FORT MYERS, Fla. - Head coach
Matt Botsford and the FGCU volleyball program (24-6, 15-1 ASUN), fresh off the program's first ASUN regular season championship since 2012, has announced a five-member recruiting class for this coming fall.
Shelby Beisner
5-9 Outside Hitter
Charlotte High School - Port Charlotte, Fla.
Beisner has produced north of 900 kills, 1,100 digs, 100 aces and 100 blocks in her career. After tallying 20 kills in the Class7A-District 10 title match as a senior, she had 15 kills, 18 digs and five aces in a Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinal win over Largo. She followed that up with 12 more kills in the semifinal.
"Shelby is going to fill a very important role for us with the loss of
Karissa Rhoades," Botsford said. "She is such a well-rounded player, from serve-receive and defense to attacking, that our gym environment will immediately improve because of her presence. She is a dynamic athlete with a high volleyball IQ who can play multiple positions. Shelby will also be a big contributor to our beach program with the unique skill set she possesses."
As a senior, Beisner was elected Sun Prep Athlete of the Week and won the Gene Gorman MVP Award. She tallied 353 digs, 276 kills, 42 aces and 40 blocks as a junior. As a sophomore, Beisner was named the Sun Coast Sports Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Area.
"FGCU has a home-like feel to it." Beisner said of her decision. "The coaches and the girls were welcoming and the campus is beautiful. I also have a good amount of friends attending or planning to attend the university and with all those factors put together, I know that I will have a great time at FGCU."
Aja Jones
6-1 Middle Blocker/Opposite Hitter
Venice/Venice, Fla.
Jones, who played at a trio of high schools, helped lead Venice to a state semifinal appearance as a senior. During her prep career, she was a Spectrum Sports Athlete of the Week, All-State, All-Region and All-District.
"Aja was a late addition for us, and we are very lucky to have kept her close to home," Botsford said. "Her development over the last year and a half has been astounding, and she is just scratching the surface of what she can do. We expect Aja to play in the middle for us early in her career, but I think she has the potential to also attack at the pins as she progresses. She is an aggressive attacker and is good off one foot, which will add an important element to our offensive options."
Jones is coached by Brian Wheatley at Venice High School. She also plays for OTVA under the tutelage of Dexter Rogers.
"From the moment I stepped on the campus I was floored by how beautiful it was," Jones said of her decision. "My final check was when I met the team. They were all so nice and fun. I didn't want to go home. I wanted to start college right then."
Kortney Reynolds
6-3 Middle Blocker
Jonathan Alder High School - Plain City, Ohio
Reynolds was named Second Team All-Central Buckeye Conference (CBC) and Honorable Mention Division II All-Ohio by the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association as a senior. As a junior, she earned First Team All-CBC and First Team All-District honors while being voted the CBC Player of the Year. As a sophomore, she was Honorable Mention All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.
"Kortney will provide immediate depth to the middle position with the loss of two key players to graduation," Botsford said. "She has a fast arm and the potential to be an outstanding blocker at the next level. Having worked with her in a camp environment previously, she is a quick learner and has good instincts along the net. Kortney's height and athleticism are a perfect match for what we need in the interior."
Reynolds is coached by Kim Hayes at Jonathan Alder High School. She plays for Elite Volleyball Training Center 18 Open under the tutelage of Randy Cline. She won an AAU national championship in 2017.
"After visiting Fort Myers on family vacations, I fell in love with the beauty of the area," Reynolds said of her decision. "Once I was on the campus, it was such a welcoming feeling, and I could see myself going to school there."
Emma Szypszak
6-1 Outside Hitter
Homestead High School - Mequon, Wis.
Szypszak (pronounced ship-shack) has earned First and Second Team, along with Honorable Mention All-North Shore Conference recognition during her time at Homestead. She is a two-time Honorable Mention All-Wisconsin selection by the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association.
"We are expecting to transition Emma from the middle to the pin once she arrives at FGCU," Botsford said. "She is blessed with a very powerful arm, and we want to find ways to take advantage of the velocity she attacks with. Because of her experience as a middle, her blocking will also be a welcome addition to either the left or right side. Emma's experience playing at a very high club level will aid in her transition to the college game, and I am looking forward to watching her develop."
Szypszak led the state of Wisconsin in blocks as a freshman and finished top 10 in kills and aces.
"I had been touring colleges since I was a freshman, but none of them captured my attention quite like FGCU did," Szypszak said of her choice. "When I visited the campus as a junior, I knew this was where I wanted to be. After meeting Coach Botsford and the team, my decision was easy. I could never commit myself to saying yes anywhere else before that. It wasn't just one component of the school, it was a feeling - my home away from home."
Erin Shomaker
6-2 Outside Hitter
Granville/Granville, Ohio
Shomaker had one of the most decorated prep careers in the history of Ohio while at Granville, finishing with 1,686 kills, a .502 hitting percentage, 596 digs, 309 blocks and 165 aces. She broke the Licking County all-time record for career kills, surpassing Newark's Anni Thomasson in her final match. The total also puts her in the top five in Ohio High School Athletic Association history. She broke Granville's single match, season and career records for kills and hitting percentage, and she now holds the single season and career solo block records.
"Erin is among the top talents in the nation and her addition to our program will immediately provide us with a point scorer who can also play six rotations," Botsford said. "She has the ability to play multiple positions along the net and will be a threat offensively, both front and backrow. Erin's versatility and her physicality will allow us to explore some interesting line-up options during her time in Fort Myers."
As a senior, Shomaker captured First Team All-Ohio recognition after recording 616 kills, hitting .651 and adding 242 digs, 77 aces and 61 blocks. She had seven matches with at least 30 kills while totaling just 57 errors over 859 attempts. She led the nation in hitting percentage, according to MaxPreps, and finished second in the state in kills. She had 31 kills in the Division-II district tournament to close her career, and she had seven matches with at least 30 kills, including a career-high 36 in a Sept. 25 matchup against Utica.
"I wanted to go south," Shomaker said of her decision. "I love the campus plus they have a great volleyball program and academic opportunities.
As a junior, Shomaker had 493 kills and hit .423 with 195 digs, 78 blocks and 15 aces en route to Second Team All-Ohio recognition. She is a three-time First Team All-Licking County League (LCL) as well as a two-time recipient of the LCL and Division-II Central District Player of the Year awards.
Shomaker will graduate in the top 10 percent of her class and is a part of the Cum Laude Society while being an honor roll student.
NOTES
FGCU captured the program's fourth ASUN regular season championship recently and 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.
FGCU has won 20 or more matches in four consecutive seasons and tallied 10 or more conference victories in five straight. They are currently riding a 13-match winning streak, which is tied for the fourth-longest in the program's Division-I era.
FOLLOW ALONG
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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.
