FORT MYERS, Fla. – Skylar English and Alexandra Zakutney each notched a double-double as Florida Gulf Coast University's volleyball team held off Jacksonville University, 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-11), Friday night in the Atlantic Sun Conference opener for both teams.

"Quite a few peaks and valleys in that match but I like how we steadied some important pieces out as the match got extended," said FGCU Head Volleyball Coach Matt Botsford. "Jacksonville was really effective at creating pressure from the service line and that made a lot of our offensive looks difficult for the pins."

English had 12 kills and 13 digs, while Zakutney had a dozen kills and a dozen digs to pace FGCU (8-5, 1-0 ASUN) to the win. Shelby Kent led all Eagles in kills with 13. The Green & Blue had a season-high 15 blocks as a team, with Juliana Lentz picking up a team-high eight total blocks.

Ella Chapman assisted on three blocks within the first 11 points of the deciding set to send JU into a timeout down 7-4. A kill down the line by Zakutney sent the teams into the side switch with the Eagles up 8-4. JU would cut the deficit to one, 9-8, but Zakutney reached the double-double threshold with her 10th dig on the same point she collected her 11th kill to make it 10-8. JU pulled back within a point, but Lily Tessier's dump for a kill and a Lentz kill gave the Eagles a 12-9 lead heading to a timeout.

"I thought our middles were outstanding," Coach Botsford said. "Between Juliana, Destiny [Nelson], and Ella, the offensive output was exactly what we needed to take some pressure off the other attackers."

JU (3-10, 0-1 ASUN) would pull within a point after the timeout, but Kent would stop the mini-run with a kill to restore a two-point lead. After an attack error put FGCU on the doorstep, English would close out the Dolphins with a kill to give the Eagles the win in the ASUN opener.

Tessier had a team-best 38 assists, with Claire Ertel's 17 digs standing as the high mark for FGCU.

Four Dolphins had double-digit kills, led by Jenna McNamara's 14.

FGCU returns to action Saturday night at 6 p.m. against North Florida at Alico Arena.