FORT MYERS, Fla. - The FGCU volleyball team (16-6, 6-1 ASUN) will kick off the second half of the ASUN season with a 6 p.m. matchup in Alico Arena against Stetson (3-16, 2-5 ASUN) on Saturday.

The Eagles are currently in a three-way tie with Kennesaw State and Jacksonville for first place in the ASUN standings. They lead the ASUN in team hitting percentage at .272, and they are hitting .305 collectively over the past seven matches. Over the past six matches, FGCU has not allowed more than 21 points in any set.

STREAKING
FGCU enters Saturday riding a seven-match winning streak that includes 19 consecutive sets won. It is the second longest sets won streak in the NCAA Division I era behind 30 straight from Sept. 1 to Oct. 5, 2007. The longest streak among Division I postseason eligible teams is the current streak, which surpasses the 17 straight sets the 2012 team won from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 of that season. The longest overall sets won streak, including the Division II era, is 38, which took place from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, 2006.

LAST TIME OUT
Daniele Serrano (Sanford, Fla./Seminole HS) produced a career-high 14 kills while hitting .684 as FGCU swept Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday. It was her sixth time reaching double digits this year, and her .684 percentage is a career-high in a match in which she attempted 10 or more attacks. She also added two solo blocks to give her 27 total blocks during the team's current winning streak. Her .399 hitting percentage this year is currently the best in the ASUN, and she is second in solo blocks (18).

Cortney VanLiew (Seymour, Ind./Columbus East HS), who is the reigning player and freshman of the week in the ASUN, recorded 10 kills for the fifth straight match, and she finished just one dig shy of a double-double. She is currently third in the ASUN at 3.43 kills/set, which is the best among freshmen. Karissa Rhoades (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale Senior HS), meanwhile, had 11 digs. She now has double digit digs in seven straight and is averaging 12.4 per match during the winning streak. She is fourth in the ASUN in total digs (316) and third in digs/set (4.33). Maggie Rick (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic HS) produced 34 more assists while adding four kills and four digs. She currently leads the ASUN with 809 assists and 11.08 assists/set.

Courtney Stephens (Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park HS) finished with eight digs as she moved within 23 digs of becoming just the fifth player in program history to record 1,000 in her career. She also had three aces to push her career total to 87, which is one shy of moving her into a tie for sixth place all-time.

Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) contributed eight kills and nine digs. The junior finished with 15 attacks, which gives her 3,112 in her career and puts her 28 shy of passing Brooke Youngquist Sweat (3,139, 2004-07) for the most in program history. Carroll has already become the program's all-time leader in kills and points this year. She currently leads the ASUN in points with 362.0 and sits tied for third in aces with 23.

SCOUTING STETSON
Stetson is coming off a four-game home split that featured wins over NJIT and USC Upstate. Saturday's match marks the beginning of five straight road games over a three-week stretch for the Hatters, who currently rank second in the ASUN in digs per set (15.8) and third in blocks per set (1.9). The Hatters are hitting .257 as a team in their three wins, and they are 0-16 when they don't win the team attack percentage statistic.

Eva Deisa, a 5-10 sophomore outside hitter, has six double-doubles this year, while 5-10 freshman libero/defensive specialist Naina Ivanova has 10 assist-dig double-doubles. Both have four straight double-doubles. In her past four matches, 5-10 junior outside hitter Anna Bezhan is averaging 9.5 kills and 14.5 digs. Chelcie Spence, a 5-2 freshman defensive specialist, has recorded double digits in digs in 14 straight matches. Charlotte Earnhart, a 5-10 junior outside hitter/right side, and Hao Jin, a 6-2 junior middle blocker, each have seven aces in conference play. Shelby Connors, a 6-2 senior middle blocker, is one block shy of 350 in her career. 

The Hatters are led by Yang Deng (prounounced YOUNG DEN), who is in her first year with the program. She is a former NAIA National Player of the Year at Columbia College, where she led the team to a pair of NAIA national championships. Over the past 17 seasons, she was an assistant coach at Missouri, where she helped lead the Tigers to two SEC championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, an Elite Eight run in 2005 and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2016.

Following Saturday's tilt, Stetson heads to Jacksonville next Friday.

SERIES HISTORY
FGCU is 18-2 all-time against Stetson, including an 8-1 record at home. The Eagles have won eight straight in the series, including the past three in straight sets, and they claimed a three-set win over Stetson on Sept. 23 of this year. In that match, Serrano (11) and VanLiew (10) led the team in kills, while Rick had 40 assists and Rhoades had 23 digs - two shy of her season-high. Sharonda Pickering (Sea Cow's Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands/Elmore Stoutt HS) chipped in one solo block and two block assists. In fact, Pickering is currently second in the ASUN in blocks per set (1.07).

ALUMNI WEEKEND
Among many other alumni related activities this weekend, the FGCU volleyball program will host an alumni match at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Then, all alumni on hand will be recognized and brought on the court for a picture between the second and third sets of the match against Stetson.

CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS

Kills (Career)
1. 1,217 - Amanda Carroll (.263) - 2015-present
2. 1,167 - Brooke Youngquist (.246) - 2004-07
3. 1,132 - Olivia Mesner (.331) - 2011-14
4. 961 - Jessica Barnes (.194) - 2010-11, 13-14
5. 926 - Kaitlin Holm (.227) - 2011-13
6. 837 - Ericka Fonseca (.363) - 2005-06
7. 725 - Jill Hopper (.203) - 2011-13
8. 700 - Heather Van Olst (.212) - 2004-06
9. 693 - Eleonora Kazarian (.225) - 2014-15
10. 678 - Ana Kokanovic (.281) - 2007-08

Points (Career)
1. 1,403.0 - Amanda Carroll (1,217k 88a 33-130b) - 2015-present
2. 1,338.0 - Olivia Mesner (1,132k 4a 62-280b) - 2011-14
3. 1,327.5 - Brooke Youngquist (1,167k 99a 11-101b) - 2004-07
4. 1,087.5 - Kaitlin Holm (926k 40a 38-167b) - 2011-13
5. 1,045.5 - Jessica Barnes (961k 43a 13-57b) 2010-11, 13-14

Attack Attempts (Career)
1. 3,139 - Brooke Youngquist (1,167-396-3,139) - 2004-07
2. 3,112 - Amanda Carroll (1,217-400-3,112) - 2015-present
3. 2,725 - Jessica Barnes (961-433-2,725) 2010-11, 13-14
4. 2,449 - Kaitlin Holm (926-371-2,449) - 2011-13
5. 2,356 - Olivia Mesner (1,132-353-2,356) 2011-14

Attack Percentage - minimum 150 attempts (Career)
1. .403 - Cara Ziegler (312-56-636) - 2006-07
2. .384 - Daniele Serrano (321-59-682) - 2016-17
3. .363 - Ericka Fonseca (837-184-1,801) - 2005-06
4. .331 - Olivia Mesner (1,132-353-2,356) - 2011-14
5. .325 - Audrey Campbell (292-71-679) - 2007-08

Assists (Career)
1. 4,408 - Gigi Meyer (474 sets) 2011-14
2. 3,267 - Maggie Rick (312 sets) - 2015-present
3. 3,108 - Chandra Lefever (201 sets) - 2006-07, 09
4. 1,809 - Laura Manovill (56 matches*) - 2004-05
5. 1,475 - Roberta Santos (180 sets) - 2007-08

Digs (Career)
1. 1,965 - Whitney Hendry (116 matches*) - 2004-07
2. 1,687 - Whitney Masters (483 sets) - 2011-14
3. 1,652 - Holly Youngquist (418 sets) - 2008-11
4. 1,367 - Brooke Youngquist (107 matches*) - 2004-07
5. 977 - Courtney Stephens (416 sets) - 2014-present
6. 947 - Gigi Meyer (474 sets) - 2011-14
7. 884 - Heather Van Olst (89 matches*) - 2004-06
8. 841 - Amanda Carroll (303 sets) - 2015-present
9. 765 - Chandra Lefever (201 sets) - 2006-07, 09
10. 681 - Vanessa Benke (164 sets) - 2013-15

Service Aces (Career)
1. 139 - Ana Kokanovic (178 sets) - 2007-08
2. 99 - Roberta Santos (180 sets) - 2007-08
    99 - Gigi Meyer (474 sets) - 2011-14
    99 - Brooke Youngquist (107 matches*) - 2004-07
5. 92 - Whitney Hendry (116 matches*) - 2004-07
6. 88 - Jill Hopper (246 sets) - 2011-13
    88 - Amanda Carroll (303 sets) - 2015-present
8. 87 - Courtney Stephens (416 sets) - 2014-present
9. 78 - Whitney Masters (483 sets) - 2011-14
10. 75 - Chandra Lefever (201 sets) - 2006-07, 09

Solo Blocks (Career)
1. 62 - Olivia Mesner (428 sets) - 2011-14
2. 51 - Ericka Fonseca (63 matches*) - 2005-06
3. 45 - Ashley Yance (296 sets) - 2005-09
4. 38 - Kaitlin Holm (359 sets) - 2011-13
5. 36 - Devon Watts (60 matches*) - 2004-05
6. 35 - Kristy Hartley (29 matches*) - 2004
7. 33 - Amanda Carroll (303 sets) - 2015-present
8. 27 - Daniele Serrano (190 sets) - 2016-present
9. 23 - Melissa Duffield (22 matches*) - 2005
    23 - Jacqueline Cowden (171 sets) - 2009-10

Block Assists (Career)
1. 280 - Olivia Mesner (428 sets) - 2011-14
2. 242 - Ashley Yance (296 sets) - 2005-09
3. 196 - Ericka Fonseca (63 matches*) - 2005-06
4. 180 - Marlene Moeller (301 sets) - 2013-16
5. 176 - Karina Mambuca (233 sets) - 2012-13
6. 167 - Kaitlin Holm (359 sets) - 2011-13
7. 159 - Lauren Tutwiler (208 sets) - 2014-15
8. 153 - Devon Watts (60 matches*) - 2004-05
    153 - Eleonora Kazarian (213 sets) - 2014-15
10. 139 - Daniele Serrano (190 sets) - 2016-17

* Set information not available for this player.

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 fourth season at the helm of FGCU volleyball. In 2016, Botsford's squad produced one of its most successful seasons ever at 27-6, with the win total representing the most in Division I program history and falling just two shy of the all-time mark. His teams have combined for an 83-34 (.709) overall record, including a 38-11 (.776) mark in ASUN play. In his inaugural season, the Eagles finished with a record of 19-11 with a second-place ASUN finish, and he improved that win total to 21 in his second season. Botsford has coached 15 All ASUN selections in his three 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.

IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.