FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University beach volleyball opens the 2025 season Friday in Hattisburg, Mississippi, at the Beach Berg Invitational. The Eagles will play four matches over two days, including two matches against top 25 opponents.
FGCU kicks off the invitational at 9 a.m. against No. 8 LSU. At 3 p.m. the same day, FGCU faces the tournament host Southern Miss to conclude Friday's slate of matches.
The Eagles face a familiar foe on Saturday, North Alabama at 9 a.m. before squaring off against No. 6 Florida State. FGCU took down two top 25 teams a season ago and enters tomorrow's play earning two votes in the AVCA Collegiate Beach Preseason Poll.
Kaitlyn Luebbers was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason Player of the Year, and teammate Nicole De Oliveira also made an appearance on the preseason All-ASUN list.
Luebbers finished her junior campaign a season ago with the third most wins (74) in program history, posting a 27-10 record. She is nine wins away from setting the FGCU all-time career wins record. De Oliveria finished the season with a 26-11 record and earned ASUN Pair of the Week twice with Luebbers.
