FGCU volleyball ready for action ranked as preseason A-Sun favorites

Reporter: Zach Oliveri Writer: Paul Dolan, Matias Abril
Published: Updated:
fgcu volleyball
FGCU volleyball banner. CREDIT: WINK News

Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball is looking to defend its title in the upcoming season. The FGCU Eagles are hosting the “Homewood Suites Invitational” over the weekend.

Lily Tessier is back in Alico Arena, but the Fort Myers native will have a different vantage point this season. She’s shifting from a fan in the stands to a player on the court.

When I was younger, I would go to the games, and you know I would get some of the older girls to sign my poster, and I always loved doing that. So it’s cool that I’m now, you know, filling in those shoes,” said Tessier.

Tessier’s career has come full circle. She graduated from Evangelical Christian before making pitstops at Florida State and Iowa. Then she was sold on coming home to play for FGCU.

“I just knew I would be happy coming back home and finishing my last year off strong,” said Tessier.

A preseason All-A-Sun setter, Tessier is part of the new-look team in 2023.

“We got to reimagine FGCU volleyball. There’s a new face to it now. And a new group. And we got to figure out a way to utilize who we are now. Not what we’ve been previously,” said Matt Botsford, FGCU’s head volleyball coach.

Coach Botsford is confident they have enough talent to accomplish that.

One of the team’s returning stars is Julianna Lentz, a preseason All-A-Sun middle blocker, who was part of the back-to-back conference championship teams. Lentz has already noticed something special about this year’s team.

“There’s not oh this person can only do this. Everybody can do everything. So it’s very exciting to see what this team is going to bring,” said Lentz.

The team may look different, but the Eagles’ expectations remain sky-high. FGCU enters the season as the preseason favorites.

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