FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU volleyball team made history in front of 876 screaming fans at Alico Arena when they took down Big Ten powerhouse Indiana in a five-set nail-biter on Saturday night, marking the program's first-ever win over a Power Five opponent. The victory, which followed a Friday night win over South Alabama and a Saturday morning win over Marist, capped off a three-game tournament sweep for FGCU in the Homewood Suites Classic. The Green and Blue defeated Marist in three sets (25-11, 25-20, 25-16) before sending home the undefeated Hoosiers with their first loss of the season in five (25-17, 28-26, 17-25, 22-25, 15-12). After weekend play, the Eagles improve to 7-2, while Marist falls to 0-9 and Indiana, who shut out South Alabama (7-3) earlier in the day, slides to 9-1.
 
Senior Leigh Pudwill (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS/Northern Iowa) was named Tournament MVP after slamming down 41 kills on 75 attacks with 11 digs and four total blocks on the weekend. Pudwill hasn't fallen below a .410 hitting percentage in her last four matches, while totaling nearly 100 attacks over that span. The veteran outside hitter's points weren't just plentiful, they were meaningful, as Pudwill recorded the first Eagles kill in every match this weekend to give her team an early lift. 
 
"Leigh's play this weekend was amazing," said head coach Matt Botsford. "Her numbers were phenomenal. We really needed that from her this weekend."
 
Sophomore Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) was also named to the Homewood Suites Classic All-Tournament List after recording a team-leading 47 kills in the tournament. Carroll posted her second double-double of the season with 20 kills and 12 digs in the Friday night win over South Alabama. The Eagles outside hitter has tallied double-digit kills in her last eight matches.
 
This weekend marks FGCU's second-consecutive tournament sweep, following nine-straight set wins last Friday and Saturday at the Hilton Garden Inn Classic. The Eagles have now won six-straight matches and outscored their opponents in 18 of their last 21 sets.
 
"There's something about momentum in this sport," Botsford said. "We had to really scratch and claw for this one. It wasn't pretty towards the second half, but again, it's about resilience. I think any time you get on a winning streak there's an element of resilience and sometimes good fortune.  All those things were in play tonight."
 
In their first match of the day, the Eagles overpowered Marist, leading the way in virtually every statistical category (43 to 30 in kills, 42 to 30 in assists, 33 to 19 in digs, five to three in total blocks). As a team, FGCU averaged a season-high .447 hitting percentage, moving to first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference by the end of the weekend with .301 on the year. FGCU's .447 average versus Marist also marks the highest hitting percentage recorded by any ASUN team in a single match so far this season.
 
Defensively, Marist was held to a hitting percentage of .181, including .045 in the first set, largely thanks to junior libero Courtney Stephens (Winter Park, Fla./ Winter Park HS) who tallied 11 digs in the contest and 46 throughout the weekend.
 
Carroll was the only player from either side of the net to tally double-digit kills in the match. Her 15 kills were made possible by sophomore setter Maggie Rick (Alpharhetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic HS) who amassed 38 assists in the match and spread the ball around, allowing eight Eagles players to tally kills in the match. She continues to lead the ASUN with 10.81 assists per set after weekend play.
 
Excitement shook the arena as nearly 900 fans packed into Alico for the Eagles 7 p.m. match against Indiana – second-most in the Botsford era, trailing only last year's season opener. FGCU captured the first two sets before their Power Five opponent gained momentum. Indiana found answers to the Eagles attack in the third set. After narrowing the gap to 2-1, the Hoosiers continued to roll through the fourth set. The Eagles began to adjust, but a painful injury to freshman Ciara DeBell (Ocala, Fla./Vanguard HS) momentarily stunned the arena and left the team crest-fallen.
 
"That was really difficult for our players to see, and difficult for them to recover from," said Botsford. "I credit them for trying to stay focused. Of course, their number one concern is their teammate, as it should be, but they really recovered quickly."
 
FGCU dropped the fourth set, but entered the fifth re-energized as the student section rose to their feet and roared.  The Eagles trailed 10-7 in the fifth set, before grinding out eight of the next 10 points to seal a victory in the emotional match. 
 
