Women’s Basketball:
Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball upset the No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels Sunday in the third-place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Head coach Karl Smesko was very proud of the way his team battled.
“I thought our team responded to a tough situation. I think it really helped that we got off to a good start. In the second quarter, we had a lot of foul trouble that threw us off our rhythm a little bit. It went back and forth in the second half, and we were just fortunate to make the last basket,” he said.
This is the third consecutive season FGCU has knocked off a ranked opponent, with this win marking the seventh time in program history the Eagles have defeated a top 25 team.
The contest came down to the final seconds.
As time wound down, Sofia Persson drove toward the basket and was cut off by the Tar Heels before finding Kierra Adams open in the paint. Persson then dished the ball to Adams, who put the shot up off the glass and in to give the Eagles a 65-64 lead with 7.9 seconds remaining.
The Tar Heels converted a putback attempt at the buzzer that was waived off to seal the win for the Eagles.
FGCU was down 38-31 on the heels of a run by North Carolina before Ajulu Thatha nailed two 3-pointers to bring the Eagles back to life.
Dolly Cairns hit a three of her own to tie the contest at 42 a piece with 2:50 remaining in the third quarter.
Cairns would once again tie the game in the fourth quarter before the Tar Heels responded, setting up a great final three possessions.
The Tar Heels missed two crucial free throws down the stretch, allowing the Eagles to steal the win for themselves.
Cairns led the Eagles to the win, scoring 18 points and connecting on 4 three pointers. Her performance earned her the honors of being named to the Gulf Coast Showcase All-Tournament Team.
Maddie Antenucci added 15 points of her own, while Cerina Rolle scored eight points in her first start of the season.
The Ave Maria Gyrenes will travel to Alico Arena next to take on the Eagles on Wednesday at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.wgcu.org.
ASUN Newcomer of the Week:
Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball senior Dolly Cairns earned the honor of being named the Atlantic Sun Conference Newcomer of the Week.
Cairns head coach, Karl Smesko, had a lot of praise for her.
“Dolly has been playing great. She is seeing her opportunities to create offense and has been making more plays defensively,” he said.
Cairns, a transfer from Rhode Island, produced team-leading performances in decisive wins against the Florida International Panthers and the Kentucky Wildcats.
This marks the 54th time in program history an Eagle has won the award.
Cairns had 19 points against the Panthers and 16 against the Wildcats, dishing out a combined 11 assists between the two contests.
Cairns is averaging 11.3 points per game in four starts this season. For more information, visit www.wgcu.org.
Swimming & Diving
The Florida Gulf Coast University swimming and diving team finished second at the Magnus Cup last week.
Head coach Dave Rollins had a lot of praise for the way his team competed.
“We had a great final day. We saw two school records get broken, one freshman and total team, with Jasmin and Libby. We ended the weekend with 12 new top 10 times, and we posted relay times faster than the conference last year in three out of the five relays. The ladies were incredibly supportive and competed very tough. It was great to see and it makes us as a staff very happy,” he said.
Libby Russum recorded the fastest 50 fly mark in school history, clocking in at 24.18, earning herself a silver medal in the process.
Freshman Jasmin Kroll set the second fastest 100 IM time, clocking in at 56.84, while also improving to eighth all-time in the 100 free event, with a time of 49.53, earning a gold medal in the process.
Cameron Kuriger set the seventh fastest 50 fly mark with a time of 24.62.
Mia Burke set the seventh quickest 100 IM time, clocking in at 58.12.
Emma Bjoernholdt secured a bronze medal with a time of 17.02.02 in the 1650.
The Eagles compiled a total of 1,052 points throughout the three days of the event.
Isabeau Keene emerged as a finalist for both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events as well.
The Eagles capped off the event with a third-place finish in the 400-yard free relay courtesy of Kroll, Burke, Russum and Nadia Helm.
FGCU will return to the pool on December 17th for the CSCAA Open Water Nationals. For more information, visit www.wgcu.org.
Women’s Volleyball:
The Florida Gulf Coast University women’s volleyball team will begin play in the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Championship against the No. 4-seeded Florida Gators on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Head coach Matt Botsford is very excited for the opportunity his team has ahead of them.
“Excited to know who our opponent is for the first round and ready to get to work. This group is a confident, eager and focused bunch so I know they can’t wait to get in the gym tomorrow. Our focus now is to do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position possible to be successful. They understand the process very well and have proven to be quite good at it,” he said.
The Eagles earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after defeating the Lipscomb Bisons in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.
