FGCU WTEN vs USF Recap

The FGCU women's tennis team (0-1) dropped its first match of the season as USF (1-1) came away with a 5-2 victory Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex. With the loss, the Eagles are now 1-8 against the Bulls

"USF played well today," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "They played the game points with more intent than us. We will grow much from today and we'll continue to work hard every day and embrace the many opportunities we have to grow each time we compete. We're grateful for all of our fans that came out today and thankful for the support we always have at our matches."

Beginning with the doubles competition, it was a tight battle on court No.1 as senior Julia Ascúa and junior Maja Ornberg squared off against Nicole Dzenga and Vanja Klaric. Knotted mid-way through the set, the momentum swung in the Bulls favor as they walked away with a 6-4 victory. Meanwhile, the clinching point would come on court No. 3 as sophomore Madison Gallegos and junior Sofia Perez fell 6-3, giving the Bulls a 1-0 advantage heading into singles play.

FGCU tied the match at one with a dominating victory from redshirt sophomore Sara Kelly on court No. 2. The Naples native, who returned to the Eagles, cruised in the first set, 6-1, and came out on top 6-4 in the second set. USF regained its lead to go up 2-1 after claiming the victory on court No. 6. Perez nearly captured her first set in a hard-fought 7-6 battle as the junior fell in the second stanza, 6-2.

Ascúa's match was the only one to go into three sets Sunday afternoon. The senior took the first set 6-3, only to have Laura Pellicer take the second 6-3. Up 2-1 in the third set, Ascúa pulled away from her counterpart for a 6-3 final, cutting FGCU's deficit to one.

USF's Ana Roman secured the match on court No. 1 over Ornberg (4-6, 3-6) as the Bulls collected the final match of the day on court No. 6 for the 5-2 final.

Up Next:
The Eagles will host Georgia State on Friday, Jan. 18 at 10 am.