Challenging slate awaits @FGCU_VB in 2019

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The FGCU volleyball team, on the heels of its best season in program history, will commence its 2019 schedule with three matches in the Homewood Suites Fort Myers Classic in Alico Arena Aug. 30-31.

Within the first several weeks of the season, the Eagles will face six teams that finished within the top 100 of the final RPI last year - No. 8 Kentucky, No. 10 Central Florida, No. 68 Kennesaw State, No. 71 Indiana, No. 75 Florida Atlantic, No. 79 Miami (Fla.) and No. 98 South Florida.

"This is going to be an exciting year for FGCU volleyball, and the chance to kick things off at home is a big plus for our team," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said. "2018 was such a magical season for our program, and I know there are a lot of local supporters who are eager to celebrate last year's successes while also getting an early glimpse at this talented group."

The Green and Blue went 27-7 last year, won the program's fourth ASUN regular season championship behind a 15-1 record, knocked off defending champion Kennesaw State in the ASUN tournament championship match on the road and upset 21st-ranked and 13th-seeded UCF in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In fact, last year's team will be recognized prior to the Aug. 30 matchup against Akron at 7 p.m.

The premier matchup in the Homewood Suites Fort Myers Classic will be against Bryant, who went 22-13 last year, won its first-ever Northeast Conference (NEC) title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 2 Minnesota in the opening round. The Bulldogs, who will return a pair of all-conference selections in junior Erika Ward and sophomore Caroline Kennedy, will square off against FGCU at 11 a.m. on Aug. 31.

Homewood Suites Fort Myers Classic schedule (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Aug. 30 - San Diego State vs Akron, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 30 - Bryant vs San Diego State, 4 p.m.
Aug. 30 - FGCU vs Akron, 7 p.m.
Aug. 31 - FGCU vs Bryant, 11 a.m.
Aug. 31 - Bryant vs Akron, 4 p.m.
Aug. 31 - FGCU vs San Diego State, 7 p.m.

Following that, FGCU will head to Coral Gables Sept. 6-7 to compete in the Hurricane Invitational, where they will face South Florida, Auburn and George Washington. Of the three matches, USF finished with the best season last year, compiling a 20-12 record and losing in the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Tournament. The Eagles swept a four-set scrimmage, 25-18, 25-19, 25-16, 25-23, against USF last year inside Alico Arena.

Hurricane Invitational Schedule (Coral Gables, Fla.)
Sept. 6 - South Florida, 11 a.m.
Sept. 6 - Auburn, 5 p.m.
Sept. 7 - George Washington, 3 p.m.

The road swing will continue in Lexington, Ky. Sept. 13-14 in the Wildcat Classic, which should provide the toughest part of the non-conference schedule as FGCU will face Indiana, Kentucky and Cleveland State. Those three teams combined to finish 59-32 last year, led by Kentucky's 26-5 finish and trip to the Sweet 16. The Wildcats return three key players - Leah Edmond, a junior outside hitter who is the reigning SEC player of the year, Madison Lilley, a sophomore setter who was an AVCA Second Team All-American, and Gabby Curry, an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and the SEC Libero of the Year in 2018.

Wildcat Classic Schedule (Lexington, Ky.)
Sept. 13 - Indiana, 10 a.m.
Sept. 13 - Kentucky, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 - Cleveland State, 1 p.m.

The final big weekend of the non-conference season takes place Sept. 20-21 in the Sunshine State Challenge in Orlando, Fla. The competition doesn't get any easier for the Green and Blue as they'll take on Miami, Central Florida and Florida Atlantic, who combined to finish 61-23 last year. FGCU swept Miami and Florida Atlantic last year, and the win over the Hurricanes represented the program's first-ever road victory over a Power 5 school. The UCF matchup will represent a rematch of last year's first round meeting in the NCAA Tournament where the Eagles won a five-set thriller after losing a pair of regular season meetings. FAU is led by eighth-year head coach Fernanda Nelson, a former assistant coach with the Green and Blue who led her team to a 21-7 finish and a Conference USA quarterfinal appearance in 2018.

