FORT MYERS, FL. - Graduate student
Amanda Carroll (Albuquerque, NM/Sandia HS) has been named the 2020 recipient of the Kavanagh Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award highlighting an outstanding career for the standout from the volleyball and beach volleyball programs. Carroll was among four finalists for the award which also included women's basketball guard
Keri Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, FL/Dunbar HS/Southern Miss), women's soccer defender
Lindsey Patton (Jacksonville, FL/Oakleaf HS), and women's soccer forward
Evdokia Popadinova (Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria/Nikola Vaptsarov/Northwestern Ohio).
The Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest honor FGCU bestows upon a graduating senior student-athlete(s) and recognizes the ability of the winner(s) to combine athletic and academic successes (minimum 3.20 grade-point-average) with leadership and community service.
"When we look at the overall totality of an individual's career,
Amanda Carroll certainly belongs among that elite group," said Director of Athletics
Ken Kavanagh. "This honor is a phenomenal capstone to her career. From making a lasting impact with her leadership skills to overcoming injury to being one of the all-time best players in program history, Amanda embodies all that we look to promote in our student-athletes."
Carroll, who currently carries a 3.94 GPA as a graduate student while working toward a master's in educational leadership, is a four-time President's List (4.0) and Dean's List recipient, and nine-time member of the AD Honor Roll. She is in her second year serving as the ASUN's Division I Representative to the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). A two-term President and the only ever five-year member of the Eagles Council (FGCU's SAAC), as well as one of the Green & Blue's representatives on the ASUN SAAC (she served as their President in 2018-19), Carroll has also accumulated over 80 hours of community service for programs such as Habitat for Humanity, Harry Chapin Food Bank, Project Life Movement and the Naples Humane Society.
"Amanda has been such a vital part of the growth of FGCU volleyball over the past five years. It is hard to imagine walking into the gym without her being there," said volleyball head coach
Matt Botsford. "The good news is that the influence she has had on this program will be felt long after she is gone. Amanda has helped transform our program, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach her during that time. Her impact goes well beyond just volleyball, as Amanda has consistently demonstrated what a well-rounded individual she is. Whether it be in the classroom, on the court, or in the community, Amanda has been a phenomenal ambassador for Florida Gulf Coast University since the first day she stepped foot on our campus."
On the volleyball court, the outside hitter collected an FGCU record 1,483 career kills (ninth in ASUN history), 1,247 digs (third for FGCU/27th in ASUN) and 137 aces (second for FGCU/sixth in ASUN) while also compiling a Division I era program-record 44 double-doubles. Over the past two seasons alone, she helped lead the Eagles to a pair of ASUN regular-season titles, their first ASUN tournament championship, and a NCAA Tournament appearance which included an opening round win at #13 UCF. Carroll wrapped up her illustrious career as a three-time All-ASUN selection and a two-time ASUN All-Academic team pick. She was the 2015 ASUN Freshman of the Year and the 2017 ASUN Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
After suffering a season-ending hardship injury in 2018, Carroll returned this past season to work on her graduate studies. In addition to her ASUN accolades, she was a two-time AVCA All-Region honoree earning first-team accolades in 2017. She was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team as a junior as well. A two-sport athlete, she also competed for four seasons in beach volleyball. She finished with a program third-best ever 50 wins, with 41 of them earned as a member of the #1 pair over her final three seasons, including a victory in her final match over the ASUN's top team in the Conference Tournament's championship contest. She was also chosen to the ASUN All-Academic Team as a junior and senior (only FGCU student-athlete to earn such distinction in two sports). As an undergraduate student, Carroll earned a bachelor of arts in communication while also double-minoring in sociology and critical theory and produced a 3.91 cumulative GPA.
From 2003-09, the scholar-athlete award was given to the male and female student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA. The award is now presented to at least one senior who shows a combination of excellence within his or her playing venue, in the classroom and as a role model for others. The 2019 Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award (renamed in honor of
Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh) was presented to
Holly Fritz (women's soccer) and
Maggie Rick (volleyball).
For more information, and to view former award recipients, visit
CLICK HERE.
| Eagle Scholar Athlete Award |
| Year |
Women's Recipient |
Sport |
Year |
Men's Recipient |
Sport |
| 2009 |
Adrianne McNally |
Women's Basketball |
2009 |
Adam Glick |
Men's Soccer |
| 2008 |
Chelsea Dermyer |
Women's Basketball |
2008 |
Rob Quaintance |
Men's Basketball |
| 2007 |
Heather Van Olst |
Volleyball |
2007 |
Beau Bauer |
Men's Basketball |
| 2006 |
Eboni Halliburton |
Women's Basketball |
2006 |
Beau Bauer |
Men's Basketball |
| 2005 |
Ashley Cecil |
Softball |
2005 |
Richard Stempnowski |
Men's Tennis |
| 2004 |
Carolyn Johnstone |
Women's Cross Country |
2004 |
Richard Stempnowski |
Men's Tennis |
| 2003 |
Petya Jesse Yaneva |
Women's Tennis |
2003 |
Adam Gary |
Men's Golf |
2020 Kavanagh Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award Finalists
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and
pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
#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 82 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just eight-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 38 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. 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-one consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall semester saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. 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.
