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cortney vanliew potw 09-03-19

Volleyball Nicholas Huenefeld (@niklaustradamus)

VanLiew, Axner named ASUN player, defensive player of the week

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Cortney VanLiew and Dana Axner were named the ASUN's player and defensive player of the week, respectively, as the conference announced its first weekly awards of the season this afternoon.

"This was a great weekend for both Cortney and Dana, continuing to build off their performances from last year," FGCU head coach Matt Botsford said.
 
VanLiew (Seymour, Ind./Columbus East HS), a junior outside hitter, racked up an ASUN-best 52 kills, along with 22 digs and four aces, over three matches en route to earning a spot on the Homewood Suites Fort Myers All-Classic team. Her 65 attacks in the championship match against San Diego State is tied for the seventh-most by an individual in FGCU's Division I era (2007-present). In addition to total kills, she also paces the conference in kills per set (4.33) and is tied for second in solo blocks (2).
 
"I thought Cortney showed a lot of progress in first contact and that has been an area of emphasis for her over the past few months," Botsford said. "She also showed a lot of patience at the net with her attacking and was big within our net defense."
 
Axner (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman HS), a sophomore libero, also had a stellar opening weekend, racking up an ASUN-best 69 digs en route to being named the Homewood Suites Fort Myers Classic MVP. Her 28 digs in the season-opener against Akron is tied for the 10th most in a Division I era match and is tied for the third-most in a four-set match. Furthermore, she now has 693 career digs and surpassed Vanessa Benke (681, 2013-15) for eighth place on the program's Division I era list.
 
"Dana also showed that she has progressed in terms of serve receive," Botsford said. "Her role has grown a lot since last fall and, while her defense was at a high level all weekend, her serving and passing was a difference maker in those matches."
 
As a team, FGCU swept the Homewood Suites Fort Myers Classic this past weekend to join the 2015 and 2017 squads as one of just three to start a season 3-0 since the program elevated to the Division I level in 2007. The Eagles will be back in action this Friday and Saturday in the Hurricane Invitational at the University of Miami with matches against USF (Friday, 11 a.m.), Auburn (Friday, 5 p.m.) and George Washington (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.).
 
NOTES
This is the fourth career ASUN player of the week selection for VanLiew, while it's the second defensive player of the week honor for Axner, who was an ASUN-record six-time freshman of the week last year.
 
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.
 
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 119-45 (.726) 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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Players Mentioned

Dana Axner

#7 Dana Axner

L
5' 8"
Sophomore
Cortney VanLiew

#12 Cortney VanLiew

OH
5' 11"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Dana Axner

#7 Dana Axner

5' 8"
Sophomore
L
Cortney VanLiew

#12 Cortney VanLiew

5' 11"
Junior
OH