Spartanburg, S.C. – USC Upstate honored its two seniors Friday night as the Spartans paid tribute to Katie Downey and Megan Healey in a pre-match ceremony. However, Florida Gulf Coast played the spoiler and took a 3-0 victory over Upstate in A-Sun volleyball action. The Eagles won by scores of 25-12, 25-18 and 26-24.

Downey, from Belleville, Ill., is finishing her fifth year at Upstate, having missed all but three matches during her traditional junior season in 2008. She is Upstate's all-time leader with 260 assisted blocks. Healey, from St. Louis, Mo., moved into third place on Upstate all-time digs list and now owns 1,450. She is Upstate's Division I leader in digs.

Upstate fell to 9-15 overall and 1-6 in the A-Sun. The Spartans will play its final match in Spartanburg this season Saturday afternoon at 4:00 against Bethune-Cookman. FGCU improved to 5-15 overall and 2-4 in the league.

After a nip and tuck battle early on, Florida Gulf Coast stretched its two-point lead to seven points midway through the first set. Leading 16-9, the Eagles outscored Upstate 9-3 the rest of the way to take the set, 25-12. Upstate hurt itself in the frame, committing eight errors with just seven kills. FGCU hit at a .286 clip.

FGCU scored 10 of the second set's first 13 points to open a 10-3 lead. Upstate fought back to get within two, 15-13, but the Eagles managed to stretch the lead to 21-16 and the Spartans would get only as close as five the rest of the way as FGCU took the second set, 25-18. FGCU was on fire in the frame, hitting .429.

Upstate looked like it was going to pull off the win in the third set to get back into the match, but a late rally by FGCU delivered the frame and the match. The teams battled for position early on and with the set tied at 10-10, Upstate went on a 5-1 run to open a 15-11 lead. FGCU cut the lead to one, but the Spartans extended the lead to 20-17. The Eagles again fought back and tied the frame at 22-22. They scored the next two points to open a 24-22 lead, but back-to-back kills by Upstate tied it at 24-24.

FGCU, though, got back-to-back kills from Chelsea Lyles to win the set, 26-24. FGCU's Holly Youngquist totaled seven kills in the frame, while Upstate's Mindy Quimby (Keenesburg, Colo.) had four.

Downey finished with five kills and three total blocks on the night, while Healey added 11 digs to lead Upstate. Morgan Thomas (Plantation, Fla.) led all Spartan attackers with eight kills. Quimby tallied a team-high 12 digs.

Youngquist led FGCU with 10 kills and 10 digs. Lyles posted nine kills with just one error. Camil Dominguez added 40 assists on the night.