FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball team won its fifth consecutive match on Saturday night, picking up a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-20) win over USC Upstate at Alico Arena.

The Green and Blue, who are now 8-0 all-time against the Spartans, improved to 9-7 overall (5-0 A-Sun), while Upstate fell to 5-10 overall (1-3 A-Sun).

Sophomore Olivia Mesner (Boca Raton, Fla./Spanish River HS) led the Eagles with 12 kills and three blocks. Sophomore Jill Hopper (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown HS) and junior Christine Pinder (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz HS/Houston/Central Florida CC) both recorded double-doubles with 11 kills and 10 digs and 11 kills and 12 digs, respectively. The setting duo of sophomore Gigi Meyer (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz HS) and junior Courtney Greenberg (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers HS/Juniata College) racked up 48 assists combined.
 
The Spartans grabbed a 21-19 lead over the Eagles late in the first set. FGCU responded with a 6-1 run, capped by a Mesner kill, to take the opening frame (25-22).

The teams battled back-and-forth in the second set, until Upstate used a 5-2 run to take a 19-17 lead, forcing head coach Dave Nichols to call a timeout. Following the break, FGCU employed an 8-4 spurt, highlighted by a trio of kills from both Mesner and junior Kaitlin Holm (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers HS/Marshall), to give the Green and Blue the set, 25-23, and a 2-0 lead in the match.

In the third set, the Eagles shot out to a 16-11 lead after a Pinder kill. After an attack error (16-12), the Green and Blue scored five of the next eight points to grab a 21-15 advantage. Leading Upstate 23-19, the Eagles got kills from Karina Mambuca (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS/Southeastern) and Pinder to take the set (25-20) and the match (3-0).
 
FGCU will be back in action Tuesday night when they head to Jacksonville for a 7 p.m. match against the Dolphins of Jacksonville.