FGCU Volleyball Beats North Florida in Four, and Closes Its Home Slate on Senior Day Sunday
Five Eagles reached double figures in kills in a 3-1 win over North Florida on Friday night at Alico Arena. On Sunday, the same floor hosts Jacksonville — and a farewell to four seniors.
Florida Gulf Coast University's volleyball team came home from a four-match road stretch and played like it. The Eagles beat North Florida 3-1 on Friday night at Alico Arena, taking the match 25-17, 27-25, 20-25, 25-18 to improve to 9-11 overall and 6-4 in the ASUN, while the Ospreys fell to 12-9 and 5-4.
The offense was shared. FGCU outhit North Florida .306 to .184, led in kills 63 to 47 and in digs 69 to 52, and put five players in double figures in kills: Katie Gielas led all players with 16, Julija Grubisic Cabo added a double-double of 14 kills and 10 digs, and Camila Soto, Maju Hildebrand and Abby Toeniskoetter each finished with 11, 11 and 10. After dropping the third set, the Eagles answered in the fourth to close the match.
The weekend finishes Sunday at 1 p.m., when FGCU hosts Jacksonville at Alico Arena in its final home match of the regular season. It is Senior Day: the Eagles will honor Grubisic Cabo, Anna Marzella, Toeniskoetter and Eliska Vytiskova, all four of them members of last fall's ASUN regular-season championship team. FGCU won the season's first meeting with Jacksonville in five sets on October 16. The Eagles then go back on the road next weekend, and Alico Arena hosts the ASUN Volleyball Championship from November 19 to 22.
