FORT MYERS, Fla. –
Skylar English was named ASUN Tournament MVP and matched her career-high with six aces as No. 1 seed Florida Gulf Coast University's volleyball won its fourth-straight Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship and fifth overall with a 3-0 victory over No. 2 seed Lipscomb University Saturday evening inside Alico Arena.
Shelby Kent and
Shanelle Puetz were also named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team.
"I'm so excited for this team and so proud of the effort and fight they showed this week." FGCU head coach
Matt Botsford said. "Our strength all season long has been our depth and our ability to lean on that depth when it mattered most."
Skylar English got the match started for the Eagles (27-4) with back-to-back aces to get FGCU a 4-1 lead. The Bisons responded with a 14-9 rally to take the lead by two, 15-13. The Green & Blue remained calm and outscored the Bisons with a 10-8 run featuring three kills from English to close out the set 25-21.
In set two, the Eagles were composed and soared out to a 22-14 advantage with the second set in reach. The Bisons closed within four, 22-18, but the Eagles would push through to take the set 25-19.
With the title within reach, the Eagles scored the the first four points of the final set. Lipscomb would respond, however, to take a 12-10 lead. As the pressure mounted, the Eagles found a response thanks to the setting of Puetz and the swings of Kent and English.
The attacking duo delivered four kills each as the Eagles made it 23-17. Lipscomb did not back down and scored three straight consecutive points to trail by three, 23-20 but an off-speed shot by Kent gave the Eagles match point, 24-20. After a Lipscomb attack went wide on the final swing of the match, the Eagles celebrated in the center of the court with a 25-20 win in the set and a 3-0 sweep.
The Green & Blue dominated the service line, 10-3. Kent registered a match-high 15 kills with seven digs and two aces. English had 11 kills, three digs and her match-high six aces. Puetz had 23 assists, five digs and an ace.
Megan Harris had a match-high nine digs.
Oreva Evivie added five kills on seven swings for a .714 attack percentage.
FGCU will now await its opponent for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection show is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m.
