Jaci Carpenter concluded her remarkable journey with the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) beach volleyball team by receiving one of the ASUN’s highest honors: the Female Student Athlete of the Year award.
“It was honestly kind of hard to put into words how much it means to me,” said Carpenter.
This season, Carpenter achieved an impressive 21 victories in the sand, including a notable win against LSU. FGCU Beach Volleyball Head Coach Chris Sweat highlighted what made this season exceptional for Carpenter.
“She was so carefree. Hey, this is my last year, what do I have to lose? I’m going to go all out. It was by far the best volleyball she’s ever played,” said Sweat.
Carpenter managed her athletic career while living with type one diabetes, a condition she was diagnosed with at just seven years old.
“I honestly don’t remember my life before it. So it’s something I’ve taken as a way to, instead of it being a challenge, have it as something I can overcome and use it as a way to inspire others,” said Carpenter.
At FGCU, Carpenter truly was an inspiration. She volunteered after Hurricane Ian, started “See Her Soar” to support female student-athletes beyond sports, and served as president of the FGCU Student Athlete Advisory Committee. All this while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA.
“I wanted to come to a program that was going to allow me to continue to be a leader. And then when I got to FGCU, I realized it was so much more than the beach volleyball team and there were so many cool opportunities for me to make an impact and really inspire others to continue leading as well,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter, an FGCU Hall of Famer, aspires for her legacy to be one of leading by example.
“It’s my biggest leadership philosophy is being the one to show up. Whether it’s getting to the court 20 minutes early, putting in the extra work on off days or taking the initiative to do a community service event and trying to bring others along with you,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter’s impact on FGCU is undeniable. She now heads to the University of Tennessee to work as a graduate assistant.
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