FORT MYERS, Fla. – After another tremendous year filled with success and new milestones reached, the FGCU Department of Athletics celebrated all that was accomplished on Wednesday night with the annual NESTIES Awards at Alico Arena.
 
Along with honoring the department's seniors, six different awards were handed out, highlighted by the Kavanagh Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award. The award recognizes the ability of the winner(s) to combine athletic and academic success (minimum 3.20 GPA) with community service.
 
This year's recipient was Cortney VanLiew of indoor volleyball and beach volleyball who completed a stellar career. She helped the indoor team to a pair of ASUN titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in her career, while, most recently, helping the No. 20 beach program post its best season this spring with 29 wins and an ASUN runner-up finish. Throughout her career, she has held multiple leadership positions, been honored with numerous academic awards, and has been inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame for students. Read more about Cortney below.
 
VanLiew was a finalists alongside Wiktoria Czarnecka, Brian Ellis, and Zoey Reed-Spitzer with all four recognized in a video package for the prestigious award.
 
Five other annual awards were presented on the night. The Wings Up Team Spirit Award which is given to the program which exemplifies Eagle spirit and team support. The 2022 honor went to the women's soccer team for the second time since 2010. The award is based off six categories: Dirty Bird memberships, Wings Up app downloads, attendance at games, spirit displayed at those games, social media support of their own team and other sports and promotion and interaction with fellow students and community members.
 
The Stanley 'Butch' Perchan Award, previously named the Green and Blue Award, is annually bestowed upon a staff member(s) who personifies the proverbial definition of someone who bleeds Green and Blue. Six years ago, Kavanagh announced that the award would be renamed the Stanley 'Butch' Perchan Award in honor of Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs Emeritus Butch Perchan. Perchan presented the 2022 award to this year's recipients, Assistant Director for Financial Operations Susie Lennertz and Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Services/SWA Kathy Peterson.
  
The Community Service Award is presented annually to the student-athlete who best exemplifies FGCU Athletics' dedicated commitment to volunteerism on campus and throughout the Southwest Florida community. The 2022 honoree was redshirt senior Tyra Cox of women's basketball. She has accumulated approximately 105 hours of community service at organizations such as the Midwest Food Bank, Orange County Public Schools, Eco Voice and Lee County Homeless Coalition.

The Carl McAloose Spirit Award is given to at least one male and female student-athlete who best exemplify former Director of Athletics Carl McAloose's spirit and love for FGCU Athletics, as well as dedication to their team and teammates. This year, there were four recipients: Tanner Bryant of women's basketball, Brian Ellis of baseball, Juan Montes of men's tennis, and Cortney VanLiew of volleyball/beach volleyball.
 
The Most Inspirational Award, which was renamed the Duane Swanson Sr. Inspirational Award at the 2011 ceremony, was presented to Snowy Burnam of volleyball and beach volleyball.
 
EAGLE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE WINNER – CORTNEY VANLIEW  
A graduate student working on her master's in business administration, VanLiew earned her undergraduate degree in accounting posting a 3.68 GPA with a minor in Spanish last spring. She was also a member of FGCU's Honors College. This past fall, she was honored as a Volleyball Senior CLASS Award All-America second team selection. Overall in her career, the native of Seymour, Indiana, has been a President's List, Dean's List, AD Honor Roll, and ASUN Honor Roll selection throughout her career. She was also a three-time ASUN All-Academic honoree and was the volleyball program's first two-time CoSIDA All-Academic selection.
 
Her play on the court was just as fantastic as her academic accomplishments. Amidst leading her team to a pair of ASUN regular season and conference tournament championships, she was also a key contributor to the Eagles advancing to the NCAA second round in 2018 and again this past season. Individually, a member of the ASUN All-Decade Team for volleyball, she holds FGCU's career record for kills with 1,658 and is one of just three players in program history to have 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Overall, she was a two-time indoor ASUN Player of the Year and five-year All-ASUN honoree and an Honorable Mention All-American in 2018.  In beach volleyball she has helped lead the current Eagles to a #20 national ranking and the most team wins in a season.
 
