The FGCU women's tennis team (10-7, 6-0 A-SUN) prepare for the A-SUN Conference Tournament hosted by UNF.
Official Brackets:
For the women, the standing are as noted with the teams' overall and conference standings for the tournament:
1. FGCU (10-7, 6-0 A-SUN)
2. UNF (15-7, 5-1 A-SUN)
3. Lipscomb (10-11, 4-2 A-SUN)
4. Stetson (11-8, 3-3 A-SUN)
5. Kennesaw (3-14, 2-4 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (8-11, 1-5 A-SUN)
USC Upstate (1-19, 0-6 A-SUN) did not qualify for the conference tournament based on their overall record.
Farewell Upstate:
USC Upstate has finished their last season for women's tennis as a member of the A-SUN Conference since 2007. At the start of the 2018-19 season, Upstate will be moving to the Big South Conference due to travel costs. Upstate will join former A-SUN Conference members Campbell and Gardner-Webb.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles faced Stetson in their last regular season matchup where they defeated the Hatters 7-0. The Eagles earned the No. 1 seed after beating UNF in a nail biter of a matchup and with the win against Stetson, the Eagles were named A-SUN Regular Season Champions and earned a first-round bye in the tournament.
Lucky 13:
The Eagles claimed 13 awards and honor prior to the tournament:
A-SUN Coach of the Year:
Head coach Courtney Vernon was named A-SUN Coach of the Year. In her fifth season with the Eagles, Vernon has been named the A-SUN Coach of the Year for the third-straight season, taking it outright for a consecutive season.
After tonight's announcements, Vernon has coached the Eagles to a total of 56 All-Conference and All-Academic honors in her five years in Southwest Florida.
A-SUN Player of the Year:
After winning the A-SUN Freshman of the Year last season, sophomore Maja Ornberg was named A-SUN Player of the Year. The Kil, Sweden native was one of three Eagles to turn in double-digit wins as she went 14-3 in dual match action and posted a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play at No. 1 singles.
A-SUN All-Conference First Team:
Ornberg joined junior Julia Ascua on the A-SUN All-Conference First Team, her second straight. Ascua, who went 8-9 in singles (primarily at No. 2 Singles) and was recently named A-SUN Player of the Week, earned A-SUN All-Conference First Team honors for the third straight year.
A-SUN All-Conference Second Team/A-SUN All-Freshman Team:
Four Eagles were named to the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team for singles: freshman Madison Gallegos, junior Patricia Villar and sophomores Sofia Perez and Bridget Forster.
Gallegos, the lone freshman on the team, played her majority of tennis matches at No. 3 singles where she claimed six victories. The Denver native capped off the regular season collecting 14 overall wins, nine alone in dual play (9-8 record), and a 4-2 record against conference foes. Gallegos was named a unanimous selection on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team.
Since transferring from Louisiana-Monroe, Villar finished 6-6 in singles with a 3-0 record in conference, majorly at the No. 6 singles. The native of Logrono, Spain primarily played with Gallegos and the duo is currently 6-2 overall with a 5-0 record in conference.
Villar and Gallegos were also named as one of three teams on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team in doubles.
After receiving more playing time on the courts from last year, Perez, who was transitioning between No. 3 and No. 6 singles before officially playing at the No. 5 singles, displayed an impressive 10-4 overall record in singles with a perfect 6-0 record in conference. Three of Perez's conference wins in singles were final match winners (Kennesaw, UNF, Stetson). Perez helped clinch the No. 1 seed for the tournament after winning the final match against UNF's Valentina Mariotto. Perez's 10 wins tied for the second most on the team. This was the first postseason award for the native of Alajuela, Costa Rica.
After being a part of the A-SUN All-Freshman team last season with former player Sara Kelly, Forster joins Ornberg and Perez with a perfect 6-0 singles record in conference. The native of Boca Raton provided a 10-3 record in singles transitioning between No. 5 and No. 6 singles. Forster ties Perez for the second most wins on the season.
A-SUN All-Academic Team:
On the A-SUN All-Academic Team, Ascua (4.0) and Forster (3.8) are joined by lone senior Julianna Curtis (4.0). Curtis primarily played at No. 2 doubles with junior Laura Falceto Font and earned her third straight All-Academic Team honors. Battling with a back injury, Curtis went 5-4 with Falceto Font in doubles. Curtis put together a 20-23 career record in singles and a 35-24 record in doubles with 27 of her doubles wins being played with Ascua. The West Des Moines native was last season's A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
"These ladies are well deserving of these honors and they have worked hard," said Vernon. "I am thankful they are being acknowledged for their hard work."
ESPN+:
The A-SUN Conference Tournament will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+ which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN game and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards.
Tournament Walk-through:
FGCU and UNF will have a first-round bye as they are the No. 1 and No. 2 seed (#1 FGCU, #2 UNF). Seeds 3-6 will face each other to determine who will face FGCU and UNF. No. 3 seed Lipscomb will face No. 6 seed NJIT at 5 P.M. to determine who will play UNF while No. 4 seed Stetson and No. 5 seed Kennesaw will face each other at 2:30 P.M. to determine who will play FGCU.
The winner of the tournament will claim an automatic bid and represent the A-SUN in the national tournament in Salem, N.C.
About Me
Showing posts with label FGCU W Ten 2017-18. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FGCU W Ten 2017-18. Show all posts
FGCU WTEN vs. Stetson Recap: A-SUN Regular Season Champs
“The performance was great,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “The girls played with a lot of focus today. They played with determination and they stuck to the plan, and it feels great and they are rewarded for their hard work and commitment to working.”
The Eagles have clinched the No. 1 seed prior to the conference tournament after defeating UNF to hold a share of the regular season championship on April 12.
“It’s a privilege,” said Vernon on the team being the No. 1 seed in the tournament. “We’re thankful for this opportunity, and thankful we get to play again because we’re having so much fun competing.”
Beginning with doubles, the duo of sophomore Maja Ornberg and junior Julia Ascua fell 4-6 to sophomore Lucie Renault and freshman Brooke Milner at No. 1 doubles.
The Eagles would fight back as junior Laura Falceto Font and senior Julianna "Juje" Curtis defeated freshman Danel Ashirova and senior Arijana Korac by a score of 6-2 at No. 2 doubles. Curtis earned her 55th doubles win in her career.
“I think that it was kind of surreal right now. It hadn’t really sunk in yet,” said Curtis on her last match. “Lau (Falceto Font) and I have done great this season after not playing as much in the fall. We did well and I think we just fought really hard.”
Junior Patricia Villar and freshman Madison Gallegos defeated freshman Vickey Geurinckx and sophomore Alexe Viaud by a score of 7-5 at No. 3 doubles, thus claiming the doubles point for the Eagles.
After the doubles matches, the team gathered together at the Tom Manring court as they recognized Curtis for senior night and her accomplishments on and off the court. Curtis is the only senior on the team.
"We were so grateful to celebrate Julianna this evening as the special young lady she is. We're grateful for what she has given to this university these past four years,” said Vernon on Curtis’ career performance. “Also, we are thankful for the community that supports our program and all of our donors that came out this evening for our last home match of the season. Tonight we would like to send a special thank you to Bonita Bay, who has given a scholarship to Juliana these past four years. What a gift it is to have them support us.”
Transitioning to singles, Ascua began with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Ashivora before Ornberg followed with 6-1, 6-3 win over Korac. This was Ornberg’s 14th singles win of the season (seventh straight).
With the score 3-0 in favor of the Eagles, sophomore Sofia Perez, who helped the Eagles clinch the No. 1 seed and a share of the A-SUN Regular Season Championship with the win against UNF, once again sealed the deal for the Eagles, earning her 10th singles win (7th straight) of the season as she defeated Milner 6-1, 6-4. This was the third time that Perez clinched a game-winner for the Eagles.
“I’m just very happy that we were very loud and very energetic, and we came and got it done," said Perez. “Honestly, I felt I didn’t even know I was clinching, but I just kept it going.”
The Eagles would finish out the rest of the matches as sophomore Bridget Forster defeated freshman Maxine Bateman 6-3, 6-2. Font would follow with 6-2, 6-4 win over Geurinckx before Gallegos defeated Renault 6-1, 6-4 to complete the sweep.
As the No. 1 seed, the Eagles will have a first-round bye prior to the tournament as they will await the winner between No. 4 seed Stetson and the No. 5 seed Kennesaw State.
"I'm just being very humble going into the championship," Perez said on FGCU being the No. 1 seed. "We're gonna give all we have with lots of energy."
I'm so proud of the ladies and what they did and I'm very happy that I get to graduate on the same day as the lone senior, even if it's at different times. I even got to do a special interview with her
Below are pictures of me with the team:
 |
| With Curtis after the game |
 |
| I even kissed her on the cheek |
 |
| With the Whole Team (Front: Ascua (left) and Perez (right) holding the "W" Flag. From left to right back row: Gallegos, Falceto Font, me, Curtis, Forster, Ornberg and Villar |
 |
| Senior Day Poster |
 |
| Birthday Poster |
 |
| A card and a photo of me and the team. It was so nice of them to do that |
 |
| From assistant coach Alex Landert |
 |
| From Coach V |
 |
| From Maja (The Swedish Sensation) |
 |
| From Juje (Juju on that beat) |
 |
| From Madison (Maddy) |
 |
| From Juli (The Jet) |
 |
| From Patri (Prime Time) |
 |
| From Bridget (The Bomber) |
 |
| From Sofi (Costa Rican Crusader) |
 |
| From Lau (Lioness of Espana) |
FGCU WTEN vs UNF Recap
The FGCU women’s tennis team (9-7, 5-0 A-SUN) claimed their second straight share of the A-SUN regular season championship as they defeated UNF (15-7, 5-1 A-SUN) by a score of 4-3. The win for the Eagles was the second straight against UNF and they are now 2-13 s against the Ospreys. In addition to the win, the Eagles are now the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
"First of all, I want to thank every single person that came out to support use today. We are sorry that we couldn't come out with the win, but each person's presence was huge," said UNF head coach Mariana Cobra. "Secondly, hats off to FGCU for walking away with the win. We didn't play great doubles and were still able to pull a great comeback and get the point. Honestly in singles, we took care of business right away in two courts and those were the courts we won."
