JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- A history-making day for the FGCU beach volleyball team (14-12) saw a pair of Texas natives etch their names in the record book as the Eagles split a pair of matches against North Florida (W, 4-1) and No. 19 Georgia State (L, 3-2) at the Cooper Beach Volleyball Complex on Saturday.
 
With the victory, FGCU tied the record for most regular season wins in program history set by the 2019 team. The 2018 and 2017 teams each won 13 in the regular season, while the 2019 team also holds the record for most overall wins - including postseason play - with 18.
 
"These are the types of games that every coach loves as we get ready to conclude the regular season," FGCU head coach Chris Sweat said. "Every set for both matches was neck and neck, putting the athletes in high-pressure situations all day, and learning and growing from the outcomes is what it's all about. UNF and GSU pushed us to be out best all day, and it was really fun to watch."
 
Kayla Whetstone and Kacie Johnson, who comprise the team's No. 2 pair, produced two grueling three-set victories, with each improving to a team-best 19-7 overall this year. For Johnson (Frisco, Texas/Lebanon Trail HS), she becomes the program's new rookie wins leader, surpassing the previous record of 18 established by Kirstine Garder in 2019.
 
"Kacie has stepped up in the biggest moments of the year for us and has grown so much as a player over the year," Sweat said. "She is such a competitor and has thrived in big moments for us this year. She loves the game and is going to have an amazing next few years here at FGCU."
 
Meanwhile, Whetstone (Arlington, Texas/Arlington Lamar HS) broke a tie with Karissa Rhoades (61, 2016-19) to become the program's all-time career wins leader. She picked up her 62nd victory in the opener against North Florida before pushing her career record to 63-22 (.741) in the finale.
 
For the duo, it was their fifth win over a ranked team this year while allowed Whetstone to push her program-record career total to eight. Johnson, just 26 matches into her career, already sits fourth in FGCU history for most victories over ranked teams.
 
"Kayla has been such an integral part of the program the entire time she's been here," Sweat said. "She's been such an ambassador for us on and off the court, and she is the perfect example of a student athlete. Having her and Kacie click from the moment they stepped in the court this season, you could see there was something special and they'd be able to do very well this year. Kayla has been in so many big moments during her career, and I couldn't be more of her for setting this record."
 

1.	63	Kayla Whetstone	2018-present	63-22	.741
2.	61	Karissa Rhoades	2018-present	61-35	.635
3.	58	Giovanna Borgiotti	2017-present	58-48	.547
4.	57	Katie Puisis	2016-19	57-32	.640
5.	50	Amanda Carroll	2016-19	50-42	.543

 
In addition to the aforementioned records, Whetstone can become the first player in program history to record two 20-win seasons in a career with one more victory while Johnson can become the youngest to reach 20. In fact, only four players have previously reached the milestone in a season - Whetstone (24-5 in 2019), Snowy Burnam (24-5 in 2019), Rhoades (20-8 in 2019) and Puisis (20-8 in 2019).
 
Giovanna Borgiotti, who teamed with Garder (Halden, Norway/Topvolley Norge) to produce a 21-13, 28-26 win over No. 19 Georgia State at the No. 1 pair, pushed her career total of wins over ranked teams to six, which is second-most all-time behind Whetstone.
 
On top of that, the graduate senior picked up her 58th career win, which moves her past Katie Puisis (57, 2016-19) and into sole possession of third-place among all-time Eagle greats. With two more triumphs, she can give FGCU a pair of 60-win teammates for the first time.
 
If that isn't enough, Borgiotti (Vienna, Va./George C. Marshall HS) becomes the first player in program history to win at least 10 matches in each of her four seasons, and she's distributed her career victories over four different pairs - 14 at No. 1, 12 at No. 2, 14 at No. 3 and 18 at No. 4.
 
In the win over North Florida, the No. 3 pair of Maddison Parmelly (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall Heath HS) and Lexie Hamilton (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) picked up the match-clinching win as the Eagles won the first four pairs played. Those two are now 15-11 this year, which is second-best on the team.
 
The Eagles, who faced a ranked team for a single-season-best 10th time on Saturday as they compete against a tougher schedule than they have ever done previously, continue to knock on the door of consistently beating the nation's best. The already have multiple wins over top-20 teams for the first time in a season and their loss to Georgia State was the team's fourth 3-2 loss to a ranked team this year.
 
FGCU will conclude the regular season on Sunday against Jacksonville (10 a.m.) and North Florida (12 p.m.). The Eagles need one win to match the 2017 and 2018 squads for the second-most team wins in a single-season.

Following Sunday's action, FGCU will compete in the ASUN Championship April 23-25 in DeLand, Fla.
 
FGCU 4, North Florida 1
1. Antonia Harrison/Dana Roskic (UNF) def. Giovanna Borgiotti/Kirstine Garder 13-21, 21-17, 15-10
2. Kayla Whetstone/Kacie Johnson (FGCU) def. Taryn Griffey/Callie Workman 23-21, 18-21, 15-12
3. Maddison Parmelly/Lexie Hamilton (FGCU) def. Leah Maloney/Marisa Rogers 21-18, 22-20
4. Emma Hansen/Madie Lichty (FGCU) def. Carleigh Semeniuk/Lauren Galinis 21-18, 28-30, 15-13
5. Jenna Banz/Trinity Rosales (FGCU) def. Chantel McMillan/Carolyn Cain 21-19, 21-12
 
No. 19 Georgia State 3, FGCU 2
1. Giovanna Borgiotti/Kirstine Garder (FGCU) def. Eden Hawes/Maddy Delmonte 21-13, 28-26
2. Kayla Whetstone/Kacie Johnson (FGCU) def. Kate Novack/Kelly Dorn 21-16, 19-21, 15-12
3. Olivia Stasevich/Mattie Johnson (GSU) def. Maddison Parmelly/Lexie Hamilton 18-21, 23-21, 15-9
4. Meagan McCall/Maddie Gordon (GSU) def. Emma Hansen/Madie Lichty 21-14, 22-20
5. Angel Ferary/Bella Ferary (GSU) def. Trinity Rosales/Jenna Banz 21-23, 21-17, 16-14
 
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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COACH SWEAT
Chris Sweat is in his second season as head coach of the FGCU beach volleyball program after spending the prior five seasons as an assistant coach. A member of VolleyballMag.com's Under 40 Coaching Hotshots list in January 2020, he led the Eagles to a 4-0 start in 2020 prior to the Covid-19 shutdown and has compiled a 18-12 record to open his head coaching tenure.
 
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ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 85 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 40 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) 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 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 23 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, and 2020 Fall 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.

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