FGCU Beach Volleyball Information
Matches	Match 1 vs Jacksonville | Friday | 12 p.m. Match 2 at Tampa | Friday | 4 p.m. Match 3 vs Mercer | Saturday | 12 p.m. Match 4 vs Eckerd College | Saturday | 4 p.m.
Where	Tampa, Fla. | Tampa Beach Volleyball Complex
Live Stats	vs Tampa only (here)
Stream	n/a
Twitter	@FGCU_BeachVB
Instagram	@FGCU_BeachVB
Facebook	FGCU Beach Volleyball

TAMPA, Fla. --- Almost one year to the date after their season was cut short due to Covid-19, the FGCU beach volleyball team will open up the 2021 regular season slate on Friday and Saturday with four matches over two days as part of the Tampa Tournament.
 
On Friday, the Eagles will play Jacksonville (12 p.m.) and Tampa (4 p.m.). On Saturday, they will face Mercer (12 p.m.) and Eckerd College (4 p.m.). Those four matches are the start of what is scheduled to be a 31-match regular season schedule with the ASUN Championship slated for April 23-25. The Eagles are 6-3 all-time in season-openers, including wins in five straight.
 
The matchups against Jacksonville and Mercer will not count as conference matches. In fact, due to Covid-19 forcing schools to adjust travel logistics of all sports, there will not be a conference schedule this year. FGCU, which will play all its regular season matches in the state of Florida, will still play conference rivals Stetson and North Florida later this season.
 
Coincidentally, the last team the Eagles competed against last year was Tampa, which resulted in a 3-2 win on March 7. FGCU is 3-1 all-time against Tampa, 12-7 against both JU and Mercer and 6-1 vs Eckerd.
 
This year will be the second season for head coach Chris Sweat, who will not have the services of Snowy Burnam, Alayna Ryan, Shelby Beisner or Cortney VanLiew this year as they are with the indoor team as they host their regular season this spring. Those four combined to go 11-2 last year.
 
One key player that will be back is Giovanna Borgiotti, who returns for her graduate season after losing her senior year due to Covid-19. The Vienna, Va. native was the first player in program history to win 10 or more matches in each of her first three seasons, and she pushed her career win total to 48 last year, which is the fourth-most in program history. Her .593 career winning percentage is fifth-best all-time.
 
Another key returner, who recently returned to the team after spending the fall back home in Norway, is Kirstine Garder. The 2019 ASUN Freshman of the Year has eclipsed 20 wins in one-plus seasons with the Eagles. Kayla Whetstone, who was named to the preseason all-conference team this year along with Borgiotti and Garder, is also back after producing 44 wins in two-plus seasons with a program-record .746 career winning percentage. She is also tied for sixth in career wins.
 
Borgiotti, Garder and Whetstone each combined to go 11-0 last year in the shortened season.
 
Several other key players are also back. Emma Hansen, who was one of four players to go 4-0 last year, is back while Elizabeth Richmond returns after going 3-0. Jenna Banz and Maddison Parmelly, who each went 3-1, return, as well.
 
In terms of newcomers, a trio of freshmen - Trinity Rosales, Madie Lichty and Kacie Johnson - will open their collegiate careers, while mid-year UNCW transfer Lexie Hamilton joins the squad. The Barron Collier High School product has won 10 matches in one-plus collegiate seasons.
 
Following this weekend, the Eagles will compete in the FIU Classic on March 13.
 
For complete coverage of the beach volleyball program, follow the Eagles on Twitter and Instagram at @FGCU_BeachVB, on Facebook at /fgcubeachvb and online at FGCUathletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU beach volleyball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
 
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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!
 
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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 84 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 in their sport. 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--