Eagles win 2 all-sports trophies and top women’s athlete in ASUN awards
5 – minute read
Florida Gulf Coast University claimed top honors in the Atlantic Sun Conference’s annual all-sports awards, winning the Bill Bibb Trophy and the Sherman Day Trophy. Jaci Carpenter, a cornerstone of the beach volleyball program for the past four years, also was named the Female Athlete of the Year at the May 29 ASUN Awards ceremony.
The Bill Bibb Trophy is awarded to the ASUN institution with the best overall finish across all conference-sponsored sports. FGCU earned 342.5 out of a possible 419 points, an 81.74% performance, to secure the trophy for the first time since the 2016–17 academic year.
The Sherman Day Trophy recognizes the top-performing school in women’s sports based on the percentage of possible points earned. FGCU posted a 90.08% mark, earning 218 out of 242 possible points. It is the Eagles’ first Sherman Day Trophy win since 2017–18.
A year to remember
Both trophies consider regular-season finishes for sports with a regular-season champion and postseason results for others, such as cross country and golf. Beach volleyball points are determined by seeding entering the conference championship.
The Eagles won regular-season championships in women’s soccer, women’s basketball and volleyball. FGCU’s ASUN championship in women’s golf is considered a tie, as the Eagles won in a playoff. The university also finished third in the regular-season standings in men’s basketball and men’s golf.
Points are awarded on a descending basis in three-point increments. A minimum of 50% of the full ASUN membership must participate in a sport for it to be counted in the all-sports standings. Championship points are based on the number of teams participating in each sport. Team sport points are awarded based on regular-season finish. For sports that play in divisions, such as baseball and softball, points are split based on divisions.
Standings for the trophies are based on percentage. Each institution’s percentage is calculated by dividing the school’s points earned by the total possible points available to that institution, based on sport participation and performance.
Excellence on and off court
To be considered for one of the conference’s highest individual honors, a student-athlete must excel in academics, athletics and service. Carpenter’s résumé at FGCU and in the Southwest Florida community is unmatched.
“With the amount of amazing female athletes that our conference has, to be named the Female Student-Athlete of the Year for the ASUN is a tremendous honor,” FGCU head beach volleyball coach Chris Sweat said. “Jaci put in so much work all four years on the sand and in the classroom. She has been a part of so many extracurricular activities. It makes us very happy to see all of her hard work pay off.”
Academically, Carpenter was named the ASUN Beach Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She graduated summa cum laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA in communication. She capped her career with two of the highest honors bestowed on an FGCU student-athlete: the Kavanagh Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award and induction into the university’s 2025 Hall of Fame class.
Selfless service to community
In service, Carpenter was a dedicated volunteer with numerous nonprofit organizations, consistently giving back to FGCU and the local community. After Hurricane Ian struck in 2022, she contributed and coordinated more than 30 hours of volunteer work to assist local students and residents. She also led the bone marrow registration initiative within athletics and across campus and co-founded the See Her Soar initiative, which promotes professional development, mentorship and networking for female student-athletes. In 2024, she received the FGCU Athletics Community Service Award.
Despite living with Type 1 diabetes, Carpenter consistently prioritized others, logging more than 120 service hours in her senior year and over 300 during her collegiate career.
“I’m so honored to have earned this award,” she said. “The ASUN Conference is so special, and everyone in it provides the opportunities, resources and support for us to be well-rounded athletes and to be high achievers in the classroom, on the court and in the community.”
Carpenter’s impact extended beyond the court and classroom. She served as president of the FGCU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and chaired the ASUN’s advisory committee. She was also a mentor through Adaptive Services and represented student-athletes on the university’s Hazing and Prevention Team. She will pursue a master’s degree in recreation and sports management at the University of Tennessee, with aspirations of becoming an athletics director.
“Despite Jaci’s many exceptional accomplishments, I am particularly impressed with her humility and genuine concern for others,” said Thomas Roberts, FGCU’s faculty athletics representative. “Her overall academic, service, leadership and athletic achievements are profound. She is an engaged and caring leader. Her teammates, fellow students, coaches, professors and administrators revere her.”