FGCU women’s soccer standout Holly Fritz was named the ASUN’s Co-Female Student-Athlete of the Year — the latest in a string of accolades.
Fritz earlier was co-recipient of the Ken Kavanagh Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award, the highest honor FGCU bestows upon a graduating senior student-athlete.
“We could not be more proud of Holly for achieving such a high honor,” head coach Jim Blankenship said. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving of an award like this. She’s an extremely hard worker and takes pride in what she does both on and off the field. She was equally committed to soccer and academics and excelled at both at an extremely high level. We will certainly miss having her on the field with us this fall.”
A graduate of Mariner High School in Cape Coral, Fritz is only the second Eagle in FGCU history to receive the ASUN recognition, which she shares with Lipscomb cross country/track athlete Courtney Brenner. The award is based on academic achievement, athletic performance and civic engagement.
“We are thrilled for Holly for another tremendously well-earned high honor,” FGCU Athletics Director Ken Kavanagh said. “She has been a phenomenal ambassador for both FGCU and the ASUN, and her blueprint followed epitomizes the definition of what a scholar-athlete truly represents.”
A midfielder, Fritz owned a near-perfect 3.98 GPA in biology and became the first-ever First Team Academic All-American in FGCU history. She was also named a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American and was voted the 2018 ASUN Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She graduated summa cum laude in December and has completed published research through the FGCU biology department.
During her two seasons with the Green and Blue, she established herself as one of the best players in program history and was named to the All-ASUN First Team both years. In 2017, she helped lead the Eagles to both the regular season and tournament crowns. A two-time ASUN Player of the Week selection, she finished the 2017 season in the top 10 in the nation in assists and finished her career ranked in the FGCU top-10 in seven different categories. Fritz was a semifinalist for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award and was also a two-time member of the United Soccer Coaches Association Southeast All-Region Team.
In addition to her dedication both on the field and in the classroom, Fritz also carved out plenty of time to give back to the community. She volunteered on campus by helping with freshman move-in at South Village and assisted with soccer camps and clinics. Off campus, Fritz was involved with Habitat for Humanity, the Harry Chapin Hunger Walk and the Special Olympics. She was also committed to giving back to the local soccer community and volunteered as a coach for her hometown’s youth soccer club.