FORT MYERS, Fla. - Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball opens ASUN Conference play at home this weekend, hosting Stetson Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. at Alico Arena. Before first serve, the Eagles will raise their 2025 ASUN regular season championship banner, the program's ninth regular-season conference title.
 
FGCU enters conference play as the favorite, picked first in the 2026 ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll after going 19-9 overall and 13-3 in conference play in 2025.
 
The Eagles went 3-7 against a nonconference slate that featured six Power Four opponents and three ranked teams, taking at least one set in all 10 matches. Florida Gulf Coast opened the season 1-2 at the FGCU Invitational, beating VCU 3-1 before taking a set from both No. 24 BYU and RV Florida State. FGCU split the Sunshine State Classic, beating FAU 3-1 before falling to West Virginia in four sets. At the Mizzou Invitational, the Eagles swept Arkansas State but dropped four-set decisions to Wichita State and host Missouri. The road trip closed at the Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., where Florida Gulf Coast out-killed No. 25 North Carolina 56-54 in a 3-1 (21-25, 16-25, 25-20, 22-25) loss before taking a set from No. 1 Nebraska in a 3-1 (10-25, 17-25, 27-25, 14-25) decision in front of 10,497 fans. The Eagles scored the final three points of that 27-25 third set, capped by a Maju Hildebrand ace, to become one of three teams to take a set from Nebraska this season. It was only the second set win over a top-10 opponent in program history, and Florida Gulf Coast has now won a set against a team from all four Power Four conferences this season.
 
Freshman opposite Maju Hildebrand leads the Eagles with 120 kills (3.08 per set) and 135 points through 10 matches after posting 21 kills in Lincoln, including a .333 clip against North Carolina. Hildebrand opened her collegiate career with 13 or more kills in each of her first six matches and was named ASUN Freshman of the Week on Sept. 8. Senior captain Julija Grubisic Cabo has 109 kills and ranks second on the team with 92 digs after totaling 15 kills and 15 digs at the Husker Invitational. Sophomore Katie Gielas led the Eagles with 23 kills over the weekend, including a season-high 15 against North Carolina, and she has 45 kills (3.00 per set) since moving into the starting lineup four matches ago. Gielas also leads the team with 10 service aces. Junior Camila Soto posted a season-high 13 kills against the Tar Heels and has 47 kills on the season.
 
Senior middle blocker Abby Toeniskoetter leads the team's regular attackers with a .295 hitting percentage and has hit .300 or better in seven of 10 matches. She totaled 10 blocks at the Husker Invitational, including a season-high seven against North Carolina, and leads the Eagles with 29 total blocks. Freshman middle blocker Amany Kuwa leads the team with five solo blocks, while sophomore Erica Muhizi is hitting .407 since returning from the Swedish National Team. Senior setter Dinara Sabitova has 265 assists (6.79 per set) with 20 or more in eight of 10 matches, and senior captain Eliska Vytiskova has added 134 assists, including double-doubles against VCU and Wichita State. Senior defensive specialist Anna Marzella leads the back row with 111 digs (2.85 per set) and has recorded at least eight digs in every match.
 
Stetson (Saturday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m.)
Stetson is 4-7 under head coach Yang Deng and enters ASUN play off a five-set win over Alabama State (13-25, 25-17, 25-23, 20-25, 17-15) on Sept. 19 in Boca Raton, snapping a five-match skid. Andrea Diaz Dominguez leads the Hatters in both kills (99, 2.54 per set) and points (116.0) and ranks second on the team with 109 digs. Karsu Bayraktar is second with 57 kills and led Stetson with 14 kills on .343 hitting against Alabama State, while Lelia Fitz (55 kills, .243) and Sofia Torcello (45 kills, .258) round out the attack. Kayla Balfour is the Hatters' most efficient hitter at .270 and leads the team with 36 total blocks (1.00 per set), and Torcello adds 32. Stetson splits setting duties between Vanessa Shevchenko (154 assists, 42 kills) and Maia Pou (144 assists), and libero Jannelize Perez anchors the back row with 146 digs (3.74 per set). As a team, Stetson is hitting .174, with opponents hitting .240.
 
Florida Gulf Coast leads the all-time series 37-2 and swept both meetings in 2025 to run its winning streak over the Hatters to 27 straight matches. The Eagles rallied for a 3-2 (22-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 15-10) win at Alico Arena on Sept. 30, closing the fifth set on a seven-point run. Florida Gulf Coast served a season-high 12 aces and totaled 74 digs in that match, as Muhizi hit .438 with nine kills and a team-high five blocks, Vytiskova posted a 17-assist, 11-dig double-double and Grubisic Cabo delivered three kills in the deciding set. The Eagles then set a program record with 72 kills in a 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-23) win in DeLand on Nov. 12. Toeniskoetter matched her career high with 21 kills, Catharina Scorza added a career-best 13 and Grubisic Cabo posted 11 kills with a season-high 19 digs, while Vytiskova dished a season-high 34 assists and added 12 digs.
 
Florida Gulf Coast continues its five-match homestand Friday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. against Queens at Alico Arena.
 
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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