Eagles volleyball to defend home court in playoffs

Eagles volleyball to defend home court in playoffs Nov 12, 2026 By CJ HADDAD 2 min read It was an eventful few days for the Florida Gulf Coast University Women’s Volleyball team, as the squad punched its ticket to the playoffs, then rattled off its fourth-straight victory. With a 3-0 sweep of West Florida, FGCU (11-11, 8-4 ASUN) clinched their spot in the 2026 ASUN Volleyball Championship tournament, which they host at Alico Arena starting Nov. 19. The Eagles took the match 28-26, 25-9, 25-9 to complete a season sweep of the Argonauts. “Incredible effort by our team tonight. We were locked in from the opening serve,” head coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen told FGCU Athletics. “The attention to detail in executing the game plan was phenomenal in all phases: offensively, defensively and blocking. Really proud of our group.” Following the win over West Florida, FGCU stretched their winning streak to four matches with a gritty 3-2 victory at Queens on Sunday afternoon at Curry Arena, taking the match 25-12, 25-14, 12-25, 19-25, 15-11. The win came in large part to a career-best hitting day from Maju Hildebrand and the 600th FGCU kill of Julija Grubisic Cabo’s career. Hildebrand led all players with 16 kills on a career-best .536 hitting to go with 17 points, while Grubisic Cabo had 15 kills with three aces, eight digs and a team-high 18.5 points. Katie Gielas matched her with 15 kills, added three total blocks and 16.5 points, and now has 105 kills over her last eight matches. “I’m really proud of how our team responded today,” Baziquetto-Allen said. “We set the tone early, and when the match got tough, we stayed together and trusted each other. That fifth set was a reflection of who we are: composed, aggressive and confident. Winning on the road in this conference isn’t easy, and this group found a way.” Freshman Maju Hildebrand was also named the ASUN Freshman of the Week for the third time this season. To reach CJ HADDAD, please email [email protected]