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BOCA RATON, Fla. – The FGCU volleyball team downed UT-Rio Grande Valley 3-0 (25-15, 27-25, 27-25) and Abilene Christian 3-1 (25-14, 25-17, 20-25, 25-16) to complete their four game sweep of the Owls Classic hosted by FAU. The Eagles outlasted FAU in five sets on Thursday and shutout Tulane on Friday before Saturday's wins. The victories extend FGCU's winning streak to 10. Following the tournament, the Eagles improve to 11-2 on the season marking their best start since 2007. Their .833 winning percentage is currently leading the Atlantic Sun Conference.
 
ACU falls to 1-14 after four losses on the weekend. UTRGV moves to 8-5 with a loss to FGCU and victories over FAU and ACU. The Owls went 1-3 in the tournament with a lone victory over ACU and slide to 5-9 on the season, while Tulane climbs to 8-4 with wins over FAU and ACU and a loss to the Green and Blue.
 
Sophomore Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) was named tournament MVP after the outside hitter slammed down 76 kills in three days of action. Carroll tallied double-doubles in two out of four matches this weekend.
 
Senior Marlene Moeller (Ludinghausen, Germany/Pascal Gymnasium) and freshman Daniele Serrano (Sanford, Fla./Seminole HS) also earned spots on the All-Tournament Team. Moeller tallied 16 total blocks on the weekend and kept the Eagles competitive with 14 kills on 22 attacks in the five-set win over FAU. Serrano recorded career highs in kills and blocks during the tournament with 10 kills against Tulane and five blocks against FAU. The middle block averaged a hitting percentage of .466 in three days of action.
 
Setter Maggie Rick (Alpharhetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic HS) paced the Eagles offense and amassed 165 assists on the weekend including 35 in each of Saturday's matches.
 
The Eagles displayed a solid defense in their first match of the day against UTRGV holding them to a hitting percentage of just .161 and denying the offense with a season-high 10 kills. Libero Courtney Stephens (Winter Park, Fla./ Winter Park HS) tallied a season-high 20 digs in the match followed by Carroll's 12.
 
Carroll led FGCU's offensive attack with 21 kill, marking her third 20-plus kill match of the year. The win also marks Carroll's fourth double-double of the season and second of the weekend.
 
"We did a very good job staying composed in end-game scenarios this afternoon, and I was really pleased with our blocking," said head coach Matt Botsford. "We have had some struggles in that area, and today we saw some positive signs. We continued to emphasize defense – both blocking and floor defense – and challenged our team to pick that side of the ball. That ultimately made the difference."
 
In FGCU's second match of the day, the Eagles saw three players with double digit kills including floor leader Giovanna Borgiotti (Vienna, Va./George C. Marshall HS) who tallied 13. Carroll followed with 12 Carroll and senior Leigh Pudwill (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS/Northern Iowa) posted 11.
 
Borgiotti had a coming out party this weekend with 23 kills in 10 sets. In addition to her 13 kills against ACU, Borgiotti posted six digs and four blocks.
 
As a team the Green and Blue totaled a season-high 13 blocks in the match and held the Wildcats to a hitting percentage of .085 including -.160 in the first set.
 
"Another quality match in terms of blocking and floor defense," said Botsford. "I'm very pleased with the progress we've made there in the past few days. Tonight we got sloppy on the offensive end, but we picked it up in other areas which was good to see. Giovanna was excellent in her first career start, and as the match went on, you could see her comfort level improve."
 
UT-RIO GRANDE VALLEY
In the first set, FGCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead with kills from Carroll and Serrano. UTRGV got on the board with an Eagles service error, but the Green and Blue responded with another four consecutive points. Down 6-1, UTRGV captured three of the next four scores. Momentum shifted back in favor of FGCU when a block from Moeller and Carroll kicked off a five-point run for the Eagles. With the Green and Blue ahead 12-4, UTRGV narrowed the gap to six by forcing back-to-back FGCU errors. The next 14 scores were split evenly between the two teams. Four consecutive Eagles points, including a service ace from Rick, gave FGCU a 10-point lead and set up a set point. With the score at 24-15, a kill from Carroll pushed the Eagles over the edge, giving FGCU a 25-15 win in the first set.
 
A kill off the block gave UTRGV the first score of the second set. FGCU responded with three straight kills from Carroll, Pudwill and Serrano. Five of the next six points went to UTRGV including a handful of Eagles errors. With UTRGV leading by two, FGCU amassed four consecutive points to increase the score to 8-6 in favor of the Green and Blue. The teams swapped the next four points before UTRGV tied it up at 10-all. A pair of kills from Carroll and a kill from Serrano recaptured a three-point advantage for the Eagles. When an FGCU service error cut the lead to two, the Eagles pounded down four consecutive kills – three from Pudwill. Down 19-13, UTRGV tallied four of the next five points, narrowing the gap to three and pushing the score to 20-17. Following an FGCU timeout, the teams split the next six scores. Three more UTRGV kills tied the score at 23-all and forced the Eagles to take a second timeout. The set was sent into extras as each team tallied two more kills. A UTRGV service error followed by a Pudwill kill won the set 27-25 for FGCU and put the Eagles ahead 2-0 in the match.
 
