FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's soccer and head coach Jim Blankenship adds four to the 2024 roster.
Two Division I transfers and two incoming freshmen are the latest to have signed with the Eagles. FGCU bolsters its back-to-back championship-winning roster with depth at the midfield and goalkeeper positions. Blankenship, a five-time ASUN Coach of the Year honoree, enters his 18th season as head coach of the FGCU women's soccer program in 2024. In his previous 17 seasons, he has built the Eagles into a yearly contender within ASUN Conference, winning 18 championships and earning eight NCAA Tournaments appearances. Blankenship ranks among the elite in women's soccer collegiate history. His 448 career wins rank eighth among all active NCAA DI coaches.
Camryn Bliss (Kansas & Ole Miss)
Midfielder
Lutz, Fla.
Bliss, a five-foot-nine midfielder, returns to her home state for her junior campaign and arrives in Fort Myers with SEC and Big XII experience. Bliss has made stops at both Ole Miss and Kansas. Last year with the Jayhawks, she appeared in 14 matches and earned a starting spot against rival Missouri. At Ole Miss, she made 18 appearances and logged 653 minutes on the pitch as a freshman. Bliss recorded three shots on goal for the Rebels.
Blankenship on Bliss:
"We are very happy and excited to be able to bring Cam back to her home state and add over 30 games of Power 5 experience to our roster. Cam is a player that plays soccer with a lot of intention and will bring a level of composure to our midfield. She is a fantastic player, person and student and we are very excited for her to join the Eagle family."
Lou Martinet (Coastal Carolina & SEMO)
Midfielder
Saint-Malo, France
Martinet is a five-foot-four midfielder from Saint-Malo, France. She joins the Eagles after spending her last three seasons with Coastal Carolina. In three seasons with Coastal, she made 35 appearances, had 13 starts and accumulated 1,037 minutes of playing time. She began her collegiate career at Southeast Missouri State before transferring to Coastal for year two. During her sophomore season, she was called up to play on the Venezuela National Team. In 2023 as redshirt junior for the Chanticleers, Martinet played in 16 matches, earning 12 starts en route to a breakout season.
She led the team with four goals and notched first collegiate goal in a 3-0 win over ASUN foe Stetson. The native of France also scored goals against App State, Arkansas State and Georgia Southern. She ranked second on the team in total shots on goal, with 10 of her 17 shots hitting the mark. Marinet recorded a career-high 69 minutes against Troy. In the classroom, she earned a spot on the Dean's List (3.5 GPA or higher) for the fall semester of 2023.
Blankenship on Martinet:
"Lou is a graduate transfer that will add another prolific piece to our team's attack. She is coming off a career season with Coastal Carolina and wants to continue her development to go on to play professionally at the highest level after completing her eligibility. She has a very diverse soccer background with her experiences with the Venezuelan National Team system and having grown up in playing soccer in multiple countries as well. These experiences have developed a dynamic, unpredictable attacking player that we are very excited to see play on Pickering Field this fall."
Amelia Gumerova (State College of Florida Collegiate School)
Goalkeeper
Bradenton, Fla.
Gumerova is a five-foot-nine goalkeeper from Bradenton, Florida, who attends State College of Florida Collegiate School. She started in over 50 games for FC Sarasota and IMG Academy. Gumerova played for Lakewood Ranch High School during the 2022-2023 season, earning an 19-1-1 overall record and was nominated as a spotlight athlete by EXACTSports.
Gumerova graduated high school at age of 16 with her associate's degree from the State College of Florida, summa cum laude through dual enrollment. She was a part of her school's mock trial team and American Chemical Society. Gumerova was also recognized at the State College of Florida Honors Convocation Ceremony in 2024.
Blankenship on Gumerova:
"We always want to prioritize keeping the best local players close to home and we feel we have done that with Amelia. She will immediately raise the level of our goalkeeping group and has an unbelievably high ceiling to grow into a top-level player. She is also one of the best students in the entire country and will be a fantastic addition to our team, as well as the FGCU community."
Judith Eklund
Midfielder
Pitea, Sweden
Ecklund is five-foot-six midfielder from Pitea, Sweden, and competes for the Pitea IF DFF Dam club team. Eklund has already reached the highest tier of soccer in the Swedish League and ranks as one of the best Scandinavian center-mids her age with box-to-box intensity and great distribution skills. Her long-term goal is to make the Swedish National team. In the classroom, she graduated with a 3.7 GPA.
Blankenship on Eklund:
"Judith comes to FGCU as a highly touted prospect from her home country. Many Swedish players have had unprecedented success here at FGCU and in our style of play, and we expect Judith to be no different. Her experience playing with the Swedish Youth National Team and in the Swedish 1st Division for her club will be invaluable experiences that will help elevate our team. She has a great awareness of pressure and space, as well as a unique engine to cover a lot of ground in the midfield which fits into our style of play seamlessly. We cannot wait to see Judith in the Green and Blue this fall."
