FORT MYERS, Fla. - Head coach Matt Botsford has officially announced a talented five-person recruiting class. It is his seventh full recruiting class since becoming the head coach of the Eagles.
 
"This is a large class for us, filled with a lot of talent, and I anticipate that each member will play a major role in the future of FGCU volleyball," Botsford said. "Bringing in five new players can sometimes be a challenge, but the timing is perfect for us as we have a lot of experienced players here that can ease the transition for the newcomers."
 
Destiny Nelson
5-8 Right Side/Middle Blocker
Vero Beach, Fla./Vero Beach HS
 
Nelson, considered one of the most exciting players in the area, led Vero Beach to their first district title in three years. Her team advanced to its first ever regional final behind Nelson's 18-kill, 15-dig, 11-block performance over undefeated Fort Pierce Central in the district championship. She finished the season with 190 kills, 122 blocks and 106 digs en route to being named First Team Treasure Coast All-Area.
 
"Destiny is an extremely gifted athlete that plays the game at a height above the net that very few can match," Botsford said. "Her explosiveness and speed allow her to impact the game as both a blocker and an attacker. While she has spent a lot of time as a middle, she continues to evolve as a pin player and we anticipate utilizing her in multiple capacities during her time here at FGCU. On top of being a dynamic player that will compete immediately, Destiny has such a great passion for the sport and for her own development. It will be exciting to see what she can accomplish at the next level."
 
The four-year varsity starter intends to major in sports science and psychology. She is a member of PrepVolleyball.com's 10-Foot Club.
 
"I chose FGCU because of the family atmosphere around the team and coaching staff," Nelson said. "I also like the course curriculum and beautiful campus."
 
Skylar English
5-11 Outside Hitter
Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS
 
A two-time Naples Daily News Player of the Year, English totaled 379 kills, 225 digs, 71 aces and 29 blocks as a senior at Barron Collier. She finished her career with a school-record 1,395 kills, 1,015 assists, 833 digs, 282 aces and 124 blocks as she led the Cougars to a 17-1 record as a senior and a regional semifinal berth. In her first three seasons, she led her team to a state playoff trip, including a state title appearance as a freshman.
 
"Skylar is a local standout that we have known and watched since she was in middle school," Botsford said. "I can remember her at summer camps early in my tenure here at FGCU, and even then you could see what a gifted volleyball player she was. Her ability to play just about every position at a high level makes Skylar a huge asset and will allow her to impact our program in numerous ways. Skylar has a great arm as an attacker, which will be a big addition offensively, and ball-control skills that we will be able to rely on within our serve receive and defensive systems."
 
English reached 1,000 kills and 1,000 assists during her junior season and was named the Naples Daily News Volleyball Player of the Decade, First Team Collier County Athletic Conference, FACA 5A Player of the Year, Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Volleyball finalist, Prep Volleyball Fourth-Team All-Florida and a two-time AVCA Player of the Week (Oct. 13, 2019 and Sept. 13, 2020). She intends to major in biology and forensic science.
 
"The coaches are amazing," English said of choosing FGCU. "The program has accomplished a lot and continues to grow, plus the campus is beautiful."
 
Shelby Kent
6-1 Outside Hitter
Port St. Lucie, Fla./Treasure Coast HS
 
Kent became Treasure Coast's first-ever player with 1,000 career kills during her high school career, graduating as the program's all-time leader with 1,171 kills. She tallied 235 kills, 158 digs and 38 blocks as a senior while being named First Team Treasure Coast All-Area.
 
"Shelby is a versatile attacker and natural passer with experience playing along the entire net," Botsford said. "Her ability to play multiple positions will be very valuable and I expect that she will flourish as she transitions into the collegiate game. Shelby's development over the last two years has been extremely impressive and I think we have only seen a glimpse of what she will be down the road. With her length, arm speed and natural touch on the ball, she is going to be a lot of fun to work with."
 
Kent plans on majoring in accounting and mathematics and has a goal of pursuing a career as a certified public accountant (CPA) for a bank or finance company.
 
"What attracted me the most was the amazing coaching staff and the strong volleyball program that has been created here," Kent said of choosing FGCU.
 
Claire Ertel
5-9 Defensive Specialist/Libero
Indianapolis, Ind./Mt. Vernon HS
 
Ertel was named First Team All-Hancock County this past season, leading her team to a 22-5 record and a trip to the sectional finals behind her 305 kills, 292 digs and 30 aces. In 2019, she posted 306 kills, 380 digs, 55 aces and 37 blocks while earning All-HHC recognition.
 
"Claire will be coming in as a libero even though she has had a very successful prep career as a six-rotation outside hitter," Botsford said. "Her instincts as a defender and her reliability in serve receive will make her a valuable addition to our back row, and I expect her to impact that side of the ball immediately. She has a very high volleyball IQ which is apparent as you watch her movements on the court. Claire's understanding of opposing hitters and how to naturally position herself in the right spot to defend against them gives her a nice head start as she moves into our system."
 
Ertel, who is undecided on a major, was an AAU All-American and a member of the USA Girls Youth National A2 Training team in 2018.
 
"I thought the campus was beautiful and I wanted to be part of their competitive and successful program," Ertel said of her choice to sign with FGCU.
 
Breelyn Borum
6-0 setter/right side
Sterling, Ill./Sterling HS
 
Borum's play helped Sterling win 3A state championships in 2018 and 2019 as she led her team to a 36-6 record as a junior with 287 kills, 581 assists, 226 digs, 35 aces and 34 blocks. She also had 288 kills, along with 793 assists, 287 digs, 45 blocks and 40 aces as a sophomore. Her team is scheduled to compete this spring.
 
"Breelyn is a high level setter with lots of valuable experience playing among, and for, some of the top club teams in the nation," Botsford said. "With a strong technical base within the position and a long record of winning at every level she has played, she will provide valuable depth while also adding to the competitive environment within our gym. Breelyn understands the nuances of the position and does an excellent job of putting hitters in good spots while running a very efficient offense. Her ability to attack the second ball provides another great weapon and makes her very difficult to defend against."
 
Borum, who is undecided on a major, is a three-time all-conference and all-state player, a two-time all-area selection and the All-Area Co-Player of the Year as a junior. Her mother, Tami, played volleyball at the University of Illinois Springfield, while all three of her sisters either played or will play collegiate volleyball.
 
"The campus is unlike any other and the coaching staff is amazing," Borum said of why she chose FGCU.
 
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SUSTAINING FLIGHT 
To help offset the financial impact of COVID-19, FGCU Athletics has launched the Sustaining Flight Fundraiser and Auction. The fundraising campaign will help mitigate operational revenue loss and the additional expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19 protocols. All funds raised during the campaign will go to support areas that directly impact student-athletes.
 
In lieu of hosting the annual Night at the Nest gala this year, one of FGCU's most successful fundraising events, the department will be hosting a virtual, online auction from Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4. Fans and supporters will be able to bid on exclusive memorabilia, trip packages, unique event experiences and more. For more information, visit www.fgcuathletics.com/sustainingflight. 

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!
 
COACH BOTSFORD
Matt Botsford completed 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 143-50 (.741) record overall, including a 71-17 (.807) record in ASUN play. Including 2019, 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 five straight seasons and at least 10 wins in conference play six 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 and now the team has won two straight regular season titles. 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. Last year, he led the team to a win over Miami (Fla.) - the program's first-ever road Power-5 win, and the Eagles followed that up with a straight-set win over the Hurricanes at a neutral site in 2019.
 
#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 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine 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 (No. 24, 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 (APR) in their sport and have had the highest percentage of teams so honored from these two groups over each of the past three years. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each 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.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--