good going forward," Botsford added. "We had a lot of contributions tonight off the bench. Courtney Stephens was amazing tonight. She was the catalyst for what happened in the fourth set and Karissa Rhoades came in and was explosive. It's nice to have that depth where you can ask people to come in and do some different things to change the game and that's what I took away from this weekend."

FGCU fell behind early following a 25-17 first set that went to the Dolphins but quickly turned it around, earning a 25-16 victory in the second set. It was the visitors that claimed the third set 25-18, forcing the Eagles into a must-win situation in the fourth set. FGCU again rallied, taking the fourth set 25-20 and built an early lead in the fifth set as well. JU, however, bounced back, ending the Eagles winning streak with a 15-12 fifth-set win.

The Eagles and Dolphins were tied at nine when Jacksonville used a 5-1 run to open a 14-10 lead. Marlene Moeller (Lüdinghausen, Germany/Pascal Gymnasium) gave FGCU side out, but not before the deficit grew to 17-12. Marina Adami (Caxias Do Sul, Brazil/College of Central Florida) entered the set and briefly gave FGCU momentum, picking up a kill and getting FGCU to within 18-13. A Carroll kill brought the score line to 18-15 in favor of the visitors, but that was the closest the Eagles would get, falling 25-17. The FGCU floor defense recorded 17 digs while Carroll paced the offense with three kills.

It was another close set until the Eagles created separation behind a Carroll kill and a pair of Dolphin errors to go in front 8-5. Jacksonville came back to tie the game at 12, but a pair of Pudwill kills provided an immediate response, leading to a 15-12 advantage for FGCU. Two kills from Carroll sparked the beginning of a 7-1 run for the Green and Blue, helping the home side to a 23-15 lead. A Tutwiler kill gave FGCU set point and then the sophomore joined Kazarian in a block, giving the Eagles a 25-16 set win. Carroll and Pudwill paved the way for the Green and Blue, recording five and four kills, respectively. Defensively, the Green and Blue tallied 31 digs, led by eight from Benke. Along the net, Tutwiler set the tone with three blocks.

Looking to gain control of the match, FGCU used a block from Tutwiler and Pudwill and another from Pudwill and Moeller to tie the set at six. The visitors were quick to respond, using a 7-1 run to put the Eagles behind 13-7. Rhoades came off the bench and made an impact, picking up a kill to bring FGCU to within 13-8. Another long run by the Dolphins pushed the gap to 19-10, but the Eagles had one more run in them. Following a JU error, Kazarian tallied two kills and helped Tutwiler in a block, cutting the deficit to 19-14. Jacksonville however would close out the set, taking it 25-18.

The Eagles came back from 7-2 down in the fourth set to force a decisive fifth set. Trailing 5-2, the Eagles called timeout only for the Dolphins to add to their lead. A block from Rhoades and Moeller began the comeback, sparking a 6-1 run capped by a Moeller kill. Kills by Carroll and Tutwiler, along with two Dolphin errors, put FGCU in front for good at 14-10. Jacksonville attempted one final run but kills by Carroll and Pudwill ended the game at 25-20 to force a fifth set. Carroll ended the set with her sixth kill of the game, meanwhile Pudwill and Rhoades each put down four successful attacks for FGCU.

The Green and Blue grabbed an early 4-2 lead behind kills from Carroll, Tutwiler and Pudwill but JU came back and took an 8-7 lead. Carroll later tied the set at nine, but JU took an 11-9 lead on the next two points. The two-point gap remained intact as JU won the fifth set 15-12.

UP NEXT

FGCU wraps up its road schedule next weekend. The Eagles travel to USC Upstate and Kennesaw State as A-Sun play begins to wind down. FGCU faces Upstate Friday, Nov. 6 and then heads to Kennesaw State for a match Saturday, Nov. 7.

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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 38-19 (.667) record, including a 19-5 (.792) 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.