Beginning with the doubles portion of the matchup, the duo of junior Patricia Villar and freshman Madison Gallegos began with a quick win on their match at No. 3 doubles as they defeated the freshmen duo of Valentina Mariotto and Florencia Rossi by a score of 6-1.
The Ospreys would fight back as the duo of sophomore Lucia Montano and freshman Eva Nyikos defeated senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font by a score 7-5 at No. 2 doubles.
After three match point chances, the duo of junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg fell 6-7 (7-9) to junior Rafaela Gomez and senior Luise Intert in a heart-breaking decider at No. 1 doubles, giving UNF the doubles point.
Going into singles, Gallegos would be the first Eagle to fall as she lost 4-6, 1-6 to Montano at the No. 3 singles. Falceto Font would follow, losing 1-6, 2-6 to Intert in No. 4 singles.
With the score 3-0 in favor of UNF, the Eagles attempted to mount a strong comeback as sophomore Bridget Forster would open with her sixth straight win as she defeated Rossi 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 singles. Ascua would follow with a win of her own at No. 2 singles defeating Nyikos 6-3, 7-5.
With two matches left for both teams, the Eagles were able to tie the matchup as Ornberg, who was slightly down in the second set, bounced back to claim her 12th win (6th straight) of the season, winning 6-3, 6-4 against Gomez at No. 1 singles.
The decider came down to Mariotto and sophomore Sofia Perez at the No. 5 singles match. Having not played UNF at all for conference last season, Perez would drop the first set, but was able to mount a strong comeback to win in the second set, sending the match to a third set.
Seemingly unfazed at the result, with the final score at 40-30 in favor of Perez, the Costa Rican managed to secure the final set as she won 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. This was Perez's second time that she secure the final match for a win.
"For the other courts that we lost, we were not by any means the weaker player, we simply didn't compete as well and FGCU wanted it more in those spots. As heartbreaking as it was to lose after being up, we must let it go and move on. It is key for us to come ready for every practice and I know we will bounce back in the tournament," said Cobra.
“I am really proud of this team, and the fight they show,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “North Florida is always tough. We are excited for another opportunity to compete on Saturday, and we are so excited to honor Julianna (Curtis).”
The Eagles return to action at home to wrap up their final conference match as they face Stetson on April 14 at 5 P.M. The match will be listed as Senior Day as the team recognizes 2017 ITA Scholar-Athlete, 2016 A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member, two-time A-SUN All-Academic Team honoree and defending A-SUN Scholar Athlete of the Year: Julianna Curtis.
"First of all, I want to thank every single person that came out to support use today. We are sorry that we couldn't come out with the win, but each person's presence was huge," said UNF head coach Mariana Cobra. "Secondly, hats off to FGCU for walking away with the win. We didn't play great doubles and were still able to pull a great comeback and get the point. Honestly in singles, we took care of business right away in two courts and those were the courts we won."
The Ospreys would fight back as the duo of sophomore Lucia Montano and freshman Eva Nyikos defeated senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font by a score 7-5 at No. 2 doubles.
After three match point chances, the duo of junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg fell 6-7 (7-9) to junior Rafaela Gomez and senior Luise Intert in a heart-breaking decider at No. 1 doubles, giving UNF the doubles point.
Going into singles, Gallegos would be the first Eagle to fall as she lost 4-6, 1-6 to Montano at the No. 3 singles. Falceto Font would follow, losing 1-6, 2-6 to Intert in No. 4 singles.
With the score 3-0 in favor of UNF, the Eagles attempted to mount a strong comeback as sophomore Bridget Forster would open with her sixth straight win as she defeated Rossi 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 singles. Ascua would follow with a win of her own at No. 2 singles defeating Nyikos 6-3, 7-5.
With two matches left for both teams, the Eagles were able to tie the matchup as Ornberg, who was slightly down in the second set, bounced back to claim her 12th win (6th straight) of the season, winning 6-3, 6-4 against Gomez at No. 1 singles.
The decider came down to Mariotto and sophomore Sofia Perez at the No. 5 singles match. Having not played UNF at all for conference last season, Perez would drop the first set, but was able to mount a strong comeback to win in the second set, sending the match to a third set.
Seemingly unfazed at the result, with the final score at 40-30 in favor of Perez, the Costa Rican managed to secure the final set as she won 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. This was Perez's second time that she secure the final match for a win.
"For the other courts that we lost, we were not by any means the weaker player, we simply didn't compete as well and FGCU wanted it more in those spots. As heartbreaking as it was to lose after being up, we must let it go and move on. It is key for us to come ready for every practice and I know we will bounce back in the tournament," said Cobra.
“I am really proud of this team, and the fight they show,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “North Florida is always tough. We are excited for another opportunity to compete on Saturday, and we are so excited to honor Julianna (Curtis).”
The Eagles return to action at home to wrap up their final conference match as they face Stetson on April 14 at 5 P.M. The match will be listed as Senior Day as the team recognizes 2017 ITA Scholar-Athlete, 2016 A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member, two-time A-SUN All-Academic Team honoree and defending A-SUN Scholar Athlete of the Year: Julianna Curtis.
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.
"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.”
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.
FGCU Tennis vs. NJIT Recap
The FGCU men's (7-10, 2-2 A-SUN) and women's (7-7, 3-0 A-SUN) tennis teams continue their strong performance in conference as they both defeated NJIT (men: 9-7, 1-3 A-SUN, women: 8-9, 1-3 A-SUN) by a score of 6-1 each. Both teams played at the same time on all 12 courts.With the wins, the men are 3-2 overall against the Highlanders while the women are 3-0 overall.
"Today was our best performance during conference play," said men's head coach CJ Weber. "The guys did a great job of implementing the things we were talking about after our performance against Kennesaw State, but now we have to do it again Saturday against Upstate. I was really fired up with our crowd today. Country Club Day was a real success and I'm hoping we get just as nice of a crowd to support the men and women this weekend."
"I am pleased with the fight these ladies are showing in every game," said women's head coach Courtney Vernon. "They are competing, fighting and they are committing to the process and it's exciting to see them enjoy the growth."
Beginning with a flying start to doubles for the Eagles men's team, the duo of sophomore Marcelo Tebet and senior Oliver Landert defeated senior Jan Cimrman and freshman Abdullah Fouad 6-0 at No. 1 doubles.
Junior Ezequiel Cerrini and sophomore Felipe Ramirez would follow with a 6-3 win over senior Richard Rangga and junior Lukas Zvikas at No. 2 doubles, claiming the doubles point for FGCU.
Despite being down 4-5, senior Austin Bates and junior Felipe Escobar did not finish their match against juniors Tomi Antoljak and Zac Castagna at No. 3 doubles.
“This season, we’ve been on kind of a rollercoaster ride with a lot of ups and down, and our team had just been working on some stuff, but I thought today was a really good overall effort,” said Bates. “The guys competed really hard. We competed as a unit, and I thought we had a good team victory today.
At the same time for the women's team, beginning with doubles, the duo of sophomores Bridget Forster and Sofia Perez defeated sophomore Mayar Eltony and senior Alba Rosas Garcia 6-3, but then sophomore Maja Ornberg and junior Julia Ascua would fall 3-6 to freshman Holly Matson and junior Rafaella Sampaio leaving it to only one other.
The decider came in favor of the Eagles as freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar defeated freshman Advatia Saravanan and junior Amanda Helminsky 6-1 giving the Eagles the doubles point.
Heading into singles play, Ramirez began with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Antoljak at No. 1 singles. Junior Javier Fernandez would follow with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Castagna at No. 5 singles before Landert sealed the deal with a 6-0, 6-2 win Zvikas on No. 3 singles to give the Eagles the series win.
Both teams decided to finish the final three matches as Tebet defeated Fouad 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4 singles. After Cerrini fell 6-7, 6-2, 7-10 to Cimrman in No. 2 singles, Bates would give the Eagles the final point with a 7-5 pair decision over Rangga at No. 6 singles.
“It’s a team sport,” said Bates on his match. “I played really well, but we were just really focused on the team effort today and I thought the team, as a whole, did a really good job and we’re really looking forward with a lot of momentum.”
For the women in singles, Perez would begin with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Sampaio. Forster would follow quickly with a pair of 6-2 decisions over Rosas Garcia.
The Highlanders would then get their first point as Ascua would fall 6-7, 2-6 to Eltony.
With the score 3-1 in favor of the Eagles, Ornberg was able to seal the deal for the Eagles. The current A-SUN Player of the Week fell behind briefly in the second set, but made a strong comeback winning 6-2, 6-4 over Saravanan and claiming the win for the Eagles.
With two matches left, Gallegos, who fell in the first set managed to secure sets two and three against Matson winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 before Villar claimed the final point with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 win over Helminsky.
