FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU volleyball team suffered its first home loss of 2016 at the hands of Lipscomb on Friday night. The Eagles move to third place with an ASUN Conference record of 8-3, while Lipscomb takes sole possession of second at 9-2. FGCU will have another chance to shake up the conference when it faces ASUN leader Kennesaw State tomorrow night at Alico Arena.
 
The Eagles kept it tight in the first set but struggled to get stops, which culminated in a 25-21 Bisons victory. In the second set, Lipscomb found their rhythm early and kept FGCU out of system on their way to a 25-12 win. Down 2-0 to the Bisons, FGCU fought for tough points in set three. After taking it into extras, the Eagles ultimately fell 31-29, giving Lipscomb the sweep.
 
"The biggest thing is Lipscomb defended extremely well," said head coach Matt Botsford. "That was the story of the match from my perspective. Both teams were struggling from the service line. That really haunted us in the third set. But the difference between the two teams this evening was floor defense. Lipscomb really put itself in position to take quality transition swings, and most of the digs that we got were touches. That means we were just throwing it up in hopes that someone could keep the ball in play, and you're not going to beat a good team by just trying to keep the ball in play. That's probably the most significant thing that I saw this evening."
 
Sophomore Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque N.M./Sandia HS) led the team in kills (16) and digs (15) on the way to her ninth double-double of the season. The outside hitter has tallied double-digit kills in 20 matches so far this year.
 
Despite FGCU playing out of system for a large part of the match, setter Maggie Rick (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic HS), posted 30 assists on the Eagles' 35 kills. With 996 assists on the year, she sits just four shy of recording her second season with 1,000-plus assists.
 
Rookie Daniele Serrano (Ocala, Fla./Seminole HS) led FGCU's defense along the net with four blocks. This is the seventh time this season that the freshman middle has collected four or more blocks in a match.
 
The first set remained extremely tight all the way to the final points. Neither team was able to gain more than a two-point advantage until Lipscomb went on a three-point run that pushed the score to 24-20. After a kill from senior Leigh Pudwill (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS/Northern Iowa) narrowed the gap to three, the Bisons ended the set with a kill by Taylor Racich.
 
In the second set, Lipscomb gained control early and held on. The Bisons attackers put FGCU out of system and jumped out to a quick 14-7 lead. As the set went on, the Eagles failed to make adjustments and went down 2-0 in the match.
 
FGCU came out stronger after the break, jumping out to a 5-2 lead in the third set. But Lipscomb quickly gained the advantage with a pair of three-point runs. The Eagles clawed their way back, tying up the match at 23 with a handful of Pudwill and Carroll kills. Finally, the Green and Blue regained the lead at 26-25 after an error by Lipscomb. The Eagles maintained the advantage as the score advanced to 29-28, but ultimately fell after three consecutive points ended things in favor of the Bisons.
 
UP NEXT
The Green and Blue will have another chance to tie their Division I program record of 23 wins in a season when they face Kennesaw State tomorrow at 6 p.m. The match will mark the Eagles final home contest of 2016. Get to Alico Arena early, as we will be honoring our FGCU volleyball seniors prior to the event.
 
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 third year at the helm of the FGCU volleyball program.  His teams have combined for an overall 62-27 (.697) record, including a 29-10 (.744) mark in ASUN play. In his inaugural season, the Eagles finished with a record of 19-11 with a second-place ASUN finish. Botsford has coached 10 All-Conference selections in his two seasons. 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. A former professional volleyball player, he is a 1998 graduate of Tri-State University (now Trine), 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.