Lily Tessier was named Championship MVP after recording a pair of double doubles during the Eagles tournament run.
Julia Lentz and Skylar English were each named to the All-Tournament Team following the championship victory.
The Gators went 10-8 in Southeastern Conference play, with Kennedy Martin earning All-SEC and All-Freshman honors.
The contest will feature two of the winningest active coaches in Division I women’s volleyball.
FGCU’s Botsford has moved up to 10th among active coaches in winning percentage, sitting at .766 with an overall record of 238-72.
Florida’s head coach, Mary Wise, who is in her 33rd season with the Gators, ranks third among active coaches in winning percentage, sitting at .837 with a career record of 1,044-204.
Wise has compiled 963 wins at Florida and has won the fifth-most matches as a head coach in D-I women’s volleyball history.
The two teams have met three times before, with Florida winning all three.
The contest will mark the second time the programs have met in the NCAA Tournament.
The winner of the contest will take on the winner of the No. 5-seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the South Alabama Jaguars.
Postseason recognition/Volleyball
Five members of the Florida Gulf Coast University women’s volleyball team received postseason recognition from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Julia Lentz and Lily Tessier led the group, each being named to First Team All-ASUN.
Ella Chapman was named Freshman of the Year, while also being named to Third Team All-ASUN and the ASUN All-Freshman Team.
Alexandra Zakutney received Second Team All-ASUN recognition, while Resse Burry joined Chapman as a member of the ASUN All-Freshman Team.
Head coach Matt Botsford had high praise for these players.
“I’m proud of our entire team, but I’m really excited for these five to receive recognition from the other coaches in our conference. They’ve each put in a lot of hard work, so to see them recognized means a lot to me as a coach,” he said.
Lentz led the conference in total blocks and blocks per set, leading to her first time receiving ASUN First-Team honors, doing so in her senior season. She totaled 134 total blocks on the season, and has a hitting percentage of .372, which ranks third in the conference.
Coach Botsford is very proud of Juliana.
“Juliana has had such a phenomenal career here in the Green and Blue. To see her finish her senior season being recognized as one of the top players in the conference is a proud moment. She has always been an elite competitor and she used that focus to build herself into a great middle. The impact that she has on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball is hugely important for the success of this team and she does it as consistently as anyone I have coached,” he said.
Tessier cleared 1,000 assists on the season, while accounting for 10 double doubles and 232 digs.
Coach Botsford had a lot of praise for Tessier.
“Lily has been such a steady force out on the court all season, her maturity and experience was exactly what this team needed. As a setter she has a great command of what we are trying to accomplish out on the floor and understands how to utilize the team’s strengths to our advantage. Lily’s location, decision making, and general feel for how a match is unfolding and how to impact it, plays a big role in our ability to compete at a high level,” he said.
Chapman ranked seventh in the ASUN in blocks per set, with a mark of 0.93 per match. She was also sixth in hitting percentage in conference play, with a mark of .333. Chapman’s 66 total blocks ranked second on the team for the season.
Coach Botsford can’t wait to see what else Chapman has in store for the Eagles.
“Ella has put together an amazing freshman campaign and I am so excited to see her being recognized as All-Conference and Freshman of the Year. Seeing her development from the start of the preseason up to this point has been really impressive and a joy to watch. She does such a phenomenal job at studying the game, learning and applying new information quickly, it has definitely aided in a quicker transition. Ella is motivated, focused, and as we have already seen, always ready for the big moment,” he said.
Zakutney led the Eagles in kills and points and ranks seventh in the ASUN in points per set, sitting at 3.90 a match.
Coach Botsford touched on how much of a weapon Zakutney is for the Eagles.
“Alex has been relied upon in so many ways this season, I am happy to see her being recognized for her contributions on the court. She has been a volume attacker, a primary passer, a shut down blocker, a point scoring server, and a dependable defender, all while competing with a poise that has a positive effect on everyone around her. Alex’s versatility has been a big addition this season and her willingness to do anything and everything for the good of the team, even bigger,” he said.
Burry had a team-high 367 digs on the season and ranks eighth in the ASUN in digs per set, sitting at 3.67 in conference matches.
Coach Botsford touched on what an asset Burry has been for the Eagles.
“Reese has come in and made herself a vital part of our team’s successes with the way that she attacks the game. I absolutely love her motor and we have seen firsthand how impactful her defensive energy can be. The way she can extend rallies and the amount of court she can cover out there is really impressive, but even more so when you consider she is just a freshman,” he said.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.