FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball team secured a 3-2 season-opening win Friday against North Dakota State University in the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Fort Myers Classic.
"Opening night and would have preferred it didn't happen with five sets because of a quick turnaround but we love playing in this Arena and it's nice to put a performance like this one with how it ended," head coach
Matt Botsford said.
The Eagles (1-0) came out firing in front of the home crowd in set one, soaring to a 19-7 advantage with five kills from senior
Shelby Kent. The Bison had no response for the Eagles as
Skylar English,
Oreva Evivie,
Ella Chapman and newcomer
Sasha Van Der Merwe all delivered a kill each to win the set easily 25-11.
North Dakota State (0-2) opened the second set with an 11-5 lead, but the Eagles were able to rally to close the gap to 18-16. From there both teams went back-and-forth with three ties before the Bison ultimately came out on top 26-24 to get on the scoreboard.
FGCU opened the third set with a 15-7 advantage and then extended its lead with back-to-back kills from Evivie. North Dakota State had no answer as the Eagles closed out the set 25-16.
The Bison would not be tamed that easily and rallied to a narrow 17-15 lead in the fourth set, before going on a 5-0 run to silence the Eagles and ultimately win the set 25-19 to push to a tiebreaker set.
In the fifth, NDSU secured a 10-5 lead shortly after the midway point. With its back against the wall, FGCU whipped out a 9-1 offensive barrage to take the lead, 14-11.
The Bison's Ali Hinze delivered an attack with hopes to calm the roaring FGCU home crowd who could sense a season opening win on the horizon, but it was to no avail as Kent delivered an emphatic kill to seal the match for the Green & Blue.
"She's a super experienced player and that's what we expect from players like her and Skylar and its nice to be able to rely on that," head coach
Matt Botsford said.
Kent
led all Eagles in kills with 18 while also registering 14 digs and four aces. Evivie registered a new career-high of 12 kills with 16 swings.
Reese Burry had 15 digs and
Shanelle Puetz had a game high 38 assists.
FGCU takes on UAlbany at 11 a.m. Saturday for its second match of the two-day invitational. North Dakota State dropped its opening match of the weekend 3-0 against the Great Danes.
