FGCU volleyball stars become coaches for alma mater

Snowy Stokes and Dana Axner put their stamp on the Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball program as players and are hopeful of doing it again as coaches.

“I used to play with a lot of energy and excitement,” said assistant coach Axner.

“They both have the mind for it,” said head coach Matt Botsford. “They both have shown interest in the game beyond just actively playing it.”

“I’m really excited to be a part of making history and building the program even more,” said assistant coach Stokes.

Stokes knows what it takes to win. That’s because the 69 wins she accumulated while playing means she’s the beach volleyball program’s all-time leader in wins. Now she is in a role she never imagined.

“When I was younger, I thought I never want to coach. It’s not for me,” said Stokes, “but once I exited the volleyball scene, I just was missing something so badly, and when I came back and volunteered with the beach team last year, it just lit a new passion inside of me.”

Axner explained she’s always hoped to coach. Even while spiking and saving her way to accolade after accolade, becoming a coach was something she wanted.

Axner was a two-time defensive conference player of the year, a conference leader in career digs (2,486), and now she’s ready to give back to the team and coach that taught and gave her so much.

“They taught me so much about life. You know, just so much more than volleyball, and it’s inspired me to be a better person on the court and now off the court. I hope I can do the same,” said Axner.

Stokes and Axner want to continue the program’s success by helping develop the new eagles into stars.