The Florida Gulf Coast University beach volleyball team took both of its matches on the first day of the Atlantic Sun Conference Mid-Season Tournament Friday in Jacksonville, Fla., hosted by the University of Jacksonville. FGCU downed Central Arkansas 5-0 in its first contest of the day, then toppled Eastern Kentucky 4-1.
It was a history-making opener for FGCU's
Kaitlyn Luebbers. The senior won her 83th career match to draw within one of
Kacie Johnson on the all-time career wins list, her former teammate who graduated in 2024. Luebbers, the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year, teamed up with
Jaci Carpenter to earn a
21-15, 21-12 victory at the No. 1 pair.
The Eagles had already clinched the match by the time Luebbers and Carpenter won their contest.
Mollie Thomas and
Erin Miller started things off with a
21-18, 21-14 win at the No. 5 pair, and
Mia Thompson and
Sydney Majick quickly followed with their own triumph at the No. 4 in dominant fashion,
21-11, 21-13.
Emma Soncrant and
Ava Lilliquist gave FGCU an insurmountable advantage with their own lopsided victory at the No. 3,
21-12, 21-9. The only counting match that went to three sets was at the No. 2 pair, and the Eagles made it a clean sweep thanks to a
21-19, 18-21, 15-10 win by
Alexis Keeter and
Andrea Dietz.Â
The Eagles lost their first counting match of the day at the No. 5 pair against Eastern Kentucky in three sets, but that proved to be the only loss of the day for FGCU. The No. 3 pair was dominant again, this time featuring Carpenter and Soncrant who earned a
21-8, 21-10 win to even the score. FGCU won a three setter of its own at the No. 4. Dietz and Miller came out on top
21-15, 17-21, 15-11 to put the Eagles ahead for good.
FGCU won in two sets at both the No. 1 and No. 2 pairs. Keeter and Lilliquist sealed the match at the No. 2,
21-18, 21-14. Lubbers then picked up her 84th career victory to tie the program record, with
Nicole De Oliveira 21-15, 21-15 at the No. 1 to put an exclamation point on the Eagles' banner day.Â
FGCU improved to 9-9 overall, and 3-2 in Atlantic Sun Conference play in the first of two days at the ASUN Mid-Season Tournament.
