FGCU WTEN vs FIU Preview

Playing only one match so far for the season, the FGCU women's tennis team prepares to open their home part of the season as they welcome FIU for their first home match of the season.

Last Time Out:
The Eagles (1-0) opened their season on the road as they faced FAU in Boca where they won 4-3. In the beginning, the Eagles lost the doubles points and two singles match before winning the last four singles matches in a row. With the win, the Eagles are 6-4 overall against the Owls.

Eagle Debuts:
Two new players made their season debuts for FGCU: Patricia "Patri" Villar and Madison Gallegos.

Villar, a junior transfer from the University of Louisiana-Monroe played on No. 6 singles against FAU's Jennifer Lieb as the Longrono, Spain native beat Lieb 6-3, 7-6.

Gallegos, the lone freshman on the team, was the saving grace for the Eagles against FAU. The Denver native debuted on No. 5 singles facing Jemi Aguilar. Gallegos fought Agular in a hard fought three-set match. In the end, Gallegos won 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to secure FGCU's first win of the season.

Key Players:
Aside from Villar and Gallegos who made their debuts, other players from FGCU to look for include sophomores Maja Ornberg and Sofia Perez.

Ornberg, who primarily plays at No. 1 singles, played the No. 2 singles position against FAU. A native of Kil, Sweden, the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year faced Natalia Boltinskaya and won 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 2 singles spot.

A native of Costa Rica, Perez went 4-1 overall in singles competition last year when she joined FGCU in the 2017 spring semester. Playing at No. 3 singles, Perez faced Kristen Thoms with a 6-4, 6-4 win.

Schedule Change:
Originally, the Eagles were suppose to face Bethune-Cookman before facing FIU, but the matchup was cancelled.

Scouting FIU:
The Panthers (2-1) recently competed in the ITA Kickoff Weekend. They would lose to Wichita State 2-4 before beating Saint Mary's College 4-2.

Senior Andrea Lazaro, who is ranked as the #3 player in the nation, is currently 2-1 in singles, primarily at the No.1 position, and 3-2 in doubles. Lazaro, a native of Barcelona, Spain, lost 1-6, 2-6 to Fatima Bizhukova of Wichita and beat Mariia Kozryeva of Saint Mary's with a score of 6-4, 6-2.

Freshman Sandra Bozinovic is currently 3-0 in singles. A native of Mulhouse, France, Bozinovic beat Wichita's Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva 6-4, 6-4 and SMC's Emma Critser 6-4, 6-3.

Series History:
FGCU is 1-5 against FIU overall. Last matchup, FGCU lost 0-7 to FIU, who was ranked #38 at the time. The Eagles' lone win against the Panthers was on January 16, 2013 in which the score was 4-3.

The match will be on Sunday, February 4 at 2 pm.