FORT MYERS, Fla. – Jaci Carpenter has been named to the CSC Academic All-American At Large Team, the organization announced today. Carpenter is the first Florida Gulf Coast University beach volleyball player to earn the award and the eighth Eagle to be honored.

"Thank you to the CSC Academic All-America committee for recognizing my academic accomplishments throughout the year," Carpenter said. "I am truly honored to be selected as a second team Academic All American among some of the best athletes in the country. I would also like to thank my FGCU Family for providing me the opportunity and resources to excel in the classroom while competing at the highest level!"

Carpenter's accolades are numerous. She was the 2025 ASUN Female Student-Athlete of the Year, 2025 ASUN Beach Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Kavanagh Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a member of the 2025 FGCU Hall of Fame class. Carpenter graduated from FGCU in 2025 summa cum laude with a degree in communications.

"Jaci has been one of the most dedicated student athletes that we have had at FGCU and seeing her earn this award just shows how hard she worked for so long," head coach Chris Sweat said. "She has shown what it takes to be at the top academically and athletically and we are all very proud of her."

In service, Carpenter was a dedicated volunteer with numerous nonprofit organizations, consistently giving back to FGCU and the local community. After Hurricane Ian struck in 2022, she contributed and coordinated more than 30 hours of volunteer work to assist local students and residents. She also led the bone marrow registration initiative within athletics and across campus and co-founded the "See Her Soar" initiative, which promotes professional development, mentorship and networking for female student-athletes. In 2024, she received the FGCU Athletics Community Service Award. Despite living with Type 1 diabetes, Carpenter consistently prioritized others, logging more than 120 service hours in her senior year and over 300 during her collegiate career.

Carpenter's impact extended beyond the court and classroom. She served as president of the FGCU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and chaired the ASUN's advisory committee. She was also a mentor through Adaptive Services and represented student-athletes on the university's Hazing and Prevention Team. She will pursue a master's degree in recreation and sports management at the University of Tennessee, with aspirations of becoming an athletic director.

"Balancing the demands of collegiate athletics and academic rigor is no small feat, and Jaci has done it with grace, determination, perseverance and excellence," faculty athletics representative Dr. Thomas Roberts said. "She is an ideal student, athlete, leader, and human being. We are incredibly proud of her outstanding accomplishments in all aspects of life."

On the court in 2025, Carpenter helped lead FGCU to a semifinal appearance in the ASUN Tournament and victories over four ranked opponents. The Eagles upset No. 14 FIU, No. 15 Georgia State and No. 15 Florida Atlantic twice. Carpenter played a key role in FGCU's rise to a top-20 national ranking. The team finished the season 22-13, peaking at No. 18. Carpenter opened the season with a thrilling win over No. 8 LSU and competed primarily at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, finishing her senior year with a 21-13 record. She won more than 73 matches in her career—becoming just the fourth player in program history to surpass 70 wins.