A member of FGCU's Hall of Fame for students, in the community, VanLiew has compiled a phenomenal 250+ community service hours during her time at FGCU. A two-term President of the Eagles Council, she currently serves as the ASUN SAAC President and has been involved on a national level with her peers. Additionally, she has been an advocate and outspoken ambassador for FGCU on mental health for student-athletes. She is at the forefront of working with young children during camps and clinics and has been heavily involved in outreach on and off campus, as well as a tutor for her peer student-athletes. Her next step involves pursuing a career in intercollegiate athletics.
 
Head Volleyball Coach Matt Botsford On VanLiew:
"What Cortney has done here at FGCU and the manner in which she has done it without a doubt will be the standard by which future nominees will be judged. She is the embodiment of the type of person, student, leader, competitor, ambassador, and teammate that we spend our careers looking to bring into the University. What truly distinguishes her, however, is not what she has done for FGCU, but how she feels about this place and what it means to her. The pride she has about her time at FGCU is special. Cortney believes that FGCU is responsible for shaping her and giving her an outlet to excel. There is some truth to that, but the reality is SHE has been integral in shaping this place for US and we have been able to excel because of her and her contributions. Cortney represents the best of FGCU and I have yet to meet someone more deserving."
  
2021-22 EAGLES CLUB MOST OUTSTANDING MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETES NOMINEES
Previously called the Most Outstanding Male and Female Athlete Award, it was renamed to the Eagles Club Most Outstanding Male and Female Athlete Award at the 2017 ceremony. The Eagles Club is the official booster organization which helps financially support and raise funds for each of FGCU's 15 programs. The winners of this award will be announced at the 'Welcome Back Picnic' in August, as not all teams have finished their seasons at this time. All nominees have either earned First Team All-Conference or better (i.e. Freshman of the Year), swimmers who came in first at the conference championship meet or for baseball and softball that have not yet finished, are individuals whom are under strong considerations for such accolades.
 
Women's Soccer: Ashley Labbe, Kajsa Lang, Louise Lillback
Men's Soccer: Ethan Dudley, O'vonte Mullings, Gustavo Vasconcelos
Volleyball: Chelsey Lockey, Erin Shomaker
Swimming & Diving: Tori Czarnecka, Petra Halmai, Reese Wakefield
Women's Basketball: Kierstan Bell, TK Morehouse
Men's Basketball: Tavian Dunn-Martin, Kevin Samuel
Beach Volleyball: Kacie Johnson, Maddison Parmelly
Men's Golf: Austin Cherichella
Women's Golf: Laura Edmonds
Softball*: Cana Davis, Reedy Davenport
Baseball*: Brian Ellis, Ian Farrow, Alejandro Figueredo, Joe Kinker, Alejandro Rodriguez
Men's Tennis: Magnus Johnson
* Anticipated; ASUN honors not yet released

2021-22 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR MALE AND FEMALE NOMINEES
Newly added in 2021-22 is the Rookie of the Year Award which will be presented to the top freshmen male and female student-athlete in a given year. All nominees have either earned All-Freshman Team or better (i.e. Freshman of the Year), swimmers who came in first at the conference championship meet, or for sports that have not yet finished, are individuals whom are under strong considerations for such accolades.

Most Outstanding Rookie Nominees
Women's Soccer: Rosa Horskjaer
Volleyball: Skylar English
Women's Golf: Anouk Casty
Beach Volleyball: Kaitlyn Luebbers
Men's Golf: Lucas Fallotico
Women's Tennis: Isabella Colmenares
Baseball*: Harrison Povey
 
2021-22 FGCU ATHLETICS AWARD WINNERS
Ken Kavanagh Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award: Cortney VanLiew
Wings Up Team Spirit Award: Women's Soccer
Stanley "Butch" Perchan Award: Susie Lennertz (Assistant Director for Financial Operations), Kathy Peterson (Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Services/SWA)
Community Service Award: Tyra Cox (Women's Basketball)
Carl McAloose Spirit Award: Tanner Bryant (Women's Basketball), Brian Ellis (Baseball), Juan Montes (Men's Tennis), Cortney VanLiew (Volleyball/Beach Volleyball)
Duane Swanson Sr. Inspirational Award: Snowy Burnam (Volleyball/Beach Volleyball)