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BOCA RATON, Fla. – The FGCU volleyball team overcame an eight-point deficit in the fifth set to defeat host FAU in their first of four matches at the Owls Classic. The 3-2 (35-33, 21-25, 25-19, 20-25, 19-17) victory extends the Eagles winning streak to seven and pushes the team to 8-2 on the season. The Owls falls to 4-7.
 
Outside hitter Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) slammed down 25 kills in the win, tying for fourth all-time from an FGCU player in a single match. With 11 digs, the match marked the sophomore's third double-double of the season. Senior Leigh Pudwill (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS/Northern Iowa) her first double-double of the year with 19 kills and 14 blocks, while fellow senior Moeller (Ludinghausen, Germany/Pascal Gymnasium) added 14 kills on 22 attacks with a hitting percentage of .500.
 
Setter Maggie Rick (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic HS) helped the Eagles to a hitting percentage of .275, including .448 in the final set, and amassed 63 assists – second most in her career and seventh most all-time by an Eagle in a single match.
 
From a defensive standpoint, Courtney Stephens (Winter Park, Fla./ Winter Park HS) dove for 17 digs in the win. The junior libero also added three service aces for the Green and Blue.
 
Freshman Danielle Serrano (Sanford, Fla./Seminole HS), who was named Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Week last week, tied a career high with five blocks on the night, while fellow rookie Giovanna Borgiotti (Valrico, Fla./George C. Marshall) provided a lift from the bench.
 
"Tonight was a gritty win," said head coach Matt Botsford. "There were a lot of bright spots, but we put ourselves in some tough positions. FAU did a great job pressuring us from the service line, and we didn't function particularly well out-of-system. Marlene was able to carry us through some rough patches, but through the end of the fourth set into the fifth set we couldn't get stops. Our comeback started with Giovanna off the bench, and then our serving really turned things around. Courtney came up big defensively in that fifth set as well, which helped us build momentum."
 
FGCU drew first blood in the match with a kill from sophomore Karissa Rhoades (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale Senior HS) followed by an Owls error. FAU answered with two points of their own. The two teams were gridlocked throughout the set. They exchanged points without either opponent gaining a meaningful lead until eventually, the Owls pulled ahead by five late in the set. With the score at 22-17, FGCU tallied three consecutive scores. Two kills from Pudwill and an error by the Owls tied the score at 23-all.  The teams once again engaged in a stalemate, swapping points as scores rose into the 30s. Finally, FAU errors tipped the scales in favor of the Green and Blue who won the set 35-33.
 
After an exhausting first set, the Owls came out swinging. FAU jumped to a 7-3 lead before the Eagles gained momentum. Kills from Pudwill and Carroll followed by a service ace from Stephens tied things up at 11-all. The Owls answered with five consecutive scores. The Eagles were able to narrow the gap to three with help from Rhoades who smacked down back-to-back kills, but they ultimately fell short when three consecutive FAU points pushed the score to 25-21 in favor of the Owls.
 
With the score tied at 1-1, the Green and Blue captured the first six points of set three. The Owls clawed back and came within two before FGCU tallied four consecutive points capped off by a service ace from senior Caroline Jordan (Orlando, Fla./Boone HS). The Owls responded with four points of their own, advancing the score to 14-12. Points from Pudwill increase the Eagles lead to five and the score to 20-15. The teams split the next six points before a Pudwill kill followed by an Owls error ended the set at 25-19.
 
The teams remained tied in the fourth set through the first six points. Kills from Carroll and Moeller helped FGCU jump out to a three-point lead. After a brief exchange of points, four scores from FAU tied things up at 9-all. The Eagles took back control with a combination of Owls errors and kills from Carroll and Pudwill. Down 14-11, FAU was forced to take a timeout. The Owls developed an 18-17 advantage coming out of the break. A kill from Serrano helped flip the lead back to FGCU. With the Eagles ahead 19-18, the Owls tallied six consecutive points off four kills and two service aces. After another Pudwill kill, an Owls score ended the set at 25-20 and tied the match at 2-2.
 
Feeding off momentum from the fourth set, the Owls jumped ahead to a 5-0 lead at the beginning of the fifth. A Rhodes kill put FGCU on the board, but the point was followed by back-to-back FAU scores. The Eagles continued to struggle as the Owls built a 12-4 lead. With FAU three points away from a victory, a Pudwill kill followed by back-to-back service aces from Stephens began a five-point run for the FGCU. Back-to-back kills from Carroll tied the score at 14-all. For the second time in the match, the teams went into extras, splitting the next six points. Carroll ended the match on a service ace that captured the set 19-17 in favor of the Green and Blue.
 
UP NEXT
The Eagles will continue play 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.