“Finishing in the second set, I honestly thought she (Helminsky) did a better job than in the first set, but I was confident because I was thinking ‘let’s do it for the team’, so I just competed really hard,” said Villar. “I think overall we did a good job. Everyone was focusing on their court and I think everyone took care of business and the energy was there. Thank you for everyone coming out. That helped a lot.”
"Today was our best performance during conference play," said men's head coach CJ Weber. "The guys did a great job of implementing the things we were talking about after our performance against Kennesaw State, but now we have to do it again Saturday against Upstate. I was really fired up with our crowd today. Country Club Day was a real success and I'm hoping we get just as nice of a crowd to support the men and women this weekend."
"I am pleased with the fight these ladies are showing in every game," said women's head coach Courtney Vernon. "They are competing, fighting and they are committing to the process and it's exciting to see them enjoy the growth."
Beginning with a flying start to doubles for the Eagles men's team, the duo of sophomore Marcelo Tebet and senior Oliver Landert defeated senior Jan Cimrman and freshman Abdullah Fouad 6-0 at No. 1 doubles.
Junior Ezequiel Cerrini and sophomore Felipe Ramirez would follow with a 6-3 win over senior Richard Rangga and junior Lukas Zvikas at No. 2 doubles, claiming the doubles point for FGCU.
Despite being down 4-5, senior Austin Bates and junior Felipe Escobar did not finish their match against juniors Tomi Antoljak and Zac Castagna at No. 3 doubles.
“This season, we’ve been on kind of a rollercoaster ride with a lot of ups and down, and our team had just been working on some stuff, but I thought today was a really good overall effort,” said Bates. “The guys competed really hard. We competed as a unit, and I thought we had a good team victory today.
The decider came in favor of the Eagles as freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar defeated freshman Advatia Saravanan and junior Amanda Helminsky 6-1 giving the Eagles the doubles point.
Heading into singles play, Ramirez began with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Antoljak at No. 1 singles. Junior Javier Fernandez would follow with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Castagna at No. 5 singles before Landert sealed the deal with a 6-0, 6-2 win Zvikas on No. 3 singles to give the Eagles the series win.
Both teams decided to finish the final three matches as Tebet defeated Fouad 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4 singles. After Cerrini fell 6-7, 6-2, 7-10 to Cimrman in No. 2 singles, Bates would give the Eagles the final point with a 7-5 pair decision over Rangga at No. 6 singles.
“It’s a team sport,” said Bates on his match. “I played really well, but we were just really focused on the team effort today and I thought the team, as a whole, did a really good job and we’re really looking forward with a lot of momentum.”
For the women in singles, Perez would begin with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Sampaio. Forster would follow quickly with a pair of 6-2 decisions over Rosas Garcia.
The Highlanders would then get their first point as Ascua would fall 6-7, 2-6 to Eltony.
With the score 3-1 in favor of the Eagles, Ornberg was able to seal the deal for the Eagles. The current A-SUN Player of the Week fell behind briefly in the second set, but made a strong comeback winning 6-2, 6-4 over Saravanan and claiming the win for the Eagles.
With two matches left, Gallegos, who fell in the first set managed to secure sets two and three against Matson winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 before Villar claimed the final point with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 win over Helminsky.
“Finishing in the second set, I honestly thought she (Helminsky) did a better job than in the first set, but I was confident because I was thinking ‘let’s do it for the team’, so I just competed really hard,” said Villar. “I think overall we did a good job. Everyone was focusing on their court and I think everyone took care of business and the energy was there. Thank you for everyone coming out. That helped a lot.”
It was a really good crowd for both matchups and a lot of people showed up to see the matches and it was very moving and very energizing.
The Eagles return to action as they face USC Upstate at home.
Below are individual pics with me and the tennis players:
 |
| With Julianna Curtis |
 |
| With Patricia Villar |
 |
| With Madison Gallegos |
 |
| With Sofia Perez |
 |
| With Julia Ascua |
 |
| With Felipe Ramirez |
 |
| With Mateo Ruiz |
 |
| With Juan Montes |
 |
| With Mateo Ruiz |
 |
| With Oliver Landert |
 |
| With Maja Ornberg |
FGCU WTEN vs Kennesaw Recap
The FGCU women’s tennis team (6-7, 2-0 A-SUN) wrapped up their two-match conference road trip with a win against Kennesaw State (1-12, 0-2 A-SUN) as the Eagles shutout the Owls 7-0 to conclude the first of their two conference road trips.
With the win, the Eagles are now 10-2 overall against the Owls. In addition, with the win, the Eagles are now tied for first place with UNF in the A-SUN.
"We knew Kennesaw would fight," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "I was pleased with the focus the girls showed today. We talked about the plan before the match and the intent remained the same the entire match as they did not let up. We look forward to getting back to work on Monday to prepare for NJIT."
Beginning with the doubles portion, the duo of junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg made quick work as they defeated junior Jessica Cantrell and senior Alexandra Mercado 6-1 in No. 1 doubles.
Playing at No. 3 doubles, sophomores Sofia Perez and Bridget Forster were just as quick to follow with a 6-2 win over senior Kennedy Craig and sophomore Aspen Jarrett claiming the doubles point for the Eagles.
Freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar did not finish their match against sophomore Jada Tijani and senior Laura Hopton as the Eagles claimed the doubles point.
Transitioning to singles play, an unfazed Forster would quickly claim the first singles point for FGCU with a pair of 6-1 decision win against Jarrett at No. 5 singles.
Villar would then follow with 6-2, 6-0 win over freshman Breanna Reilly at No. 6 singles before Perez claimed the final stamp as the Costa Rica native won her match 6-4, 6-2 over Cantrell at the No. 4 singles and giving the Eagles the win.
Villar claimed her fifth singles win while Perez and Forster claimed their sixth singles wins of the season. Perez had also her second straight singles win in conference.
The final three matches continued as Ascua would win 6-2, 6-3 over Craig at No. 2 singles. Ornberg would follow a 6-3, 6-1 win over Mercado at No. 1 singles. This was Ornberg’s 10th win of the season.
Gallegos finished strongly in her first set before buckling in the second, but the Denver native did not seemed fazed at all as she finished strongly in the third set tiebreaker and successfully got the Eagles the shutout with a 6-1, 4-6, 10-6 win over Hopton at No. 3 singles.
The Eagles return for a two-match homestead as they face NJIT and USC Upstate to continue conference play.
With the win, the Eagles are now 10-2 overall against the Owls. In addition, with the win, the Eagles are now tied for first place with UNF in the A-SUN.
"We knew Kennesaw would fight," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "I was pleased with the focus the girls showed today. We talked about the plan before the match and the intent remained the same the entire match as they did not let up. We look forward to getting back to work on Monday to prepare for NJIT."
Beginning with the doubles portion, the duo of junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg made quick work as they defeated junior Jessica Cantrell and senior Alexandra Mercado 6-1 in No. 1 doubles.
Playing at No. 3 doubles, sophomores Sofia Perez and Bridget Forster were just as quick to follow with a 6-2 win over senior Kennedy Craig and sophomore Aspen Jarrett claiming the doubles point for the Eagles.
Freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar did not finish their match against sophomore Jada Tijani and senior Laura Hopton as the Eagles claimed the doubles point.
Transitioning to singles play, an unfazed Forster would quickly claim the first singles point for FGCU with a pair of 6-1 decision win against Jarrett at No. 5 singles.
Villar would then follow with 6-2, 6-0 win over freshman Breanna Reilly at No. 6 singles before Perez claimed the final stamp as the Costa Rica native won her match 6-4, 6-2 over Cantrell at the No. 4 singles and giving the Eagles the win.
Villar claimed her fifth singles win while Perez and Forster claimed their sixth singles wins of the season. Perez had also her second straight singles win in conference.
The final three matches continued as Ascua would win 6-2, 6-3 over Craig at No. 2 singles. Ornberg would follow a 6-3, 6-1 win over Mercado at No. 1 singles. This was Ornberg’s 10th win of the season.
Gallegos finished strongly in her first set before buckling in the second, but the Denver native did not seemed fazed at all as she finished strongly in the third set tiebreaker and successfully got the Eagles the shutout with a 6-1, 4-6, 10-6 win over Hopton at No. 3 singles.
The Eagles return for a two-match homestead as they face NJIT and USC Upstate to continue conference play.
FGCU WTEN vs Lipscomb Recap
Opening conference on the road, the FGCU women’s tennis team (5-7, 1-0 A-SUN) sealed the deal with another game-winner as they defeated Lipscomb (7-10, 0-2 A-SUN) 4-3 to open conference. With the win, FGCU improved to 12-0 all-time against the Bisons.
“Today was a battle,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “The girls did a great job adjusting to going indoors. I am proud of the fight in this team and Laura did a great job clinching the match today.”
“Our energy was really good, but our focus wasn’t always there in the third sets,” Lipscomb head coach Jamie Aid said. “That hurt us in the end, but all in all, (the third sets) showed that we are right there.”
Going into doubles, the duo of senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font fell 3-6 to sophomore Madeleine Brooks and junior Viktoriya Dzyuba.
The duo of freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar would follow with a 6-2 win over redshirt sophomore Kateryna Kandyba and junior Thabile Tshatedi before junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg fell 1-6 to sophomore Denise Buberl and junior Viktoriya Dzyuba in the decider as the Bison claimed the doubles point.
“Today was one of the better doubles showings we’ve had,” Aid said. “The girls were up at the net and being aggressive, and I was very pleased with how they played.”
