Lee Today

Florida Gulf Coast University recently issued the following announcement.

Eagles set to honor Snowy Burnam, Kirstine Garder, Emma Hansen, and Cortney VanLiew before first serve.

It's the final home match of the regular season for the No. 20 FGCU beach volleyball team on Friday as the Eagles (16-5) host Tampa at The ROC. The opening serve is set for 12 PM with a special Senior Day ceremony set to begin at 11:45 AM. Admission and parking are free to all.

Prior to the match, the Eagles will honor four graduating student-athletes: Snowy Burnam, Kirstine Garder, Emma Hansen, and Cortney VanLiew. Combined, the foursome have been key contributors to 69 wins for the program during their careers and the ascension of the program into the national rankings.

FGCU enters the match having won six straight after last Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of Palm Beach Atlantic.

Following the home match, the two programs will play again up in Tampa on Tuesday, April 5 at 2 PM. The Eagles will then take part in the FAU Paradise Classic (4/8-9) and the Palmetto Invitational (4/15-16) as the final tune-ups before the ASUN Tournament.

The Green and Blue are ranked 20th in the AVCA poll for the second straight week and have been ranked among the top 30 for much of the season.

Tampa enters the match with a 9-9 overall record but have dropped four of the last five matches, though three of those were against No. 1 TCU, No. 4 Florida State, and No. 6 LSU. The Eagles are 4-3 all-time against the Spartans.

Prior to the sweep of PBA last week, Shelby Beisner and Trinity Rosales were named the ASUN Pair of the Week on March 23 after winning six straight matches which included victories over No. 17 Stetson and No. 19 FIU.

The duo are one of three pairs to have already reached double-figure wins for the season. Hansen and Kaitlyn Leubbers are 16-4 on the year, Maddison Parmelly and Kacie Johnson are 14-6, while Hansen and Leubbers are 13-3.

Burnam leads the Eagles with 56 career wins which ranks fifth all-time. She's just 12 shy of passing Kayla Whetstone who set the current program record last year with 67. Hansen has moved up to 8th all-time with 45 career wins, while Garder and Johnson are tied for 11th at 37 wins each.

With 16 wins already on the year, FGCU needs just two more to match the 2019 squad which had 18 as ASUN runner-ups.

Original source can be found here.