FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Suncoast Credit Union FGCU Athletics Scholar-Athletes of the Month for May have been announced with sophomore
Kacie Johnson (Frisco, Texas/Lebanon Trail) of beach volleyball and junior
Max Damm (Bradenton, Fla./Saint Stephen's Episcopal School) of the men's tennis program earning the honor.
A female and male Eagle are chosen as the FGCU Athletics Scholar-Athlete of the Month throughout the academic year. Factors in the selection for the honor include a combination of significant athletic and overall success.
Maddison Parmelly of beach volleyball and Brady Madsen of men's golf earned the distinction for the month of April.
Johnson helped the nationally ranked beach volleyball program set a new record for single-season wins as the Eagles finished the year 29-9 overall as runner-ups in the ASUN Championship Tournament. She and Parmelly were named ASUN Pair of the Year marking the first time in program history for a set of Eagles to earn the honor. The duo was also named to the All-ASUN First Team, earned ASUN All-Tournament accolades, and finished the season with a 26-10 record at the No. 1 flight. Included in that mark were three wins over Top 25 opponents: No. 14 Georgia State, No. 17 Stetson, and No. 18 South Carolina. She finished the regular season going 11-5 while posting a 6-0 mark in the ASUN Tournament.
In the classroom, she has a 3.70 GPA while studying psychology and has been named to the President's List, Dean's List, and AD Honor Roll. Johnson has also volunteered 20 hours of service time at Beach Cleanup and Collier County Museum.
"Kacie continues to work very hard on the court and in the classroom and this award is the perfect example of her determination to be the best she can be," said head coach
Chris Sweat. "Throughout her two years here, she has become such a leader and I am continuously impressed by her ability to be at such a high level of athletics and academics."
Damm recently wrapped up his junior season on the court with the Eagles, helping the Green & Blue to an ASUN regular-season title. He made his biggest impact for the Eagles on the doubles court as he paired with
Magnus Johnson at No. 1 to go 14-8, including a 5-3 mark in ASUN play. The duo ended the year winning seven of their last 10 matches, including two wins in the ASUN Tournament over #70 North Florida and #67 Liberty. In singles, Damm tallied four wins, including an ASUN win over Bellarmine to open the conference season.
In the classroom, Damm is also studying psychology and has a 3.45 cumulative GPA, which includes a 4.0 GPA this spring as he was named to the President's List. In addition to the his most recent strong semester, he has also been named to the Dean's List and AD Honor Roll in his time at FGCU. He has also contributed 26 hours of community service, helping out as a Kindness Mentor, at Naples Therapeutic Riding Center, and Community Cooperative.
"I'm really proud of Max, particularly for his academic performance this semester; but also he continues to improve on the tennis court and remain a very integral part of our doubles lineup," said head coach
CJ Weber. "Max received a 4.0 this semester, and he's really stepped up his game academically. Our team tied our highest ever semester GPA, and Max helped lead the charge. I anticipate great things out of him next year. He has learned so much and has humbled himself to be a better teammate, friend, and leader on the team."
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ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 92 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 10 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 45 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. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) 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 25 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2021) each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. 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.
