BABSON PARK, Fla. – The FGCU sand volleyball team earned its third-straight victory Tuesday afternoon with a 4-1 win over Webber International University. With the victory, the Eagles move to 3-9 on the season, while the Warriors fall to 1-11.
 
"We have made some big strides over the last two weeks when it comes to our ball handing," said head coach Matt Botsford. "That is allowing us to be more terminal as attackers as we find ourselves getting more quality looks."
 
The Eagles saw wins in the no. 1, 3, 4 and 5 positions, with each victory coming in straight sets.
 
At no. 5, Katie Gutmann (Coconut Creek, Fla./Monarch High School) and Sydney Ferguson (Fort Myers, Fla./Evangelical Christian School) picked up the team's first win of the day with a 2-0 score. The duo took set one easily with a 21-8 score and sealed a sweep with a 21-18 win in the second set.
 
Playing in the no. 4 position, Olivia Mesner (Boca Raton, Fla./Spanish River High School) and Madi Wilcox (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein High School) also earned a 2-0 win. Mesner and Wilcox moved to 10-2 on the season with a 21-6 win in the first set and a 21-13 'W' in the second stanza.
 
Caroline Jordan (Orlando, Fla./William R. Boone High School) and Mackenzie Allen (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast High School) sealed the match victory for the Green and Blue with a 2-0 win in the no. 3 slot. The pair earned two-straight wins by marks of 21-10 and 21-15 to push the Eagles ahead 3-0 in the match.
 
"CJ [Caroline Jordan] and Mackenzie were both playing great defense and scrambling well in transition," added Botsford. "That is something we are stressing as a group."
 
The lone loss of the day came at the no. 2 pair, where Marlene Moeller (Ludinghausen, Germany/Pascal Gymnasium) and freshman Ashley Glickert (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central High School) fell 21-15, 21-19 but the team responded with another 2-0 win in the final match of the day.
 
At the no. 1 pair, Whitney Masters (Muncia, Ind./Wapahani High School) and Eleonora Kazarian (Tibilisi, Georgia/College of Central Florida) took the final win of the day at 2-0. In Kazarian's first match back after injury, the pair overpowered its opposition with scores of 21-19 and 21-15.
 
"Ella played well in her comeback and both her and Whitney put together a great performance against a great team," noted Botsford.
 
The Green and Blue will vie for the 2015 Atlantic Sun Conference title Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18 at the Estero Community Park. The Eagles will welcome the league's other teams for the conference championship tournament.
 
COMPLETE RESULTS: FGCU 4, WEBBER 1
1. Masters/Kazarian (FGCU) def. Schat/Mueller (WEBBER) 21-19, 21-15
2. Hay/Calderon (WEBBER) def. Moeller/Glickert (FGCU) 21-15, 21-19
3. Jordan/Allen (FGCU) def. Spadaro/Umana (WEBBER) 21-10, 21-15
4. Mesner/Wilcox (FGCU) def. Parzygnat/Bissell (WEBBER) 21-6, 21-13
5. Gutmann/Ferguson (FGCU) def. Levy/Skarkova (WEBBER) 21-8, 21-18
 
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 concluded his first year at the helm of the FGCU volleyball program with a record of 19-11 with a second-place finish in Atlantic Sun Conference play. Botsford's team also had five players recognized as All-Conference winner to set a new program high. 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.