No. 18 Eagles advance to ASUN Semifinals after grueling three-match day

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Florida Gulf Coast University beach volleyball advanced to the Atlantic Sun Conference Semifinals after a grueling three-match, rain-filled Friday in Huntsville, Alabama. FGCU survived fourth-seeded North Alabama 3-1 in the loser’s bracket, setting up a rematch with second-seeded North Florida at 12 p.m. Saturday and a chance to face top-seeded Stetson in the championship.

FGCU struggled in the quarterfinals, the first match of the day, against No. 17 North Florida in the winner’s bracket, dropping into the loser’s bracket to face fifth-seeded Jacksonville. With the season on the line, an hourlong weather delay gave FGCU extra time to rest. The match began around 4 p.m., and FGCU swept JU 4-0 to stay alive and face fifth-seeded North Alabama in the final match of the day.

The Eagles started strong against UNF on court 5, with Sydney Majick and Erin Miller going up 7-2 and 16-12, but the pair lost in straight sets. On court 1, Kaitlyn Luebbers and Nicole De Oliveira showed flashes of a brewing upset in the opening frame. The duo used a 5-0 run to take a 21-20 lead but fell in the opening set.

The Eagles’ top pair was up 17-16 in the second set, but the duel went unfinished as the Ospreys clinched the match 3-0 with straight-set victories on courts 3, 4 and 5. FGCU’s lone set victory occurred on court 2, courtesy of Alexis Keeter and Ava Lilliquist.

FGCU dominated Jacksonville in the win-or-go-home match. The Eagles won three opening sets 21-12 en route to four straight-set sweeps. Luebbers and De Oliveira (court 1), Dietz and Thompson (court 4), and Majick and Miller (court 5) led the charge.

The North Alabama match came down to the wire, but an experienced Eagles squad prevailed in the third match of the day. FGCU won set 1 on Courts 3, 4 and 5. Jaci Carpenter and Emma Soncrant gave FGCU a 1-0 advantage on Court 3, winning 21-16 and 26-24.

The remaining four courts headed to a third set. With the season teetering, courts 2, 4 and 5 were tied 8-8 in the final set. Andrea Dietz and Mia Thompson pulled out a win on court 4, giving FGCU a 2-0 lead.

North Alabama secured a point moments later on Court 2, outlasting the Eagles 15-13.

Two points later, Luebbers blocked match point on court 1 as she and De Oliveira came back from a one-set deficit to win 15-13, clinching the match 3-1 and setting up a semifinal rematch with North Florida on Saturday. Court 5 went unfinished, though just a couple points away from completion.

The winner of the No. 3 FGCU vs. No. 2 North Florida semifinal will face top-seeded and No. 14-ranked Stetson at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.