Sunshine State Challenge Schedule (Orlando, Fla.)
Sept. 20 - Miami (Fla.), 10 a.m.
Sept. 20 - UCF, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 - Florida Atlantic, 1:30 p.m.

FGCU's non-conference schedule will later conclude with an Oct. 22 home tilt against Bethune-Cookman, who went 16-16 last year for the program's best season since 2004.

"Overall our pre-conference schedule is ambitious and tough," Botsford said. "That continues to be a priority for our program as we look to establish ourselves among the nation's top teams. In an effort to grow collectively, we need to challenge ourselves and this season will provide that opportunity. We will be playing six top RPI 100 teams, two of which finished last year with top 10 RPI rankings. With three road tournaments against high level competition, I think we will be well prepared for ASUN play."

The 16-match conference schedule will feature several key home matchups - Sept. 27 vs North Alabama (post-match pizza for fans while supplies last), Sept. 29 vs Lipscomb (the Bisons have won three of the past five ASUN regular season championships), Oct. 11 vs Jacksonville (Pink out, Cancer Awareness Night), Oct. 13 vs Kennesaw State (rematch of last year's ASUN tournament championship match), Oct. 29 vs Liberty (Halloween Costume Contest) and Nov. 3 vs North Florida (regular season home finale).

FGCU will also host this year's ASUN tournament Nov. 21-23. The six-team event will decide the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

For the full schedule, visit here.

2019 Volleyball Promo Schedule
Aug. 30 vs Akron - 2018 ASUN championship celebration (white out)
Aug. 31 vs Bryant - Free Dunkin' Donuts while supplies last (blue out)
Aug. 31 vs San Diego State - Stars and Stripes Night (blue out)
Sept. 27 vs North Alabama - Free post-match pizza (blue out)
Sept. 29 vs Lipscomb - Azul's Peeps Kickoff Party and Family Day (white out)
Oct. 11 vs Jacksonville - Cancer Awareness Night (pink out)
Oct. 13 vs Kennesaw State - Beach Bash in The Nest (white out)
Oct. 19 vs NJIT - Alumni Night
Oct. 22 vs Bethune-Cookman - Eagles Bingo Night
Oct. 29 vs Liberty - Eagles Dig Halloween Night, costume contest and free candy (green out)
Nov. 1 vs Stetson - Senior Night
Nov. 3 vs North Florida - We are FGCU Day (green out)

Fall Sports Single-Game, Season and Group Tickets On Sale
Single game tickets for volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer are on sale now. Prices are $7 for adults and $5 for military/veterans (with ID) and youth (age 15 and under).

Season tickets (entry to each home game) are $55 for volleyball and women's soccer and $40 for men's soccer. Group tickets are $7 for groups of 15 or more and will include reserved seats, group recognition, a group activity and choice of FGCU gear or food. Fall Frequent Flyer passes, which includes a total of 30 entries to all three sports, are just $99.

For all inquiries, you can visit FGCUtickets.com, call 239-590-7145 or stop by the ticket office, which is open daily Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and one hour prior to all home events.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU volleyball program, follow us on Twitter at @FGCU_VB, on Facebook at \FGCUVolleyball and on Instagram at @FGCU_VB.

COACH BOTSFORD
Matt Botsford is in his sixth season as head coach of the FGCU women's volleyball program in 2019 after being hired on Feb. 10, 2014. In his tenure, Botsford-led teams have compiled a 116-45 (.720) record overall, including a 57-15 (.792) record in ASUN play. Including this past 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 next two, which saw .267 and .256 percentages, are the third and fourth highest in program history. In 2018, he led the program to its first regular season championship since 2012 (fourth overall) and its first-ever ASUN tournament title, NCAA tournament appearance, NCAA tournament win and victory over a ranked team. His first two campaigns resulted in ASUN regular season runner-up finishes, and the following two saw 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. This past season, he led the team to a win over Miami (Fla.) - the program's first-ever road Power-5 win.

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April 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 raise awareness.

ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 78 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just eight seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.

--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--

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