FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title for the eighth time (2007, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024) in program history Thursday after delivering a 3-0 victory versus North Florida.
The win is also the 10th straight win for the Green & Blue and the 11th 3-0 sweep victory for the season.
Skylar English set a new personal record of four solo blocks.
"What a great performance by this team tonight," head coach
Matt Botsford said. "They played such a quality brand of volleyball in this match, and it was happening at the net, in the back row and from the service line. I am so happy for this group of young women who have worked so hard to get another opportunity like this and then to deliver the way they did to secure another regular season championship."
The Eagles (23-4, 14-1 ASUN) got to work early, earning a 19-9 advantage featuring four kills from
Shelby Kent and never looked back. From there, the Ospreys (12-18, 8-7 ASUN) could only deliver two more points as the Eagles flew away with a 25-11 victory.
Set two looked similar to the first, with the Green & Blue jumping to a 17-9 lead thanks to a pair of service aces from
Shanelle Puetz and four kills again from Kent. FGCU closed out the set with eight points compared to UNF's three to win 25-12 and get a 2-0 advantage.
With the regular season title just one set away, the Ospreys did not go away that easily and gained a mini 10-6 lead in the third. FGCU used the home crowd chants to unleash a 15-9 run, featuring four kills from English and overtook the Ospreys, 21-19. From there, the Eagles remained focused on the title and outscored UNF 4-2 to win the final set 25-21.
"Our challenge now is to sustain that level of play into Saturday and then into the conference tournament," said Botsford. "This group understands that and will be focused and ready."
The Green & Blue dominated 5-1 at the service line and 7-1 defensively in blocks. FGCU held the Ospreys to a -0.115 attacking percent in the first set and .115 for the entire match. Kent registered a double-double of 17 kills and 13 digs. Puetz had 26 assists and three aces.
The Eagles will battle Jacksonville (14-12, 9-5 ASUN) on Saturday for Senior Night, the final regular season match.