Heading into singles, sophomore Bridget Forster defeated Kandyba with a 6-2 pair win to tie the score at 1-1.
The Eagles would then take a 3-1 lead after sophomore Sofia Perez defeated Tshatedi 6-4, 6-0 and Ornberg, who bounced back after falling in the first set, won 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 over Dzyuba. Perez earned her fifth singles win of the season while Ornberg earned her ninth.
The Bison would tie the game after Gallegos fell 2-6, 7-5, 2-6 to Brooks and Ascua fell 7-6, 0-6, 3-6 to freshman Kateryna Popova leaving it down to one match between Falceto Font and Burberl.
After a losing battle in the first set, the native of Zaragoza, Spain bounced back in the second set before claiming the third set against Burberl winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
“We told the girls beforehand to expect a lot of third sets and the match would probably be determined in third sets,” Aid said. “(Popova and Brooks) did well to win their matches, but it just wasn’t enough.”
The Eagles will wrap up their two-match conference road as they face Kennesaw State next before returning home facing NJIT and USC Upstate for two straight home conference matchups.
“Today was a battle,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “The girls did a great job adjusting to going indoors. I am proud of the fight in this team and Laura did a great job clinching the match today.”
“Our energy was really good, but our focus wasn’t always there in the third sets,” Lipscomb head coach Jamie Aid said. “That hurt us in the end, but all in all, (the third sets) showed that we are right there.”
Going into doubles, the duo of senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font fell 3-6 to sophomore Madeleine Brooks and junior Viktoriya Dzyuba.
The duo of freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar would follow with a 6-2 win over redshirt sophomore Kateryna Kandyba and junior Thabile Tshatedi before junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg fell 1-6 to sophomore Denise Buberl and junior Viktoriya Dzyuba in the decider as the Bison claimed the doubles point.
“Today was one of the better doubles showings we’ve had,” Aid said. “The girls were up at the net and being aggressive, and I was very pleased with how they played.”
Heading into singles, sophomore Bridget Forster defeated Kandyba with a 6-2 pair win to tie the score at 1-1.
The Eagles would then take a 3-1 lead after sophomore Sofia Perez defeated Tshatedi 6-4, 6-0 and Ornberg, who bounced back after falling in the first set, won 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 over Dzyuba. Perez earned her fifth singles win of the season while Ornberg earned her ninth.
The Bison would tie the game after Gallegos fell 2-6, 7-5, 2-6 to Brooks and Ascua fell 7-6, 0-6, 3-6 to freshman Kateryna Popova leaving it down to one match between Falceto Font and Burberl.
After a losing battle in the first set, the native of Zaragoza, Spain bounced back in the second set before claiming the third set against Burberl winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
“We told the girls beforehand to expect a lot of third sets and the match would probably be determined in third sets,” Aid said. “(Popova and Brooks) did well to win their matches, but it just wasn’t enough.”
The Eagles will wrap up their two-match conference road as they face Kennesaw State next before returning home facing NJIT and USC Upstate for two straight home conference matchups.
FGCU WTEN vs Minnesota Recap
The FGCU women’s tennis team (4-5) were able to get
themselves together as they defeated Power 5 Conference member Minnesota (9-5)
4-3.
"I am so proud of this group of strong women," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "They had a lot of courage today and it showed. They stayed mentally focused and they went for it in the important moments. We will grow together from the match today and we look forward to playing again tomorrow."
"We had our opportunities and we had our chances, but we just couldn't finish it," Minnesota head coach Catrina Thompson said. "The girls competed well, but it's just a process. We need to keep working on executing when we have opportunities."
Falceto Font fell 3-6, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7) to junior Barbara Mancera, but at the same time, Gallegos, who gave FGCU the win against FAU at the beginning of the season, managed to seal the deal with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win over Emme.
"I thought her opponent (Falceto Font) really brought her best game in the third set, but Bita (Mancera) went after it and finished it well," Thompson said.
"It feels crazy. I went crazy at the end, but the whole match, I was focused on coach [Vernon] and I was focused on her and I communicating, and when the girls finished and they came over to the court, it was amazing. I fought for everything," said Gallegos. "Honestly, I thought Lau [Falceto Font] and I both had to win in order to get the match, so I was completely zoned in on cheering for her, and it helped me to keep my energy up, but it was really cool to hear that we won, even though Lau came a little bit short."
"I am so proud of this group of strong women," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "They had a lot of courage today and it showed. They stayed mentally focused and they went for it in the important moments. We will grow together from the match today and we look forward to playing again tomorrow."
"We had our opportunities and we had our chances, but we just couldn't finish it," Minnesota head coach Catrina Thompson said. "The girls competed well, but it's just a process. We need to keep working on executing when we have opportunities."
Beginning with doubles, the duo of junior Julia Ascua and
sophomore Maja Ornberg fell to junior Caitlyn Merzbacher and senior Mehvish
Safdar by a score of 4-6.
The Eagles were able to tie the matchup after senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font defeated sophomore Tina Kreinis and junior Annemarie Emme 6-3, but the Gophers were able to secure the third match and the doubles point as freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar fell 5-7 to freshman River Hart and senior Caroline Ryba.
"We did another good job with No.1 doubles leading the way, and with Caroline and River finishing the job in No. 3," Thompson said. "We felt really good going into singles."
The Eagles were able to tie the matchup after senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font defeated sophomore Tina Kreinis and junior Annemarie Emme 6-3, but the Gophers were able to secure the third match and the doubles point as freshman Madison Gallegos and junior Patricia Villar fell 5-7 to freshman River Hart and senior Caroline Ryba.
"We did another good job with No.1 doubles leading the way, and with Caroline and River finishing the job in No. 3," Thompson said. "We felt really good going into singles."
Going into the singles matches, Ascua would start with a
7-6, 6-4 win over Ryba to tie the matchup. The Gophers would then retake back the
lead as Villar fell 3-6, 4-6 to Merzbacher.
With the score 2-1 in favor of the Gophers, sophomore Sofia Perez was able to retie the matchup as she defeated sophomore Cammy Frei 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
Ornberg would then give the Eagles the lead as the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year defeated Ryba 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.
"I'm really happy with how I played. I started kind of like so-so and then I really got it together and I played really well in the end," said Ornberg.
Coming down to the final two matches, Falceto Font and Gallegos continued to fight until the big ending happened.With the score 2-1 in favor of the Gophers, sophomore Sofia Perez was able to retie the matchup as she defeated sophomore Cammy Frei 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
Ornberg would then give the Eagles the lead as the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year defeated Ryba 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.
"I'm really happy with how I played. I started kind of like so-so and then I really got it together and I played really well in the end," said Ornberg.
Falceto Font fell 3-6, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7) to junior Barbara Mancera, but at the same time, Gallegos, who gave FGCU the win against FAU at the beginning of the season, managed to seal the deal with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win over Emme.
"I thought her opponent (Falceto Font) really brought her best game in the third set, but Bita (Mancera) went after it and finished it well," Thompson said.
"It feels crazy. I went crazy at the end, but the whole match, I was focused on coach [Vernon] and I was focused on her and I communicating, and when the girls finished and they came over to the court, it was amazing. I fought for everything," said Gallegos. "Honestly, I thought Lau [Falceto Font] and I both had to win in order to get the match, so I was completely zoned in on cheering for her, and it helped me to keep my energy up, but it was really cool to hear that we won, even though Lau came a little bit short."
This was the first time FGCU got a win against a Power 5
Conference team since the 2014 season (Iowa State 6-1, January 17, 2014). With the win over Minnesota, the Eagles are now 1-2 overall.
"It gave us all confidence for us to see that we can do this, and that win gave us confidence and strength," said Ornberg on winning against a Power 5 team.
"It gave us all confidence for us to see that we can do this, and that win gave us confidence and strength," said Ornberg on winning against a Power 5 team.
The Eagles return to action at home as they face Notre Dame on
Tuesday, March 13 at 5 P.M.
FGCU WTEN vs Western Michigan Recap
The FGCU women's tennis team (3-4) continue their seven-match roundup at home as they defated Western Michigan (7-5) by a score of 6-1. This was the first time both teams faced each other.
“The girls are growing every day,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “We have a lot to continue to work on and I am thankful for their commitment to the plan and the way they challenge themselves each day. Tonight was special as our Bonita Bay family came out to support and tailgate before the match. This group of special people gave a scholarship to our ladies and we love having them at our matches and interacting with the team!”
Starting with doubles, the duo of senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font won 6-2 against redshirt senior Barbare Eristavi and freshman Jeryn Jack. Sophomore Sofia Perez and junior Patricia Villar would follow with a 6-4 win over junior Denis Azcui and sophomore Gabriela Slavova, thus securing the automatic doubles point for the Eagles.
The duo of sophomore Maja Ornberg and junior Julia Ascúa were down 5-6 against juniors Melina Lyubormiova and Katja Fevralev, but chose to not finish since the Eagles already secured the point.
Going into singles action, sophomore Bridget Forster began with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Jack. Villar would then follow with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Slavova.
“I think I did a great job, and did not let my opponent get confident,” said Villar. “I was focusing on my energy and cheering my teammates up, and I think it was great overall. We did a pretty good job.”
“The girls are growing every day,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “We have a lot to continue to work on and I am thankful for their commitment to the plan and the way they challenge themselves each day. Tonight was special as our Bonita Bay family came out to support and tailgate before the match. This group of special people gave a scholarship to our ladies and we love having them at our matches and interacting with the team!”