"I'm only speaking from my experience here, but it's been three seasons and there's never been a match like this," Botsford continued. "We talked about it. There are a lot of people here and they want to support you. It just takes one play to get them engaged, and that's what happened. We had a couple of scramble plays, and the place lit up. Our players started to get a little bit stronger, puffing their chests a little further out. This is exciting for the sport, especially down here for us because we're trying to build this in more ways than just the product on the floor."
 
Big Ten foe Indiana ended last season with an RPI of 89 and not only went into the match undefeated, but shut out their opponents in six of their nine wins in 2016. The Hoosiers' victories include wins over teams in the Ivy League, WCC and Conference USA.
 
As a team, FGCU hit .244 against the Hoosiers, who boasted a defense that allowed an average hitting percentage of .192 entering the weekend. Individually, Pudwill led the Eagles with a hitting percentage of .440, followed by sophomore Karissa Rhoades (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale Senior HS) who averaged .381.
 
Three Eagles scored double-digit kills in the match - Pudwill (13) leading the team with Carroll (12) and Rhoades (10) trailing closely behind.
 
Freshman middle block Danielle Serrano (Sanford, Fla./Seminole HS) proved to be an obstacle for the Hoosiers offense with four blocks on the night. The rookie also provided a lift for the Eagles offense with six kills in 11 attacks.
 
Rhoades and senior Caroline Jordan (Orlando, Fla./Boone HS) provided points from the service line with a pair of aces each. Jordan's six aces in three games led the Eagles through the weekend.
 
MARIST
Box score (pdf) | Box score (xml)
 
Three consecutive Eagles points kicked off the team's 10 a.m. match against Marist. The Red Foxes split the next four points with FGCU, but the Green and Blue continued to gain steam when multiple errors crippled Marist. With FGCU up 10-3, the Red Foxes scored on an Eagles error, but FGCU quickly answered with three consecutive kills – two from Carroll and one from Rhoades. Kills by Pudwill and Serrano increase the Eagles lead to 10. Marist captured three of the next five points, but was knocked back again with a Pudwill kill and a Stephens service ace. With the score at 19-9, FGCU forced two more Red Fox errors. Marist called a time out with the Eagles leading 21-9, but DeBell pounded down a kill when play resumed. The teams exchanged the next four points, but a final kill from Carroll was enough to end the set 25-11.
 
In the second set, it was Marist who got a head start after an Eagles error and back-to-back kills from Nikki DeSerpa. FGCU responded with four points of their own, including kills by Carroll, Serrano and DeBell. After a brief exchange of points, the Eagles went on a second four-point run that gave FGCU a 9-5 advantage. Marist answered with four consecutive scores to tie things up at nine all. The Eagles scored four of the next six points to increase the score to 14-11. The teams swapped the next 12 points. Up 20-17, FGCU went on a three-point run. Marist attempted to fight their way back from a 23-17 deficit before a kill by Serrano ended the set at 25-20 and gave the Eagles a 2-0 advantage in the match.
 
A Marist service error and back-to-back Pudwill kills got the Eagles off to a 3-0 start in the third set. The competitors split the next six points. Three consecutive Eagles points, including a kill from freshman Bailey Johnson (Winter Springs, Fla./Winter Springs HS) gave FGCU a 9-3 advantage. Marist responded with three points of their own, cutting the Eagles' lead back to three. FGCU steadily crept ahead of the Red Foxes scoring twelve of the next 20 points. With the score at 21-4, Marist tallied back-to-back scores, but FGCU closed out the set 25-16 and the match 3-0 with four consecutive points including a kill from freshman Giovanna Borgiotti (Vienna, Va./George C. Marshall HS.
 
INDIANA
Box score (pdf) | Box score (xml)
 
FGCU captured the first three points of their 7 p.m. match versus Indiana off of consecutive Hoosiers' errors. The Eagles' competitors responded by tallying four of the next five points. With the score tied at 4-all, a Pudwill kill followed by another Hoosier error gave the Eagles a two-point advantage. Indiana and FGCU split the next 10 points. Up 11-9, the Eagles gained momentum with four-straight points that included kills from DeBell and Pudwill. The Hoosiers responded with three consecutive scores. Errors once again plagued Indiana, handing FGCU another three points and a 19-13 lead. Kills from Carroll, Serrano and senior Marlene Moeller (Ludinghausen, Germany/Pascal Gymnasium), increased the score to 22-14. The Hoosiers collected two kills, but committed three more errors, giving FGCU a 25-17 set win.
 
