ESTERO, Fla. - The FGCU beach volleyball team (2-4) will look to bounce back from a pair of losses to ranked teams when it hosts a doubleheader at Estero Rec Center against Eckerd College (1-12) on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

STORYLINES
The No. 3 pair of Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone, who knocked off No. 10 South Carolina at Georgia State's Day of Duals on March 12, will look to improve upon a team-best 4-2 record. The sophomore duo, who has played every match in their careers together, are now 20-12 all-time. Their win total is tied for 11th-most in a career in program history.

Karissa Rhoades sits at 44 career victories, which is just two shy of matching the program's career wins record held by Madi Wilcox (2014-17). Her partner, Katherine Puisis, currently sits in third place with 40 as the duo is on pace to easily finish the season at 1-2 in the record book. The pair also holds the top two spots in career winning percentage.

The Eagles are looking to find a groove at the No. 5 pair, where they have lost four matches. The duo of Cortney VanLiew (Seymour, Ind./Columbus East HS) and Emma Hansen have the team's lone win so far.
 
In addition to Hansen (Trophy Club, Texas/Westlake Academy), a pair of other newcomers have made an impact so far this year. Kirstine Garder (Halden, Norway/Topvolley Norge), a freshman, has teamed with Amanda Carroll for two wins at the top pair, while FAU transfer Candace Lacour has had success at the No. 4 pair with Giovanna Borgiotti (3-3 record). Including her time with the Owls, Lacour (Buckeye, Ariz./Verrado HS) is now 26-10 in her NCAA career.

Carroll (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS), who is looking to become a three-time 10 + game winner at the No. 1 pair, has pushed her career win total to 34, which is sixth-most in program history. Borgiotti (Vienna, Va./George C. Marshall HS) isn't too far behind with 29.

SERIES HISTORY
FGCU is 4-1 all-time against Eckerd dating back to a 5-0 win on April 1, 2015. The Eagles four wins in the series have featured just two pair losses, while the lone loss (3-2) came on March 14 last year in St. Petersburg. In that loss, the Eagles fell 16-14 and 15-12 in the third set at the No. 1 and No. 3 pairs.
 
Rhoades (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale Senior HS) is 3-1 all-time against Eckerd, while Puisis (Mason, Ohio/William Mason HS) is 2-1. The duo has played together in the past 55 matches, and the second and third of those matches came against Eckerd on March 15, 2017.

Borgiotti (2-1), Carroll (3-1) and Whetstone/Burnam (1-0) have also had solid career W-L records against the Tritons.
 
SCOUTING THE TRITONS
Eckerd opened the season with 12 consecutive losses, but the Tritons are coming off a 5-0 win over Webber International on March 9. The matchup was their final one in the Battle on the Bay, which they hosted. Despite just one win, they nearly knocked off ASUN foe Jacksonville on March 1 before falling 3-2.
 
Incredibly, in 12 matches, Eckerd has used 19 different combinations. The top pair of the group is Payton Meader and Fernanda Reis, who are 3-4 overall.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles fell in a pair of matches to No. 10 South Carolina (4-1) and No. 18 Georgia State (5-0) on March 11. The lone win came from Burnam (Palm City, Fla./Jensen Beach HS) and Whetstone (Arlington, Texas/Arlington Lamar HS).

NEXT UP
The Eagles will be competing in UNCW's Dig and Dive Beach Bash Saturday and Sunday where they will face Coastal Carolina, UNC Wilmington, College of Charleston and Tusculum College.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU beach volleyball program, follow on Twitter at @FGCU_BeachVB, on Facebook at /FGCUVolleyball and on Instagram at @FGCU_BeachVB.

COACH BOTSFORD 
Head coach Matt Botsford, who is also the head coach of the FGCU indoor volleyball program, is in his sixth season at the helm of the FGCU beach volleyball program in 2019. He has compiled a 43-32 record over the past three-plus seasons (49-61 overall) while improving or steadying the team's win total each season. In fact, he led the program to 11 wins in 2016, 15 in 2017 and 15 more in 2018 - all three of which either tied or set new records for most wins in a season. The beach volleyball program is in just its eighth season in 2019 and has an overall record of 60-76. 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.