FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball swept Florida Atlantic University 3-0 Friday to open the Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic at Alico Arena.
"Really nice overall performance by the team tonight," head coach Matt Botsford said. "There was a nice blend of good offense and quality defense which is going to be important for us. Alex continues to be such a steady force out there, affecting multiple phases, all in a positive way. Skyler is also finding a nice rhythm as she works her way back from injury. The middles did a great job making the right decisions with shot selection, and Reese was all over the court defensively to complement a nice blocking night."
With the win, FGCU (6-4) extended its series win streak over FAU (8-4) to five, each in straight sets. Friday's sweep marked the third such victory of the season for the Eagles.
The Eagles rallied a collective group, edging the Owls in blocks 9-5 and 5-2 in aces. Sparked by the home crowd, FGCU set the tone from the very start, firing two kills and forcing an attack error to jump out to a 3-0 advantage.
The opening set witnessed a match-high five ties and two lead changes. FAU battled back in the opening frame to tie at 12-all and pulled to within one at 19-18, but the Eagles kept the Owls at bay to secure a 25-20 set-one win.
FGCU took full control of the match in the second, obtaining a 19-13 lead late for a two set advantage.
It was also all Eagles in the third set as FGCU pulled ahead by eight, 17-9.
FAU managed to force a 19-19 tie with some shifting momentum toward a fourth. A timely kill by Lily Tessier put turbulence into the Owls' flight path en route to a 25-21 win. FGCU put the Owls to bed, clinching the match on a 6-2 run.
Tessier and Shanelle Puetz directed the Eagles offensive attack to a .240 attacking percentage. Nine different Eagles recorded a kill Friday.
Alexandra Zakutney and Juliana Lentz paced the Eagles in kills with eight. Lentz fired her eight kills on just 13 swings, while Zakutney added six digs on the defensive side of the ball. Lentz also provided a team-leading six blocks.
Reese Burry managed the Eagles' back row defense and was credited with 13 digs on the night. Burry has now eclipsed 100 digs on the season.
In earlier action, FAU and Maryland swept Le Moyne. FGCU returns to the court Saturday at 11 a.m. to face Le Moyne. The Eagles close the tournament against Maryland at 7 p.m.