In the second set, FGCU once again drew first blood with three-straight scores. The Hoosiers began to limit mistakes and tied things up at 7-all. The teams exchanged the next eight points before an Eagles error and a Hoosier kill gave Indiana a two-point lead. FGCU tied it back up by scoring three of the next four points. A four-point run highlighted by three Hoosier kills gave Indiana an 18-14 advantage, but three errors stopped their momentum, cutting the Hoosiers lead back to two. Back-to-back Carroll kills narrowed the gap further, as FGCU increased the score to 20-19. After errors from both teams, a kill from Pudwill tied the score at 21-all. Indiana took a 24-21 advantage with three consecutive scores, but failed to capitalize as FGCU pushed back with three-straight scores of their own including kills from Pudwill and sophomore Kaitlan Krivdo (Hope Mills N.C, Grays Creek HS). Alico Arena boomed as the teams passed the 25-point thresh-hold tying the score at 26-all. Finally, back-to-back Eagles kills from DeBell and Rhoades ended the set at 28-16 and gave the Eagles a 2-0 advantage.
 
Indiana had all the momentum in the third set, taking an early 9-1 lead over FGCU. The Eagles continued to fight with kills from Pudwill, Rhoades and Carroll, but slid as the Hoosiers took a 16-7 advantage. Three consecutive scores highlighted by back-to-back kills from Rhoades narrowed the gap to six for the Green and Blue, but Indiana's offense continued to tally points. With the score at 18-12, FGCU captured five of the next seven points. Three-straight Hoosier scores, including two Eagles errors gave Indiana a 23-16 point lead. Carroll pounded down the 17^th for the Eagles, but two more Hoosier kills allowed Indiana to avoid the shutout and capture the set 25-17.
 
With the score at 2-1 in favor of FGCU, the Eagles jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the fourth set. The excitement was cut short when Indiana tallied four of the next five points. The teams stayed tight, exchanging the next four points until Indiana recorded five-straight scores, giving the Hoosiers a 13-6 advantage. Kills by Rick and Carroll along with a Hoosiers' service error gave FGCU three of the next four scores. Things went downhill fast for the Eagles when DeBell hit the floor with an injury after three more Hoosier points. After the teams swapped the next six points, the crowd provided a lift for the Eagles, who produced five-straight points including a service ace from Rhoades. Down 21-18, FGCU grinded out three more scores. Jordan tied the set at 21-all with a point from the service line. The effort proved to be too little, too late when the Hoosiers captured four of the next five points, reaching 25 and forcing a fifth set.
 
With the Dirty Birds on their feet, the teams swapped scores until things were tied up at 7-all. Eagles errors damaged the team's chances and allowed the Hoosiers to gain a three-point advantage. With the score at 10-7, FGCU went to work tallying four consecutive points that included two kills from Rhoades. Indiana tied the score at 11-all with a kill from Allison Hammond. FGCU answered with back-to-back points, but a kill by Elizabeth Asdell cut the Eagles lead back to one. A Pudwill kill set up a match point for FGCU, and the crowd went wild when an attack error from Indiana sealed the Hoosier fate and a 3-2 FGCU victory.
 
HOMEWOOD SUITES CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP Leigh Pudwill, FGCU
2. Amanda Carroll, FGCU
3. Taylor Lebo, Indiana
4. Jazzmine McDonald, Indiana
5. Abby Baker, South Alabama
 
UP NEXT
The Eagles travel across the state next week to Boca Raton to compete at the FAU Invitational. FGCU will take on FAU, Tulane, Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Abilene Christian in the three-day event. The Green and Blue open things up with a 7 p.m. match against the Owls on Thursday, Sept. 15. Tournament play will continue for the Eagles on Friday, Sept. 16 when they face Tulane at 1:30 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 17, FGCU will compete in a 10 a.m. match against Texas-Rio Grande Valley before concluding weekend action with a 4:30 p.m. match against Abilene Christian.
 
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 47-24 (.662) record, including a 21-7 (.750) 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.