FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University Athletics is proud to unveil its 2026 Hall of Fame class, a stellar lineup of five exceptional Eagles who have each made a lasting impact on the university's storied athletic tradition.  

This year's inductees include men's basketball cornerstone Ryan Hopkins, two-sport standout Chelsea Lyles (women's basketball & volleyball), All-America swimmer Emma Svensson, men's tennis record-holder Jordi Vives and former ASUN Softball Player of the Year Chelsea Zgrabik. 

These legendary Eagles will be celebrated during a formal FGCU Athletics Hall of Fame induction on Saturday, Feb. 21. The induction ceremony will take place at The Boardwalk waterfront restaurant, located in North Lake Village on campus. The event begins at 9:30 a.m., and the formal program is slated for 10:15 a.m. 

Individual tickets are available for $75. Click here to secure your seat to be part of the celebration.  

In addition to the induction ceremony, the newly minted Hall of Famers will take center stage and be honored during the men's basketball game, slated for 2 p.m. later in the afternoon on Feb. 21 as part of Homecoming festivities. 

Since its founding in 2022, the FGCU Athletics Hall of Fame has honored Eagle athletes, coaches, teams and special contributors, who have elevated FGCU's prominence in collegiate athletics and beyond. With this newest class, the FGCU Athletics Hall of Fame now proudly boasts 26 individuals and one team, commemorating years of athletic excellence, inspirational stories and championship moments. 

The following is a closer look at the 2026 FGCU Hall of Fame class: 

Ryan Hopkins, Men's Basketball, 2002-05 
Hopkins was just the second signee in FGCU men's basketball history and part of the original core group who established and shaped FGCU men's basketball. Originally from Parkersburg, WV, Hopkins became the program's first legitimate scoring threat. He still ranks No. 1 in FGCU history in 3-pointers made (355), No. 3 in scoring (1,367 points) and No. 2 in points per game (15.5). These numbers were accomplished in just three years and 88 career games. Hopkins was a team captain for the 2004-2005 season and voted the team's Most Valuable Player twice (2002-2003 and 2004-2005). The inaugural men's basketball teams didn't lose a home game in two years, beat Division I opponents Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW) and Eastern Illinois University in back-to-back games, and qualified for the NCAA Division II post season tournament in their first year of eligibility. Hopkins graduated from FGCU with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and is a Title Abstractor for Kastner Land Services. 

Chelsea Lyles, Women's Basketball/Volleyball, 2008-10 
Lyles was a two-time All-ASUN First Team selection in basketball (2009, 2010). She ranks No. 1 all-time at FGCU in minutes per game (30.5) and No. 6 in scoring average (13.5). She earned ASUN All-Academic Honors in 2009. In 2010, Lyles also played on the FGCU volleyball team, starting all 26 matches and leading the team in blocks (66), kills (205), and hitting percentage (.301). Lyles is an FGCU graduate earning her B.A. in Communications. Following graduation, Lyles spent the next 15 years as a member of the FGCU coaching staff, including serving as head coach in 2024-25, where she led the Eagles to ASUN regular season and tournament championships, a berth in the NCAA Tournament and a 26-game winning streak. She earned ASUN Coach of the Year honors during her one season at the helm, as well. Lyles began her coaching career as a student assistant in 2010-11. After a one-year stint in that role, she joined the full-time staff as an assistant coach in 2011, serving until being named the recruiting coordinator in the summer of 2014. She was promoted to associate head coach in 2019. Lyles is currently an Assistant Coach for the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA. 

Emma Svensson, Swimming & Diving, 2011-2015  
Svensson is arguably the best swimmer in FGCU history. In 2012, Svensson earned All-CCSA honors, was named CCSA Freshman Performer of the Championship Meet and became FGCU's first-ever NCAA Championship qualifier. In 2013, she was named CCSA Swimmer of the Year, once again qualified for the NCAA Championships, and was named an NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award Recipient as the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the sport's championship. She was a two-time All-America performer, earning those accolades in 2014 and 2015, along with being named the 2015 CCSA Most Outstanding Swimmer. Svensson was a 10-time CCSA Individual Event Champion and 7-time CCSA Relay Event Champion. She was inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame and named an FGCU Eagle Scholar Athlete of the Year recipient in 2015. Svensson graduated from FGCU with a B.S. in Economics and minor in Mathematics. She is currently employed as an actuary for Humana. 

Jordi Vives, Men's Tennis, 2012-2015  
Vives was FGCU's top tennis player for three seasons. He earned ASUN Player of the Year honors twice (2014, 2015), was named to the ASUN All-Conference Team in each of the three years he spent at FGCU and was also a three-time ASUN Academic All-Conference award winner. Vives was a two-time ASUN All-Tournament Team selection as well. Vives holds FGCU career records for total wins (125), singles wins (77) singles wins and doubles wins (48). In 2014, he was honored with the ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship award for the Southeast Region. He was ranked as high as No. 45 in in the nation by the ITA in 2014. He graduated from FGCU with a B.A. in Resort & Hospitality Management and currently works for Head Raquet Company. 

Chelsea Zgrabik, Women's Softball, 2011-2014 
Zgrabik is one of the most decorated FGCU softball players of the Division I era. She was the 2013 ASUN Player of the Year, a three-time NFCA All-Region selection and a two-time First Team All-ASUN performer (2012, 2014) and was named Second Team All-ASUN after her 2013 season was cut short due to injury. Zgrabik was later named to the ASUN All-Decade Team. Her 42 career home runs and 153 career RBI both rank No. 1 in FGCU's Division I era and are No. 3 all-time. Defensively, Zgrabik threw out 16 of 24 potential base-stealers from her catcher position. She also holds the FGCU career record for pickoffs with 7. Zgrabik was a key part of the 2012 ASUN Regular Season and Tournament Championship teams. She and the Eagles earned the school's first-ever win of any kind in an NCAA Tournament with a victory over Florida at the Gainesville Regional in 2012. Zgrabik graduated in 2014 with a B.A. in Psychology. She is now a registered nurse at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.