FGCU’s volleyball team opened their season against the North Dakota State University Bisons inside Alico Arena on Friday, Aug. 30. The Eagles traded sets with the Bisons throughout the night, exiting the match with a 3-2 season to open up the FGCU Hilton Inn Fort Myers Classic.
The Eagles began the match with down as starting defensive specialist Megan Harris and outside hitter Barbara Koehler collided and sustained injuries in the second point of the first set.
Koehler later returned to the match after being evaluated for a concussion, but Harris did not return, with senior defensive specialist Claire Ertel stepping up in her place multiple times throughout the match.
Despite the early setback of injuries, the Eagles seized momentum early in the first set, benefitting from unforced errors from the Bisons such as multiple serves out of bounds. The Eagles took the early lead in set one and never looked back, winning the set 25-11.
Things didn’t go as planned for the Eagles in the second set, as they fell behind early. Despite fighting back to tie the set at 22 points each it ended in a less than stellar way as they lost it 26-24.
The team didn’t let the loss linger as they jumped out to an early 7-1 lead in the third set. They maintained their lead throughout the set, never letting it get any closer than seven points, winning it 25-16.
The back-and-forth nature of the match continued in the fourth set. It started off tight with FGCU pulling out to a 7-5 lead, only for the set to then become tied 10-10. Things got out of hand for the Eagles once the Bisons pulled ahead to a 20-15 lead to win the set 25-19.
Tension was high in Alico Arena heading into the fifth and match-deciding set. The exhaustion of the players could be felt by everyone in attendance, as the match came down to whoever could score 15 points first.
Things were not looking bright for the Eagles at first, as they fell behind 10-8. While a two-point deficit was not insurmountable, all of the momentum was on the side of the Bisons, who only needed five more points to close the match out with a win. However, once the Eagles tied the set 10-10, all of that momentum shifted.
After some fantastic defensive stands and some strategic offensive playmaking, the Eagles won their set 15-12 setting the tone for the season to come.
The Eagles concluded the FGCU Hilton Inn Fort Myers Classic by sweeping the University of Albany Great Danes 3-0 and losing in the fifth set against the University of Illinois Chicago Flames 3-2 on Friday, Aug. 31.
FGCU returns to Alico Arena on Sept. 19 to face the University of South Florida Bulls to kick off their journey in the FGCU Homewood Suites Fort Myers Tournament.