Starting with doubles, the duo of senior Julianna Curtis and junior Laura Falceto Font won 6-2 against redshirt senior Barbare Eristavi and freshman Jeryn Jack. Sophomore Sofia Perez and junior Patricia Villar would follow with a 6-4 win over junior Denis Azcui and sophomore Gabriela Slavova, thus securing the automatic doubles point for the Eagles.
The duo of sophomore Maja Ornberg and junior Julia Ascúa were down 5-6 against juniors Melina Lyubormiova and Katja Fevralev, but chose to not finish since the Eagles already secured the point.
Going into singles action, sophomore Bridget Forster began with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Jack. Villar would then follow with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Slavova.
“I think I did a great job, and did not let my opponent get confident,” said Villar. “I was focusing on my energy and cheering my teammates up, and I think it was great overall. We did a pretty good job.”
With the score 3-0 in favor of FGCU, freshman Madison Gallegos sealed the final point for the Eagles as she won with a 6-2 pair decision over Fevralev. This is the second time Gallegos secured the win for FGCU.
“I thought I played well. I stayed calm, but I kept my energy up, and the other girls help me get through it,” said Gallegos.
“I thought I played well. I stayed calm, but I kept my energy up, and the other girls help me get through it,” said Gallegos.
The Broncos would get their only point as Ascua fell to Eristavi 6-4, 2-6, 8-10 before Falceto Font defeated Azcui 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 and Ornberg defeated Lyubormiova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
A lot of athletes from the other sporting events were also in attendance to give the ladies including the entire men's tennis team, juniors Toni Baerens, Linda Shaw and Christina Kaas Elmgreen from the swim team, senior Ashley Glickert from the beach volleyball team and several members of the men's soccer team.
A lot of athletes from the other sporting events were also in attendance to give the ladies including the entire men's tennis team, juniors Toni Baerens, Linda Shaw and Christina Kaas Elmgreen from the swim team, senior Ashley Glickert from the beach volleyball team and several members of the men's soccer team.
The Eagles return to action at home as they play Michigan State on Frday, March 9 at 1 P.M.
Below is a photo of me and the whole team.
Below is a photo of me and the whole team.
 |
| Me with Curtis in the middle. From top left to right: Ascua, Villar, Ornberg, Falceto Font, Perez, Gallegos and Forster |
FGCU WTEN vs. MTSU Recap
The FGCU women’s tennis team (2-2) competed in their second home matchup and defeated Middle Tennessee State (7-4) 5-2. With the win, FGCU is 1-1 against MTSU.
“The girls competed hard in singles today,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “They were focused on bringing a lot of energy and it has showed in every match. I am thankful for this group and their commitment to keep working on their goals. We’re excited to get back to work on Monday in preparation for Georgia State.”
The Eagles lost all three doubles matches in the beginning as the sophomore duo of Sofia Perez and Bridget Forster would fall to junior Costanza Magazzini and sophomore Marta Peris Herrero by a score of 1-6.
Junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg would fall to the junior duo of Kim Kermet and Luisa Zirilli by a score of 5-7 before junior Patricia Villar and freshman Madison Gallegos fell 3-6 to freshman Lee Barnard and senior Maria Josefina Zehnder.
Hoping to bounce back in singles, Ascua would tie the matchup with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Zehnder.
Forster would follow with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Zirilli to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
After Ornberg defeated Magazzini 6-3, 6-2 to make it 3-1, junior Laura Falcto Font would seal the fourth point with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Herrero to give the Eagles the win.
Gallegos, who was named A-SUN Player of the Week, would fall to Kermet 3-6, 3-6 for the Raiders’ second point before Perez gave the Eagles their fifth point with a 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 win over sophomore Lidia Burrows.
The Eagles remain in action at home as they face Georgia State on Friday, Feb. 23 at 10 A.M. as part of their six-matchup homestead.
“The girls competed hard in singles today,” said head coach Courtney Vernon. “They were focused on bringing a lot of energy and it has showed in every match. I am thankful for this group and their commitment to keep working on their goals. We’re excited to get back to work on Monday in preparation for Georgia State.”
The Eagles lost all three doubles matches in the beginning as the sophomore duo of Sofia Perez and Bridget Forster would fall to junior Costanza Magazzini and sophomore Marta Peris Herrero by a score of 1-6.
Junior Julia Ascua and sophomore Maja Ornberg would fall to the junior duo of Kim Kermet and Luisa Zirilli by a score of 5-7 before junior Patricia Villar and freshman Madison Gallegos fell 3-6 to freshman Lee Barnard and senior Maria Josefina Zehnder.
Hoping to bounce back in singles, Ascua would tie the matchup with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Zehnder.
Forster would follow with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Zirilli to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
After Ornberg defeated Magazzini 6-3, 6-2 to make it 3-1, junior Laura Falcto Font would seal the fourth point with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Herrero to give the Eagles the win.
Gallegos, who was named A-SUN Player of the Week, would fall to Kermet 3-6, 3-6 for the Raiders’ second point before Perez gave the Eagles their fifth point with a 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 win over sophomore Lidia Burrows.
The Eagles remain in action at home as they face Georgia State on Friday, Feb. 23 at 10 A.M. as part of their six-matchup homestead.
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.
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.
FGCU WTEN vs FAU Recap
With their season now underway, the FGCU women's tennis team (1-0) opened their season on the road with a 4-3 win over FAU (1-3).
"These women are strong," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "I am very proud of the fight and focus everyone showed. They stuck to the plan even though we were down 3-0 and they were determined to come back. It was a neat experience to a part of. We are looking forward to getting home and getting back to work tomorrow."
The Eagles lost two out of three doubles matches, but bounced back with four singles. The team of junior Patricia Villar and Laura Falceto-Font won the only doubles match as beat the team of seniors Jennifer Leib and Marisa Ruiz by a score of 6-3 on No. 3 doubles. Villar was making her FGCU debut after spending her first two seasons at the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
The team of junior Julia Ascua and senior Julianna Curtis lost to the team of sophomore Aliona Bolsova and freshman Jemi Aguilar by a score of 4-6 while the team of sophomore Maja Ornberg and freshman Madison Gallegos lost 2-6 to freshman Natalia Boltinskaya and redshirt freshman Ja'Cara Gillis, thus giving FAU the first point.
With the score 1-0 in favor of FAU, singles went underway. Ascua would fall to Bolsova 2-6, 0-6. Falceto-Font would fall next losing 0-6, 2-6 to Gills.
With the score 3-0 in favor of FAU, it seemed like it FGCU would lose their opening matchup to start the season, but the Eagles would not give up and fought back in the remaining four singles matches.
Ornberg got the first point for FGCU as the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year beat Boltinskaya 6-1, 6-3. After sophomore Sofia Perez followed with a 6-4 pair decision over junior Kristen Thoms, Villar would tie the score at 3-3 with a 6-3, 7-6 win over senior Jennifer Leib. This was Villar's singles debut for FGCU.
It all came down to one final match between Gallegos and Aguilar. Gallegos would win the first set, but was forced to play a third set after losing in the second set. With all doubt not getting in the way of her playing, the lone freshman sealed the deal strongly with a finish in the third set and gave FGCU the final point needed and the first win of the season. Galllegos finished the match with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 decision.
Up next, the Eagles open with their home opener against FIU on February 4 at 2 p.m.
"These women are strong," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "I am very proud of the fight and focus everyone showed. They stuck to the plan even though we were down 3-0 and they were determined to come back. It was a neat experience to a part of. We are looking forward to getting home and getting back to work tomorrow."
The Eagles lost two out of three doubles matches, but bounced back with four singles. The team of junior Patricia Villar and Laura Falceto-Font won the only doubles match as beat the team of seniors Jennifer Leib and Marisa Ruiz by a score of 6-3 on No. 3 doubles. Villar was making her FGCU debut after spending her first two seasons at the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
The team of junior Julia Ascua and senior Julianna Curtis lost to the team of sophomore Aliona Bolsova and freshman Jemi Aguilar by a score of 4-6 while the team of sophomore Maja Ornberg and freshman Madison Gallegos lost 2-6 to freshman Natalia Boltinskaya and redshirt freshman Ja'Cara Gillis, thus giving FAU the first point.
With the score 1-0 in favor of FAU, singles went underway. Ascua would fall to Bolsova 2-6, 0-6. Falceto-Font would fall next losing 0-6, 2-6 to Gills.
With the score 3-0 in favor of FAU, it seemed like it FGCU would lose their opening matchup to start the season, but the Eagles would not give up and fought back in the remaining four singles matches.
Ornberg got the first point for FGCU as the former A-SUN Freshman of the Year beat Boltinskaya 6-1, 6-3. After sophomore Sofia Perez followed with a 6-4 pair decision over junior Kristen Thoms, Villar would tie the score at 3-3 with a 6-3, 7-6 win over senior Jennifer Leib. This was Villar's singles debut for FGCU.
It all came down to one final match between Gallegos and Aguilar. Gallegos would win the first set, but was forced to play a third set after losing in the second set. With all doubt not getting in the way of her playing, the lone freshman sealed the deal strongly with a finish in the third set and gave FGCU the final point needed and the first win of the season. Galllegos finished the match with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 decision.
Up next, the Eagles open with their home opener against FIU on February 4 at 2 p.m.
FGCU WTEN: Spring Invite Preview
Before the season begins, the FGCU women's tennis teams opens up with the FGCU Spring Invite. The Eagles welcome the University of South Carolina, Rice University, University of Denver, Ole Miss and the University of Kansas.
