LAKEPOINT, Ga. - After leading the FGCU volleyball team (24-6, 15-1 ASUN) to a regular season championship and the top seed at this weekend's ASUN tournament, Daniele Serrano and Dana Axner were named the conference's player and freshman of the week, respectively.

For Axner (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman HS), it is the sixth-time she's won the award, which breaks a tie with North Florida's Gabby O'Connell and gives her the most in ASUN history. The 5-8 libero totaled 49 digs and eight assists in wins over Stetson and Liberty. Against Stetson, her 27 digs is tied for the fourth-most in the program's Division-I era for a four-set match.

"Dana has proven herself to be among the best defenders in this conference time and time again," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "The speed she plays at is so impressive and you can see her processing the game a step ahead of most. What I like most about where she is at now versus the beginning of the season is her ability to insert herself into the match even when teams are trying to limit her impact."

Axner has now recorded 20 or more digs in four straight, nine of the past 15 and 11 times overall this season. She has 536 overall, which gives her the second most in a single season in the Division-I era behind Vanessa Benke's 558 in 2015, and she has played 16 fewer sets so far than Benke did that season. Whitney Hendry (606, 2005) holds the all-time single season record, which was set in the program's Division-II era. In fact, Axner already ranks 12th in career digs just 30 matches into her career.

Serrano (Sanford, Fla./Seminole HS), meanwhile, earns her first career player of the week award. She tallied a career-high 16 kills at a .462 clip while adding three block assists to open the week against Stetson. She then helped the Eagles clinch the ASUN regular season title outright with nine kills while hitting .333 and adding six block assists. In doing so, she eclipsed Olivia Mesner (342, 2011-14) for the program's career blocks record. She now has 343 and previously captured the following records, as well - career block assists (293), single season block assists (125), single season total blocks (142) and single season blocks per set (1.43).

"Dani has been a model of consistency for us all year long, and she came up big once again in two matches that we needed to secure the championship outright," Botsford said. "Her ability to influence the game both offensively and defensively has been a huge asset to us this team, and she just keeps finding ways to improve. Dani understands the game so well from the middle position and plays with a lot of maturity."
 
Serrano, Axner and the rest of the FGCU volleyball team will open the ASUN tournament in Kennesaw, Ga. on Friday with a semifinal match at 5 p.m. against the winner of No. 4 Liberty and No. 5 Stetson. The winner of that advances to Saturday's championship at 7 p.m. The Green and Blue are the two-time defending runners-up and are looking for the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
 
ASUN Weekly Awards - 2018
Aug. 27 - Player of the Week - Cortney VanLiew; Freshman of the Week – Dana Axner
Sept. 4 - Defensive Player of the Week – Daniele Serrano; Freshman of the Week – Dana Axner
Sept. 10 - Defensive Player of the Week – Dana Axner
Sept. 24 – Freshman of the Week - Chelsey Lockey
Oct. 8 - Freshman of the Week – Dana Axner
Oct. 15 - Defensive Player of the Week – Daniele Serrano; Freshman of the Week – Dana Axner
Oct. 22 - Freshman of the Week - Tori Morris
Nov. 5 - Player of the Week - Cortney VanLiew; Defensive Player of the Week - Daniele Serrano; Freshman of the Week - Dana Axner
Nov. 12 - Player of the Week - Daniele Serrano; Freshman of the Week - Dana Axner
 
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COACH BOTSFORD
Matt Botsford is in his fifth season as head coach of the FGCU women's volleyball program in 2018 after being hired on Feb. 10, 2014. In his four plus seasons, Botsford-led teams have compiled a 113-44 (.720) record overall, including a 57-15 (.792) record in ASUN play. Including this season, he has taken the program to heights it has not seen in the Division-I era (2007-present) – registering at least 20 wins overall in four straight seasons and at least 10 wins in conference play five straight seasons. Furthermore, the team's offensive efficiency has drastically improved since Botsford started. In his first two seasons, his squad produced hitting percentages of .212 and .220. The past two, which have seen .267 and .256 percentages, are the third and fourth highest in program history. All four seasons under Botsford have seen a top-3 ASUN regular season finish and at least an ASUN semifinal appearance. His first two campaigns resulted in regular season runner-up finishes, and the past two have seen the Eagles advance to the tournament championship. On Sept. 10, 2016, Botsford led his team to a five-set win over Indiana in Alico Arena, which signified the program's first-ever win over a team from a Power-5 conference.

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 contribute, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help.

FOOD DRIVE
FGCU is collecting food donations at home events all during November to benefit FGCU Campus and Harry Chapin Food Banks. Donations can be dropped off at the marketing table in the Alico Arena lobby.

TOY DRIVE
The FGCU athletic and police departments, Lee County Sheriff's Office and Heroes Unlimited have teamed up to participate in a holiday toy drive. New, unwrapped toys are being collected and will be delivered to the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida this holiday season. Collection boxes have been placed in the lobbies of Alico Arena, UPD and the FGCU Family Resource Center until Wednesday, Dec. 14. No toy is too small, and all toys will be wrapped prior to delivery.