COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (3-4) picked up their first sweep of the season with a 3-0 win over Arkansas State (4-5) on Saturday at the Hearnes Center, taking the match 25-21, 27-25, 25-20 in the second match of the Mizzou Tournament against the reigning Sun Belt champion.

The first set was tight from the opening serve, with the two teams trading points and tying the score six times before Arkansas State edged ahead 10-14. Julija Grubisic Cabo answered immediately, ripping off back-to-back kills and a service ace to pull FGCU back within one at 13-14. Katie Gielas took over down the stretch, serving consecutive aces in the middle of a four-point Eagles run that flipped a 15-17 deficit into a 19-17 lead, and FGCU never trailed again. Kills from Grubisic Cabo and Camila Soto and a Dinara Sabitova ace padded the margin down the stretch, and Maju Hildebrand closed out the 25-21 set win on an Arkansas State ball-handling error.

Set two turned into the match's defining battle. Abby Toeniskoetter and Hildebrand opened with kills as FGCU built an early 3-2 edge, and after a Camila Soto kill tied it at 6, Arkansas State reeled off three straight points to move ahead 6-9. Grubisic Cabo answered right back with a kill to cut the margin to two, and after Arkansas State stretched the lead back out to three at 12-15, Gielas and Eliska Vytiskova countered with a kill and a service ace to trim the deficit to one. FGCU tied it at 15 before Arkansas State edged back in front, and the Eagles responded with a three-point burst, a kill from Erica Muhizi, a service ace from Gielas and a kill from Soto, to grab an 18-16 lead. Arkansas State battled back to tie the score three more times before building the set's largest lead at 20-23, but FGCU answered right back with back-to-back kills from Hildebrand and a Grubisic Cabo service ace to tie it at 23. Arkansas State earned set point at 23-24, but Hildebrand tied it again with a kill; the Red Wolves earned a second set point at 24-25, and Gielas leveled it once more with a kill off a Sabitova set. FGCU finally took the lead for good on an Arkansas State attack error and closed it out on a clinching Muhizi kill, 27-25.

FGCU carried that momentum into the third. Arkansas State opened with a three-point run to grab a 1-4 lead, but the Eagles answered with four straight, capped by a Gielas kill, to take a 5-4 lead of their own. The two teams traded the lead from there, tying the score 13 times in all, with a Marzella ace helping FGCU to an early cushion at 11-9 before Arkansas State tied it right back up. An Arkansas State attack error and a Vytiskova ace built FGCU another two-point cushion at 17-15, and after the two teams tied it once more at 19, FGCU shut the door. Kills from Soto, Grubisic Cabo and Hildebrand fueled a 6-1 closing run, and Hildebrand and Toeniskoetter teamed up on a block to force the final Arkansas State attack error, sealing the 25-20 set and the sweep.

FGCU out-hit Arkansas State .327 to .182 on the night and out-killed the Red Wolves 45-32. Gielas paced the offense with a match-high 10 kills on .533 hitting to go with four aces and a team-high 15 points, while Grubisic Cabo and Hildebrand each added nine kills. Muhizi was one of the most efficient hitters on the floor, going 5-for-7 (.714) with four total blocks. Sabitova and Vytiskova ran FGCU's two-setter system efficiently, combining for 38 assists, and Marzella paced the defense with a team-high 12 digs. Toeniskoetter chipped in six kills and a team-high five total blocks.

FGCU closes out the Mizzou Tournament on Sunday, Sept. 13, against Missouri from the Hearnes Center at 1 p.m. ET.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• First sweep of the season for the Eagles
• Katie Gielas led all players with 10 kills on .533 hitting, four aces and a team-high 15 points
• Erica Muhizi was one of the most efficient hitters on the floor, going 5-for-7 (.714) with four total blocks
• Julija Grubisic Cabo added nine kills and seven digs, while Anna Marzella paced the defense with a team-high 12 digs

SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the FGCU 2026 volleyball campaign are now on sale, and you can take advantage of 12 home Eagles matches, including two tournaments featuring some of the nation's best teams, with plans starting at only $60.By securing your season tickets now, you can save over 50% compared to purchasing single-game tickets for FGCU volleyball.

MINI PLANS
Not sure about a full season? Take advantage of one of our Mini Plans! Now you can Pick 2, Pick 3 or Pick 5! For just $20, you can get a ticket to any two volleyball matches. Add another game to that tally as the Pick 3 mini plan is only $25. Or spend $35 and pick any five home games from the FGCU men's soccer, women's soccer and/or volleyball schedules.

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