Of course, the spring invite does not count for season, however it will count, individually, for ranking points in the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
The Eagles are led by Head coach Courtney Vernon. Vernon, who enters her fifth season as head coach. Recently, Vernon was named A-SUN Coach of the Year last season and the second time in her coaching career as well as her second straight year.
Last season, the Eagles finished 15-5 with a 6-0 record in the A-SUN and were the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. During the season, the Eagles had a few moments for the program where they beat USF for the first time in seven meets and conference rival UNF for the first time in 13 meets. At the end of the tournament, the Eagles fell to UNF in the championship.
In addition, the Eagles lost Breana Stampfli and Sara Kelly. Stampfli graduated in the fall semester while Kelly is still enrolled at FGCU, but will be playing professionally.
On the other hand, the Eagles managed to sign two newcomers this past fall semester: Madison "Maddy" Gallegos and Patrica "Patri" Villar. Gallegos, a native of Denver, Colorado, joins FGCU as a freshman after spending her high school career at the Colorado Connection Academy. Villar, a native of Logrono, Spain, joins as a junior after transferring from the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Villar will have two years of remaining eligibility.
FGCU Key Players:
Key returning players that made difference to the team include senior Julianna "Juje" Curtis, junior Juli Ascua, sophomore Maja Ornberg and junior Laura "Lau" Falceto Font.
Curtis, the lone senior on the team, was 13-14 in singles and 23-9 in doubles last year. Curtis primarily played doubles with Ascua and two of her doubles wins came from teaming with former USF player Brooke Lashway. In singles, Curtis played primarily between No. 4 and No. 5 singles. The West Des Moines native was named A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team and an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Ascua, a native of Santa Fe, Argentina, was 16-9 in singles and 21-8 in doubles teaming majorly with Curtis. Ascua earned A-SUN First Team All-Conference honors for the second straight season as well as All-Academic Team recognition in her first year of eligibility while becoming an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Ornberg, a native of Kil, Sweden, spent the entire season in #1 singles and at #2 doubles with Stampfli. Ornberg was 14-9 in singles and 12-10 in doubles, primarily with Stampfli. Ornberg was A-SUN Freshman of the Year, a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection, All-Conference Doubles Team at #2 doubles and a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman Team.
Font was 17-8 in singles and 7-7 in doubles last season. A native of Zaragoza, Spain, Font is a two-time All-Conference Second Team member as well as a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team where she joins Curtis and Ascua as an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Scouting The Lady Pioneers:
Denver went 19-7 last season with an 8-0 record in the Summit League conference. The Lady Pioneers won their conference tournament and advanced to the second round of the national tournament beating USC 4-2 in the first round before falling to Texas Tech 4-1 in the second.
The Lady Pioneers had three players depart from graduating: Morgan Barnhill, Sonja Radosevic and Maureen Slattery. They did manage to ink three upcoming freshman: Hada Chang, Anna Riedmiller and Camille Verden-Anderson.
Returning players to watch out for are redshirt junior Arisha Ladhani, junior Bianca Mok and senior Julia O'Loughlin.
Ladhani, a native of West Vancouver, B.C., Canada and a transfer from UC Irvine, went 17-4 overall in singles and 1-2 in doubles. Ladhani was named to All-Summit League Team last season.
Mok was 16-7 overall in singles and 16-6 in doubles playing all with former player Morgan Barnhill. Mok was also named to All-Summit League Team last season as well last season.
O'Loughlin went 14-9 in singles and 18-3 in doubles playing majorly with former player Maureen Slatterly. O'Loughlin was also named to the All-Summit League Team with Ladhani and Mok.
Scouting The Owls:
Last season, FAU went 18-6 overall with a 6-0 record in C-USA. They won the tournament beating FIU 4-1 before falling to TCU in the first round of the national tournament.
The Owls will lose Alison Ho and Katherine Ip as they graduated, but signed three freshman to join: Anna Bowtell, Michaela Haet and Sofie Moenster.
Returning players to watch for include seniors Savannah Durkin, Lindsey Hodge and Wendy Zhang.
Durkin was 21-7 in singles and 25-9 in doubles. She also was a member of the All C-USA Singles Second Team and All C-USA Doubles Third Team.
Hodge was 23-13 in singles and 23-11 in doubles. The Roswell, Georgia native was a member of the All C-USA First team in singles and doubles, a member of the C-USA All-Academic Team, the Rice Scholar Athlete, C-USA Academic Medalist and C-USA Honor Roll.
Zhang was 27-9 in singles and 24-11 in doubles. The Richmond, B.C., Canada native was a C-USA Commissioner's Medalist, a member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, C-USA Newcomer of the Year and a member of the All C-USA First team in singles and doubles.
Scouting The Rebels:
Ole Miss were 15-14 overall last year with a 3-10 record in the SEC. They did not win the SEC Conference Tournament, but managed to make it to the national tournament. They would defeat William and Mary 4-1 in the first round before falling 1-4 to host UNC in the second round.
The Rebels lost Zalina Khairudinova as she graduated, but they also parted ways with junior Brooke Stevens. The Rebels signed freshman Sabina Machalova to join.
Key returners for the Rebels include senior Arianne Hartono, sophomore Anna Vrbenska and sophomore Alexa Bortles.
Hartono was 20-15 in singles and 15-14 in doubles. A native of Meppel, Netherlands, Hartono was an All-SEC First Team member and ITA Scholar-Athlete. This was the third straight time Hartono was named ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Vrbenska, a native of Podebrady, Czech Republic, was 18-9 in singles and 18-13 in doubles last season.
Bortles was 10-7 in singles and 14-12 in doubles.
Scouting The Jayhawks:
Kansas was 14-15 overall with a 4-5 record in the Big 12. They would lose in the conference championship to Oklahoma State. The doubles teams went to the national tournament defeating Mississippi State 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 in the first round before falling 6-4, 6-2 to Denver in the second round.
The Jayhawks lost lone senior Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum, but have signed freshman Carla Pons Martorell.
Returning players junior Janet Koch, junior Anastasia Rychagova, and sophomore Maria Toran-Ribes.
Koch, a native of Durbanville, South Africa, was 10-6 in singles and 9-7 in doubles.
Rychagova was 15-4 in singles and 12-4 in doubles. The Moscow native and former Big 12 Freshman of the Year and ITA Central Region Rookie of the Year, was named a member of the All-Big 12 Singles First Team for the second straight season as well as a Big 12 All-Academic First Team member. Rychagova is currently ranked as the #1 player in the nation.
Toran-Ribes, a native of AlgemesÃ, Spain, was 14-4 in singles and 14-5 in doubles.
The FGCU Spring Invite will start from January 13-15, 2018. Times are yet to be determined, but chances are that they are in the early morning (probably between 8 and 9 A.M.).
Of course, the spring invite does not count for season, however it will count, individually, for ranking points in the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
The Eagles are led by Head coach Courtney Vernon. Vernon, who enters her fifth season as head coach. Recently, Vernon was named A-SUN Coach of the Year last season and the second time in her coaching career as well as her second straight year.
Last season, the Eagles finished 15-5 with a 6-0 record in the A-SUN and were the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. During the season, the Eagles had a few moments for the program where they beat USF for the first time in seven meets and conference rival UNF for the first time in 13 meets. At the end of the tournament, the Eagles fell to UNF in the championship.
In addition, the Eagles lost Breana Stampfli and Sara Kelly. Stampfli graduated in the fall semester while Kelly is still enrolled at FGCU, but will be playing professionally.
On the other hand, the Eagles managed to sign two newcomers this past fall semester: Madison "Maddy" Gallegos and Patrica "Patri" Villar. Gallegos, a native of Denver, Colorado, joins FGCU as a freshman after spending her high school career at the Colorado Connection Academy. Villar, a native of Logrono, Spain, joins as a junior after transferring from the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Villar will have two years of remaining eligibility.
FGCU Key Players:
Key returning players that made difference to the team include senior Julianna "Juje" Curtis, junior Juli Ascua, sophomore Maja Ornberg and junior Laura "Lau" Falceto Font.
Curtis, the lone senior on the team, was 13-14 in singles and 23-9 in doubles last year. Curtis primarily played doubles with Ascua and two of her doubles wins came from teaming with former USF player Brooke Lashway. In singles, Curtis played primarily between No. 4 and No. 5 singles. The West Des Moines native was named A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team and an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Ascua, a native of Santa Fe, Argentina, was 16-9 in singles and 21-8 in doubles teaming majorly with Curtis. Ascua earned A-SUN First Team All-Conference honors for the second straight season as well as All-Academic Team recognition in her first year of eligibility while becoming an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Ornberg, a native of Kil, Sweden, spent the entire season in #1 singles and at #2 doubles with Stampfli. Ornberg was 14-9 in singles and 12-10 in doubles, primarily with Stampfli. Ornberg was A-SUN Freshman of the Year, a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection, All-Conference Doubles Team at #2 doubles and a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman Team.
Font was 17-8 in singles and 7-7 in doubles last season. A native of Zaragoza, Spain, Font is a two-time All-Conference Second Team member as well as a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team where she joins Curtis and Ascua as an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Scouting The Lady Pioneers:
Denver went 19-7 last season with an 8-0 record in the Summit League conference. The Lady Pioneers won their conference tournament and advanced to the second round of the national tournament beating USC 4-2 in the first round before falling to Texas Tech 4-1 in the second.