A Pudwill kill kicked off the third set for FGCU, but it was UTRGV who took an early lead outscoring the Eagles 4-3. A kill from Karissa Rhoades (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale Senior HS) tied it back up at four, but UTRGV responded with four consecutive scores. The teams split the next 12 points, until UTRGV's lead was cut to one thanks to two errors and a kill from Borgiotti. Once again the teams exchanged points, advancing the score to 18-17 in favor of UTRGV. Back-to-back kills from Ragni Steen Knudsen increased UTRGV's lead to three. The Eagles responded by capturing three of the next five points. A service ace from Marina Adami (Caxiaz Do Sul, Brazil/College of Central Florida) followed by a Carroll kill gave FGCU their first lead since the beginning of the set. An error from UTRGV set up a set point at 24-23 for the Green and Blue, until back-to-back UTRGV points flipped the script. With the score 25-24 in favor of UTRGV, the Eagles tallied three consecutive points with the help of two Carroll kills to win the set 27-25 and the match 3-0.
 
ACU
The first set of the match was dominated by the Green and Blue. Back-to-back ACU errors gave FGCU the first two points of the set. After the Wildcats got on the board, a pair of kills from Borgiotti gave the Eagles a 4-1 lead. That lead was increased to six when three more ACU errors and a kill by Moeller put FGCU up 8-2. The next six points were split between the two teams. Four more consecutive scores from the Green and Blue forced the Wildcats to take a timeout. FGCU pushed the score to 18-7 before ACU went on a four-point run that began with three Eagles errors. An attack error from the Wildcats and a service ace from Stephens gave the Eagles a 20-11 lead. The Wildcats captured the next point off of an FGCU service error, but the Eagles responded with three more scores. ACU continued to hold on with a kill from Lauren Walker and a service ace from Jacey Smith, but a block by Moeller and Carroll captured the set 25-14 for FGCU.
 
The second set started out much like the first with back-to-back scores for the Green and Blue. Three consecutive points, including a service ace from Stephens gave FGCU a 6-2 lead. The teams swapped the next six scores. A kill from Carroll began a six-point run for the Eagles, putting them ahead 17-9. The next 12 points were split evenly, and with the score at 23-14, the Wildcats called a timeout. ACU scored three of the next four points, but it came too late as a Carroll kill ended the set 25-17 for the Green and Blue and put FGCU up 2-0 over the Wildcats.
 
Set three began with back-to-back Eagles errors, putting ACU ahead 2-0. Pudwill tied the score with a pair of kills. ACU recaptured the lead with kills from Amanda Chapa and Kendall Bosse, before the teams split the next six points. Four consecutive Eagles scores gave FGCU a 9-7 lead, but ACU quickly tied it up at 10-all. The Wildcats began to gain steam tallying five of the next six points. With ACU up 15-11, kills from Pudwill and Serrano cut the gap to three. ACU responded with a five-point run sparked by an Eagles service error. With the score at 22-14 in favor of the Wildcats, FGCU captured five straight scores. A kill from Pudwill brought the Eagles within three, but at 23-20, back-to-back kills pushed the Wildcats over the edge and forced a fourth set.
 
With the Eagles ahead 2-1 in the match, the fourth set started off with two ACU kills. A kill from Serrano sparked a three-point run that put FGCU ahead 3-2. The next six points were split evenly between the two teams. Three more Eagles scores highlighted by two kills from Moeller forced the Wildcats to take a timeout. FGCU committed a service error out of the time out, but three Wildcats error followed. Ahead 13-7, FGCU went on a seven-point run that began with a Borgiotti kill. ACU responded with five points of its own, increasing the score to 19-12. After a Pudwill kill gave the Eagles a 20-12 advantage, an Eagles error followed by a Wildcats service ace narrowed their lead to six. FGCU captured the next four points with the help of three Borgiotti kills. With FGCU a point away from victory, ACU tallied two more scores. A Pudwill kill put the match away for the Green and Blue, ending the set at 25-16.
 
UP NEXT
FGCU returns home next week for a 6 p.m. match against in-state rival FIU on Saturday, Sept. 20. The Eagles grinded it out for a tough 3-1 victory the last season when these teams faced each other in Miami. Tickets can be purchased at FGCUTickets.com or by clicking here.
 
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 51-24 (.680) 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.