EMERSON, Ga. – Searching for an appearance in the Atlantic Sun Beach Volleyball Championship final, the FGCU beach volleyball team had its record-setting season come to a close with a 5-0 loss to UNF Sunday morning. FGCU ends the year with a program-record 11 wins against eight losses, UNF meanwhile is 23-10.

"That was a difficult way to end the season for all of us," said head coach Matt Botsford. "We didn't play at the level we have grown accustomed to and UNF took control from the start. While I am disappointed in the day, I can't help but look at a broader view and really appreciate what this team has done this year. We have made huge strides as a program and I'm so grateful for the hard work these young women have put in. This group has created a new standard for FGCU beach volleyball."

For the second-straight match, FGCU faced an early deficit when Ashley Glickert (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central High School) and Karissa Rhoades (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale Senior High School) lost to Katarina Raicevic and  Courtney Miller 21-15, 21-13 at No. 3. Leigh Pudwill (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial High School/Northern Iowa) and Katherine Puisis (Mason, Ohio/William Mason High School) then dropped a 21-7, 21-16 match at No. 5.

Elisa Anne Aldrich (Charleston, S.C./Wando High School) and Madi Wilcox (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein High School) lost their first set 21-16 and remained competitive in the second set against Ambre Desaulnay and Chaney Howard. The Osprey team prevailed 21-18 late in the second set however.

At No. 2, Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia High School) and Mackenzie Allen (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast High School) nearly claimed their first set against Lauren Ford and Kimberly Ferguson, but fell late 21-19. The Eagle pairing then dropped the second set 21-16.

Vanessa Benke (Toledo, Brazil/College of Central Florida) and Eleonora Kazarian (Tibilisi, Georgia/College of Central Florida) also remained close in the first set, falling 21-19 before losing the final set 21-10.

Following the conclusion of the tournament, Aldrich and Wilcox were named to the All-Tournament team. 

FULL RESULTS
1) Crawshaw/Kinlaw (UNF) def. Benke/Kazarian (FGCU) 21-19, 21-10
2) Ford/Ferguson (UNF) def. Carroll/Allen (FGCU) 21-19, 21-16
3) Raicevic/Miller (UNF) def. Glickert/Rhoades (FGCU) 21-15, 21-13
4) Desaelnay/Howard (UNF) def. Aldrich/Wilcox (FGCU) 21-16, 21-18
5) Hoff/Passe (UNF) def. Pudwill/Puisis (FGCU) 21-7, 21-16

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_BeachVB.
 
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 40-22 (.645) record, including a 21-7 (.750) 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 has also coached 10 All-Conference selections in just two seasons at FGCU. 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.