FGCU WTEN vs. Upstate Recap

The FGCU women’s tennis team (8-7, 4-0 A-SUN) capped off the weekend on another strong note, shutting out USC Upstate (1-17, 0-4 A-SUN) 7-0. With the win, the Eagles are now 3-0 against the Spartans.

"We are growing every time we play," stated head coach Courtney Vernon. "What makes this experience so fun is the ladies' commitment to growth and committing to their plan when it gets uncomfortable. The ladies are acting mature and in control. It's exciting to be a part of this team's journey."

The Eagles began with a quick, solid performance in doubles as the duo of freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar defeated sophomore Morgan Dodd and freshman Elin Hellberg 6-1.

Senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font would follow quickly as they defeated junior Noelia Acuna and sophomore Taylor Dodd 6-2, claiming the doubles point.

Junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg did not finish their match against juniors Carol Sigaki and Vale Zarama despite being down 3-4.

Going into singles, Ascua would begin the onslaught with a with a quick 6-2, 6-1 win over Acona.

Forster would follow with pair of 6-0 decisions over freshman Gabriela Cevallos before Ornberg sealed the decider with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Sigaki, giving the Eagles the win.

This was Ornberg's 11th win of the season (5th straight).

“It was a windy day, so it was hard to play them (Upstate). I think they played really well in doubles. It was kind of hard, and at No.1 doubles, me and Maja (Ornberg) kind of struggled with the wind a little bit to move forward, and then I think the girls did a really good job closing the other two matches,” said Ascua. “In singles, I think we started off really aggressive. They (Upstate) were not as aggressive in singles, so we just came in on top, close to the net, and we just handled the wind pretty well.”

Both teams finished the rest of their matches as sophomore Sofia Perez defeated Taylor Dodd 6-2, 6-1.

Gallegos would follow as she defeated Zarama with a pair of 6-2 decisions before Villar finished the shutout with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Hellberg.

“I was feeling pretty confident, and I think we all played pretty well,” said Perez. “I think I got in the match playing aggressive and that helped me take the win."

The Eagles will head to Jacksonville as they face UNF for their final conference road match. This matchup will be the decider on who will be the No. 1 seed in the A-SUN Conference Tournament.