SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -
Shelby Kent earned her 500th kill for the season, extending her own single-season school record as Florida Gulf Coast University fell 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-22) to Marquette University in a First Round match in the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Thursday evening.
Kent entered the match at 499 and registered eight kills, giving her a final total of 507 for the season and 844 for her career. She also added 10 digs, which was the most among the Eagles.
"I would not have been able to do this without the girls next to me, so the fact that I was able to end with this record is amazing because the girls placed me in this position," said Kent.
This was the Eagles' fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and the fifth overall.
"I am just extremely thankful to have worked this season with our six seniors and the team as a whole, and I am proud of the season," said FGCU head coach
Matt Botsford. "It was not the outcome that we wanted but much of that has to do with the quality of game Marquette was playing but again this is about celebrating these young women and the growth of FGCU volleyball."
The Eagles (27-5) battled with the Golden Eagles (24-8) all the way to 17-17 in the first set before Marquette pushed out a 5-0 run to take a 22-17 advantage. The Green & Blue answered back with three straight points but the Golden Eagles capitalized on three FGCU miscues to win the set, 25-20.
In set two, Marquette stormed out to a 19-12 lead but FGCU worked its way back with a 10-5 rally featuring a pair of kills each from
Barbara Koehler,
Skylar English and
Shanelle Puetz to trail 24-22; however, Marquette earned the final point of the set to win 25-22 and take a 2-0 lead.
The Green & Blue narrowly led 8-7 in the final set but the Golden Eagles settled in and pushed ahead into an 18-14 lead. The Green & Blue kept fighting on the big stage as a
Barbara Koehler kill evened up the set, 22-all. The Golden Eagles responded and wrapped up the match with three straight points to seal a 25-22 victory and advance to the Second Round.
English tied for match-high honors with 14 kills, while also adding seven digs and a pair of aces.
Shanelle Puetz registered 26 assists.
The 2024 season for the Green & Blue comes to an end with the match. FGCU won its fifth ASUN Tournament Title and were crowned the ASUN Regular Season Champions for the eighth time in program history this year.
