SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With a spot in the 2015 Atlantic Sun Championships already clinched, the FGCU volleyball team continues its quest for one of the top seeds this weekend with its final road contests of the regular season. The Eagles currently sit in second place with an 8-2 record in the A-Sun, trailing only Lipscomb at 9-1. On the schedule for the Green and Blue this weekend are the Spartans of USC Upstate and the Kennesaw State Owls.

Action begins in Spartanburg, S.C., Friday (Nov. 6) at 6 p.m. when FGCU takes on Upstate. The match will be televised on WatchESPN and live stats will also be available through USC Upstate's website. Saturday marks the final road match of the regular season for FGCU. The Eagles and Owls are scheduled for a 7 p.m. first serve and will be streamed on A-Sun TV with live stats available through Kennesaw State's website.

THE GREEN AND BLUE

FGCU assured itself a spot in the 2015 A-Sun Championships with its 3-1 win over UNF Friday (Oct. 30) but had its nine-match winning streak end with a 3-2 loss to Jacksonville the following day. At 19-8 overall and 8-2 in the A-Sun, FGCU holds a two-game lead over both Kennesaw State and Jacksonville. Both the Owls and Dolphins enter the weekend with matching 6-4 conference records. With a pair of wins this weekend, the Eagles could secure one of the top two seeds for the upcoming tournament.

Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia High School) is on pace to record 400 kills this season and continues to rise in the national rankings, closing in on the top 50 in both total kills (349) and points (407). Vanessa Benke (Toledo, Brazil/College of Central Florida) moved into the top 40 nationally in total digs (462) while Maggie Rick (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed/Trinity Catholic High School) surpassed 1,000 assists in 2015 and moved into the top 30 in the country in the category.

USC UPSTATE

At 2-8 in the A-Sun and 14-12 overall, the Spartans could be facing elimination this weekend as Upstate trails Stetson and North Florida by two games for the sixth and final spot in the tournament. The Spartans boast three hitters with more than 200 kills this season, led by Emily Koelling's 262. Not only does Koelling lead the team in kills, but she also leads the net defense with 84 blocks. No other Spartan has more than 40 blocks this season. Freshman Madison Haake has put down 227 successful attacks to go along with her 286 assists and team-leading 298 digs. Haake has also posted five triple-doubles this season, most recently against Kennesaw State Oct. 24.

The Eagles defeated the Spartans 3-0 on Oct. 10, using 70 digs as a team to hold the Spartans to a .075 hitting percentage. Leigh Pudwill (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial High School/Northern Iowa) and Eleonora Kazarian (Tibilisi, Georgia/College of Central Florida) posted 10 kills each to lead the Green and Blue. With the win, FGCU improved to 14-0 all-time against the Spartans.

KENNESAW STATE

Kennesaw State hosts Stetson prior to Saturday's match against the Eagles. The Owls find themselves tied with Jacksonville for third place entering the weekend slate. KSU is 14-7 overall and 6-4 in the A-Sun and with a win can book a ticket to Nashville for the A-Sun Championships. Anaiah Boyer and Sydni Shelton anchor the Kennesaw State attack with more than 200 kills each while Kristi Piedimonte has recorded 740 assists while running the offense.
Along the net, the Owls rely on Liesl Engelbrecht and Rachel Taylor. The duo has combined for more than 100 blocks this season while Katarina Morton paces the floor defense with 302 digs.

Earlier this season the Eagles emerged victorious over the Owls in five sets, improving to 11-3 against Kennesaw State all-time. FGCU used 16 kills from Pudwill to come from 2-1 down to win match 3-2.
 
UP NEXT

Only one weekend remains in the regular season. Following the road contests with USC Upstate and Kennesaw State, the Eagles play their final two matches of the season. FGCU welcomes conference-leaders Lipscomb to Alico Arena Friday, Nov. 13 to begin the weekend before wrapping up the regular season against NJIT Saturday Nov. 14. The Green and Blue will celebrate Senior Night against the Highlanders, as Benke and Kazarian will both be honored prior to the match.
 
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 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.