The Lady Pioneers had three players depart from graduating: Morgan Barnhill, Sonja Radosevic and Maureen Slattery. They did manage to ink three upcoming freshman: Hada Chang, Anna Riedmiller and Camille Verden-Anderson.
Returning players to watch out for are redshirt junior Arisha Ladhani, junior Bianca Mok and senior Julia O'Loughlin.
Ladhani, a native of West Vancouver, B.C., Canada and a transfer from UC Irvine, went 17-4 overall in singles and 1-2 in doubles. Ladhani was named to All-Summit League Team last season.
Mok was 16-7 overall in singles and 16-6 in doubles playing all with former player Morgan Barnhill. Mok was also named to All-Summit League Team last season as well last season.
O'Loughlin went 14-9 in singles and 18-3 in doubles playing majorly with former player Maureen Slatterly. O'Loughlin was also named to the All-Summit League Team with Ladhani and Mok.
Scouting The Owls:
Last season, FAU went 18-6 overall with a 6-0 record in C-USA. They won the tournament beating FIU 4-1 before falling to TCU in the first round of the national tournament.
The Owls will lose Alison Ho and Katherine Ip as they graduated, but signed three freshman to join: Anna Bowtell, Michaela Haet and Sofie Moenster.
Returning players to watch for include seniors Savannah Durkin, Lindsey Hodge and Wendy Zhang.
Durkin was 21-7 in singles and 25-9 in doubles. She also was a member of the All C-USA Singles Second Team and All C-USA Doubles Third Team.
Hodge was 23-13 in singles and 23-11 in doubles. The Roswell, Georgia native was a member of the All C-USA First team in singles and doubles, a member of the C-USA All-Academic Team, the Rice Scholar Athlete, C-USA Academic Medalist and C-USA Honor Roll.
Zhang was 27-9 in singles and 24-11 in doubles. The Richmond, B.C., Canada native was a C-USA Commissioner's Medalist, a member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, C-USA Newcomer of the Year and a member of the All C-USA First team in singles and doubles.
Scouting The Rebels:
Ole Miss were 15-14 overall last year with a 3-10 record in the SEC. They did not win the SEC Conference Tournament, but managed to make it to the national tournament. They would defeat William and Mary 4-1 in the first round before falling 1-4 to host UNC in the second round.
The Rebels lost Zalina Khairudinova as she graduated, but they also parted ways with junior Brooke Stevens. The Rebels signed freshman Sabina Machalova to join.
Key returners for the Rebels include senior Arianne Hartono, sophomore Anna Vrbenska and sophomore Alexa Bortles.
Hartono was 20-15 in singles and 15-14 in doubles. A native of Meppel, Netherlands, Hartono was an All-SEC First Team member and ITA Scholar-Athlete. This was the third straight time Hartono was named ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Vrbenska, a native of Podebrady, Czech Republic, was 18-9 in singles and 18-13 in doubles last season.
Bortles was 10-7 in singles and 14-12 in doubles.
Scouting The Jayhawks:
Kansas was 14-15 overall with a 4-5 record in the Big 12. They would lose in the conference championship to Oklahoma State. The doubles teams went to the national tournament defeating Mississippi State 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 in the first round before falling 6-4, 6-2 to Denver in the second round.
The Jayhawks lost lone senior Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum, but have signed freshman Carla Pons Martorell.
Returning players junior Janet Koch, junior Anastasia Rychagova, and sophomore Maria Toran-Ribes.
Koch, a native of Durbanville, South Africa, was 10-6 in singles and 9-7 in doubles.
Rychagova was 15-4 in singles and 12-4 in doubles. The Moscow native and former Big 12 Freshman of the Year and ITA Central Region Rookie of the Year, was named a member of the All-Big 12 Singles First Team for the second straight season as well as a Big 12 All-Academic First Team member. Rychagova is currently ranked as the #1 player in the nation.
Toran-Ribes, a native of AlgemesÃ, Spain, was 14-4 in singles and 14-5 in doubles.
The FGCU Spring Invite will start from January 13-15, 2018. Times are yet to be determined, but chances are that they are in the early morning (probably between 8 and 9 A.M.).
FGCU Women's Tennis Bios
With a new season means a new team, and for the FGCU women's tennis team is no acception.
Last season, the women's tennis went 15-5 overall with a perfect 6-0 in conference. They made it to the Conference finals before falling to conference member UNF. During the season, the women's tennis team had some historic moments. They beat USF for the first time in program history and
Throughout the season, 15 conference awards were awarded to the team: Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Three First Team All-Conference members, one Second Team All-Conference member in singles, one All-Conference honors in doubles, three All-Freshman Team members, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and three All-Academic Team members.
The team is led by Coutney Vernon. Vernon, a native of Solon, Ohio, enters her fifth season as head coach.
Prior to her coaching career, Vernon was ranked among the best young tennis players in the region and nation. She was the No. 4-ranked singles player for 18 and Under in the Midwest, the No. 13 ranked singles player in the same demographic nationally and one half of a doubles pairing which was ranked the third-best team in the nation 18 and Under.
Vernon then went on to play for USF. There, Vernon served as the team captain as the No. 1 and 2 player for USF during the 2006-07 season in which she went a perfect 23-0 and qualified for the NCAA singles championship.
Entering the year, she was listed by the International Tennis Association (ITA) as the South Region’s “Player to Watch,” and lived up to that distinction by earning a singles ITA Collegiate Ranking as high as No. 38.
After forfeiting her college eligibility, Vernon turned pro and had her best two finishes in top International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments, reaching the singles quarterfinals at Evansville, Ind. and St. Joseph, Mo., and made it to the semifinal round of both events in doubles action. She also competed in Pro Circuit tournaments in Japan, Mexico and Australia. Vernon’s highest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles ranking was No. 638, while her highest doubles WTA ranking was No. 811.
After her tenure being pro, Vernon returned to USF as an undergraduate assistant tennis coach before taking a position as an assistant men's and women's coach for Colgate University for two years.
After her tenure with the Raiders, Vernon took a job as head coach for FGCU's women's tennis team.
In Vernon's first year, the team went 14-8 overall with a 6-2 record in conference. Vernon recruited and helped then A-SUN Freshman of the Year Breana Stampfli.
In her second year, Vernon went 10-12 with a 4-2 record in conference. They made it to the tournament championship finals match as the No. 3 seed before falling to UNF.
In Vernon's third season, the team went 12-9 with a 5-1 record in conference. She helped then A-SUN Freshman Player of the Year Joselyn Treyes and A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year Elizabeth Means. The team entered as the No. 2 seed in the tournament, but would fall to UNF in the finals. Vernon was also named A-SUN Co-Coach of the Year.
Vernon's third season was the moment for the time to shine. The team went 15-5 overall with a perfect 6-0 record in conference. During the season, the team had two shining moments: they beat USF for the first time in program history in seven matches and conference rival UNF for the first time in 13 matches. As a result, FGCU was named as the No. 1 seed in the tournament, but would once again fall to UNF in the finals. Vernon, however, was named A-SUN Coach of the Year once again.
For coach Vernon, the journey to the championship is still in her grasp for the opportunity.
Joining Vernon as an assistant coach is none other than the Swiss Superwoman: Alex Landert.
A native of Zurich, Switzerland, Landert enters her first season as a coach for the team.
Tennis runs in her family, as her younger brother, Oliver, plays for FGCU's men's tennis team.
Prior to her coaching career, Landert started her collegiate tennis career, as a player, at Seton Hall.
In her freshman year, Landert totaled 12 singles victories and went 8-2 in doubles for her first season. She was named a Big East Academic All-Star.
In her sophomore year, Landert had a 10-8 overall record in singles and a 13-10 overall record on the doubles court.
After her two-season tenure with the Hall, Landert transferred to FGCU as a junior. There, she finished the season with an overall singles record of 6-8 overall with a 4-2 record in conference and 9-7 record playing doubles with a 4-2 mark in the conference. She went 7-9 overall.
In her senior year at FGCU, Landert missed a majority of the season due to a hip injury, but went 6-6 overall in singles competition and 2-0 in conference as the No. 3 position in the A-SUN and posted a 7-5 overall record in doubles competition.
With her moment to shine as an assistant coach, Landert is surely bringing back the Swiss Superwoman at FGCU.
The lone senior on the team is Julianna "Juje" Curtis.
Hailing from West Des Moines, Iowa, Curtis comes to FGCU with a passion and a lot of smarts.
In her freshman year, Curtis had overall record of 6-7 with a 3-5 record in singles and 2-6 record in doubles.
In her sophomore year, Curtis, playing strongly at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, went 19-2 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference play and went 18-11 overall in singles play, including a 4-2 conference mark in the No. 4 position. Curtis did so well that she was named on the A-SUN Second-Team All-Conference in doubles and to the A-SUN All-Academic Team.
Curtis's junior year was her moment to shine. She turned in 13 overall wins this season with five wins coming in dual matches and one coming in conference play mainly transitioning between No. 3 to No. 5 singles. Curtis was 12-5 in #1 doubles, which ranked tied for the second most wins in the conference, including a 3-1 mark in conference play. As a result on the tennis court and off the tennis court, Curtis was unanimously named on the A-SUN All-Academic Team for the second time as well as being named A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year and an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
With her smarts on and off the court, Curtis will make her senior year a journey to remember.
To back up Curtis, three juniors definitely come into play: Julia Ascúa, Sofia Blanno and Laura Falceto Font.
The first junior is Julia Ascúa.
Hailing from Santa Fe, Argentina, Ascúa is more of the powerhouse for the team.
