FGCU's Cortney VanLiew Signs Professional Contract
FGCU's Cortney VanLiew Signs Professional Contract
FORT MYERS, Fla. (fgcuathletics.com) - Former FGCU volleyball great and outside hitter Cortney VanLiew signed a professional contract to play in Europe. VanLiew signed with Polkky Kuusamo, an organization in Finland and will join the team September 1.
The Seymour, Ind., native competed for the Eagles for five seasons, 2017-2021, forever leaving her mark on the FGCU program. VanLiew remains one of only five Eagles to post more than 1,000 career kills, breaking the program's all-time kills record with 1,657.
"This is such an exciting and well-deserved opportunity for Cortney," said FGCU volleyball coach Matt Botsford. "She has had professional aspirations since she first arrived at FGCU, and to see her fulfill that goal is rewarding for all of us within the program. With her talents and passion for the game, Cortney will be an asset to her new team right from the start – and I am looking forward to seeing her in action!"
VanLiew was a unanimous ASUN Player of the Year (2018), and a three-time ASUN First Team recipient (2018, 2019, spring 2021), a three-time ASUN All-Academic Team member (2018, 2019, spring 2021) that guided the Eagles to three ASUN regular season crowns, two ASUN Tournament Championships, and two NCAA Tournament victories – over No. 13 UCF and Texas Tech.
She was a part of 117 victories in the Green & Blue, including three 27-win campaigns to tie the program's single-season win record. VanLiew's 2018 squad notched FGCU's first-ever ranked win and NCAA Tournament victory.
During her five-year career, VanLiew earned a program-best seven ASUN Player of the Week honors and collected the ASUN Winner for Life distinction in the spring of 2020. In the summer of 2020, VanLiew was selected to the ASUN's All-Decade Team (2010-19).
As a junior, VanLiew was named a VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American and an AVCA Honorable Mention All-Southeast Region recipient.
VanLiew was inducted into the 2021 FGCU Hall of Fame, becoming just the second FGCU volleyball player and the ninth FGCU student-athlete to ever earn the honor.
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