BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Forced to travel directly to Bloomington, Indiana from North Carolina due to Hurricane Irma, the FGCU volleyball team (6-4) began the Hoosier Classic with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-20) victory over Samford (3-9) Friday night.

FGCU was dangerous from the service line throughout the match, resulting in 10 service aces as well as forcing Samford out of its offensive rhythm. Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) and Alayna Ryan (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers HS) led those efforts from the line, recording three aces each while Daniele Serrano (Sanford, Fla./Seminole HS) tallied one more. Additionally, Carroll led the Eagles with 10 kills, while reigning ASUN Freshman of the Week Cortney VanLiew (Seymour, Ind./Columbus East HS) tallied eight. Maggie Rick (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic HS) dished out 27 assists while Karissa Rhoades (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale Senior HS) led the team with 13 digs.

"I was glad to get that match under our belt after what has been a long week," said head coach Matt Botsford. "I was really pleased with the way the team came out in the first set and immediately began applying pressure from the service line. That ended up being a huge factor throughout and got us out of some jams. Karissa (Rhoades) was very steady in serve receive which allowed us to get Gio (Borgiotti) and Dani (Serrano) more involved, providing more balance along the net."

FGCU's ten aces fell just shy of the 12 the Green and Blue produced last season against Ohio, marking just the second time since 2010 the Eagles recorded 10 or more aces.

Six aces in the first set countered a .188 attack percentage in the first set. It was a service ace from Ryan that helped FGCU go from a 5-4 advantage to a 17-8 lead. That run included four additional aces and a kill from Giovanna Borgiotti (Vienna, Va./George C. Marshall HS). The Green and Blue withstood a late Samford run as the Bulldogs closed the gap to 24-22 before Serrano tallied the final kill.

Trailing 4-3 in the second set, a service error and a Carroll block sparked a 7-1 run for the Eagles. The lead would remain until another Samford run tied the set at 12-12. FGCU finally gained separation in the final two points. Following an attack error, a Courtney Stephens (Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park HS) ace gave FGCU set point and another Bulldog error gave FGCU the 25-23 victory.

It was another difficult task in the third set for the Green and Blue. Carroll tied the match at 6-6 as part of a 7-0 run. FGCU never relinquished the lead and Borgiotti ended the match with a block.

UP NEXT
The Eagles conclude the Hoosier Classic with matches at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. against UNLV and Indiana, respectively.

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 finished his third season at the helm of the 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 two shy of the all-time mark. His teams have combined for an overall 73-32 (.692) record, including a 32-10 (.762) 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 15 All-Conference 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.