Florida Gulf Coast University beach volleyball completed its Tampa Tri-Match slate with a win over Eckerd College at the Tampa Beach Complex. After a 4-1 loss to the University of Tampa, the Eagles responded in a big way in their second match, defeating the Tritons 5-0 in Tampa, Fla.
All five FGCU pairs won their matches in two sets, beginning with the No. 5 pair of
Kristina Gluc and
Mollie Thomas who triumphed 21-13 in the first set and squeaked out a 23-21 second set victory to give the Eagles an early lead.
Gluc and Thomas, who were the No. 4 pair in FGCU's first match of the day, swapped places with Lily Hafner and
Erin Miller. Hafner and Miller gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead with their 21-17, 21-11 victory at the No. 4.
FGCU also swapped its No. 2 and No. 3 pairs from its match against Tampa.
Jaci Carpenter and
Sydney Majick took over the No. 2 spot for the Eagles against the Tritons, prevailing 21-14, 21-16. The duo of Carpenter and Majick was FGCU's only pair to win both matches it contested across the Tampa Tri-Match. The No. 3 pair of
Alexis Keeter and
Ava Lilliquist won a commanding 21-9 first set victory, FGCU's largest margin of the day, and closed out Eckerd's Teagan VanderMey and Ella Kloepper 21-19 in the second set.
Nicole De Oliveira and
Kaitlyn Luebbers capped off FGCU's 5-0 sweep at the No. 1 pair. The Eagles' preseason All-Atlantic Sun Conference duo triumphed 21-15, 21-15 over Eckerd's Madison Harbarger and Anna Jupin. It was Luebbers's 76
th career victory. The ASUN Preseason Player of the Year is now seven wins away from setting FGCU's all-time career record.
Tampa got out to a fast start with its No. 5 pair. Sammie Ostrander and Meghan Schreck earned a 21-15, 21-15 win over FGCU's Lily Hafner and
Erin Miller.
Tampa's No. 4 pair of Madelynn Hokanson and Hailey Peterson put the Spartans ahead 2-0 with a 21-16, 22-20 victory over FGCU's
Kristina Gluc and
Alexis Keeter. Gluc and Keeter rallied from a late second set deficit to force a 20-20 tie, but the Spartans' duo finished off the set with two consecutive points to extend Tampa's lead.
Tampa clinched the match at the No. 1 pair. The Spartans' twin sister duo of Nevaeh and Hailey Wolfe matched their teammates Ostrander and Schreck with a 21-15, 21-15 two set win over FGCU's
Nicole De Oliveira and
Kaitlyn Luebbers.
The No. 2 and No. 3 pairs both went the distance, with FGCU clinching its lone win with
Andrea Dietz and
Ava Lilliquist at No. 3. Dietz and Lilliquist rallied from a 21-14 opening set loss to take the second frame by that same 21-14 margin before winning the third set 15-11. At No. 2, Tampa's Elizabeth Price and Angel Williams completed the Spartans' sweep of first sets with a 21-17 win. FGCU's
Jaci Carpenter and
Sydney Majick controlled the second set 21-14, but a 15-11 third set margin favored Tampa this time to give the Spartans their 4-1 match win.
FGCU (3-3, 1-0 ASUN) is back in action next weekend when the Eagles host the FGCU Inaugural Tournament at the FGCU Beach Volleyball Courts in Fort Myers.