In her freshman year, Ascúa, playing majorly as No. 3 singles, turned in a team-leading 22 overall wins in singles competition and 19-2 in overall in doubles with a perfect 6-0 in conference, teaming up with Curtis in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Ascúa did so well her freshman year, she was named a unanimous selection to the A-Sun All-Conference First Team and was the only freshman to appear on the list, earned Second-Team All-Conference honors in doubles competition, named to the All-Freshman Team and went 2-0 in both singles and doubles play during the A-SUN Tournament where she was named to the All-Tournament Team.
In her sophomore year, Ascúa, still majorly playing her role as No. 3 singles, registered 12 dual match wins and went 16-9 overall in singles with a perfect 4-0 record in conference and still teaming with Curtis, went 12-5 in #1 doubles, which ranked tied for the second most wins in the conference. Ascúa once again earned A-SUN First Team All-Conference for the second time, earned A-SUN All-Academic Team recognition in her first year of eligibility and was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
For the Jet, she will give all the power she has to make it work.
Next up is someone who I share a special handshake with: Sofia Blanno.
Coming from John Creeks, Georgia, Blanno comes into play strongly.
Prior to FGCU, Blanno spent her freshman at Auburn University where she went 1-6 in singles play and 1-2 in doubles competition during the season.
After transferring to FGCU her sophomore year, Blanno appeared in eight matches and went 4-4 overall, mainly as No. 6 singles. She was also named an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
For the Golden Savage, she will get more playing and give it all she's got.
Lastly is the Lioness of Espana: Laura "Lau" Falceto Font.
Hailing from Zaragoza, Spain, Font is mainly the speedster on the team.
In her freshman year, Font, playing primarily at No. 6 singles, led FGCU with 13 dual-match wins and ranked T-3 in the conference in the category with a 6-0 record in conference. Font primarily played with Elizabeth Means in No. 3 doubles to go 8-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play. As a result of her hard work, Font was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and A-SUN All-Freshman Team.
In her sophomore year, Font played anywhere from the No. 3 to No. 6 position in singles action. She went 17-8 overall, led the conference with a 9-3 record while primarily playing #4 singles, and went a perfect 6-0 against A-SUN opponents. As a result, Font was named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team for the second time, a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team and named an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
For the Lioness of Espana, she will show the speed that she's got to bring to the court.
FGCU managed to ink a new transfer to join the team: Patricia "Patri" Villar.
Hailing from Logrono, Spain, Villar came to make her mark with an excellent opportunity.
Prior to FGCU, Villar spent her first two years at the University of Louisiana-Monroe of the Sun Belt Conference.
In her freshman year at ULM, Villar went 20-10 including a 14-5 mark in dual matches and 3-1 record in conference in singles
In her sophomore year, Villar posted a 10-6 overall record and went 4-0 in conference.
Villar also gains experience at the national tournament level. After winning in the Sun Belt Conference Championship, Villar punched her ticket to the tournament before falling in the first round to Texas A&M.
Vilar joins FGCU as a junior with two years of eligibility remaining, and I'm looking forward to the change she will make to help FGCU.
Three sophomores join the fray to help: Bridget Forster, Sofia Perez and Maja Ornberg.
The first sophomore is Bridget Forster.
Hailing from Boca Raton, Florida, Forster makes a great impact for the team.
In her freshman year, Forster, mainly playing in No. 5 and No. 6 singles, went 14-6 overall with a 7-1 record in dual matches and posted a 4-1 record in conference play. Primarily paired with Sara Kelly, Forster went 8-2 in dual matches and 2-2 in the A-SUN. She did so well that she was named a member of the A-SUN All-Freshman Team and named an ITA Scholar-Athlete along with Curtis, Kelly, Blanno, Font and Ascúa.
For Forster, there is no doubt she will give it everything she's got.
A player who is always look to put her foot in the door is Sofia Perez.
Hailing from Alajuela, Costa Rica, Perez came to play late for FGCU, but played strong.
In her freshman year, Perez played in five matches and went 4-1 overall in singles play and went 0-2 doubles.
Even though she was limited playing, Perez came to still make her mark.
The last sophomore who made the biggest statement is Maja Ornberg.
Hailing from Kil, Sweden, Ornberg came to make her mark.
Prior to FGCU, Ornberg competed for Riksidrottsgymnasiet Tennis program where she tallied eight career doubles wins on the ATP/WTA Tour and ITF Pro Circuit and won five singles matches on the above circuits.
In her freshman year, Ornberg took the world by storm. Ornberg recorded 14 overall wins on the season with a 4-2 record in conference, and spent the entire season in #1 singles and was one of five Eagles to register double-digit wins with a 10-7 dual match record. Pairing with Stampfli, Ornberg tied for the conference lead with 9 wins in #2 doubles and went 4-1 against league competition.
Because of her hard work, Ornberg earned a plethora of postseason honors. She was named A-SUN Freshman of the Year, the third in program history, a unanimous A-SUN First Team All-Conference selection, A-SUN Second Team All-Conference in #2 doubles and a unanimous selection to the A-SUN All-Freshman Team.
With her hard work, the Swedish Sensation will continue to make her mark for FGCU.
The last member on the team and the lone freshman is Madison Gallegos.
Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Gallegos came to make her presence known.
Prior to FGCU, Gallegos attended the Colorado Connection Academy, where she played a number of tournaments in the Southwest Florida and competed in the main draw of the Junior Orange Bowl and Orange Bowl where she claimed several intermountain sectional championships and regional championships. She defeated second-seeded Eva Raszkiewicz 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 in the semis and top-seeded Viva Laas 6-3, 6-1 in the finals to be crowned women’s open singles champion at the 47th annual City of Naples Tennis Championships.
Gallegos also won the Southwest Florida Clay Court Championships as the top seed and advanced to the round of 16 at the ITF Indian Harbour Beach. Gallegos was ranked #1 in the intermountain section as a 12, 14 and 16-year-old being tabbed top-50 nationally in all three years.
For Gallegos, this year will be her moment to shine for the team.
Every time I see the women's tennis team play, I think of all the hard work they put in to make their season more stronger each time. Players from Maja and Lau returning to continue their marks to Patricia and Madison make their new marks with a new team.
Nonetheless, the team is looking strong and better than ever each year.
PC: http://www.fgcuathletics.com/index.aspx
Last season, the women's tennis went 15-5 overall with a perfect 6-0 in conference. They made it to the Conference finals before falling to conference member UNF. During the season, the women's tennis team had some historic moments. They beat USF for the first time in program history and
Throughout the season, 15 conference awards were awarded to the team: Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Three First Team All-Conference members, one Second Team All-Conference member in singles, one All-Conference honors in doubles, three All-Freshman Team members, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and three All-Academic Team members.
The team is led by Coutney Vernon. Vernon, a native of Solon, Ohio, enters her fifth season as head coach.
Prior to her coaching career, Vernon was ranked among the best young tennis players in the region and nation. She was the No. 4-ranked singles player for 18 and Under in the Midwest, the No. 13 ranked singles player in the same demographic nationally and one half of a doubles pairing which was ranked the third-best team in the nation 18 and Under.
Vernon then went on to play for USF. There, Vernon served as the team captain as the No. 1 and 2 player for USF during the 2006-07 season in which she went a perfect 23-0 and qualified for the NCAA singles championship.
Entering the year, she was listed by the International Tennis Association (ITA) as the South Region’s “Player to Watch,” and lived up to that distinction by earning a singles ITA Collegiate Ranking as high as No. 38.
After forfeiting her college eligibility, Vernon turned pro and had her best two finishes in top International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments, reaching the singles quarterfinals at Evansville, Ind. and St. Joseph, Mo., and made it to the semifinal round of both events in doubles action. She also competed in Pro Circuit tournaments in Japan, Mexico and Australia. Vernon’s highest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles ranking was No. 638, while her highest doubles WTA ranking was No. 811.
After her tenure being pro, Vernon returned to USF as an undergraduate assistant tennis coach before taking a position as an assistant men's and women's coach for Colgate University for two years.
After her tenure with the Raiders, Vernon took a job as head coach for FGCU's women's tennis team.
In Vernon's first year, the team went 14-8 overall with a 6-2 record in conference. Vernon recruited and helped then A-SUN Freshman of the Year Breana Stampfli.
In her second year, Vernon went 10-12 with a 4-2 record in conference. They made it to the tournament championship finals match as the No. 3 seed before falling to UNF.
In Vernon's third season, the team went 12-9 with a 5-1 record in conference. She helped then A-SUN Freshman Player of the Year Joselyn Treyes and A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year Elizabeth Means. The team entered as the No. 2 seed in the tournament, but would fall to UNF in the finals. Vernon was also named A-SUN Co-Coach of the Year.
Vernon's third season was the moment for the time to shine. The team went 15-5 overall with a perfect 6-0 record in conference. During the season, the team had two shining moments: they beat USF for the first time in program history in seven matches and conference rival UNF for the first time in 13 matches. As a result, FGCU was named as the No. 1 seed in the tournament, but would once again fall to UNF in the finals. Vernon, however, was named A-SUN Coach of the Year once again.
For coach Vernon, the journey to the championship is still in her grasp for the opportunity.
Joining Vernon as an assistant coach is none other than the Swiss Superwoman: Alex Landert.
A native of Zurich, Switzerland, Landert enters her first season as a coach for the team.
Tennis runs in her family, as her younger brother, Oliver, plays for FGCU's men's tennis team.
Prior to her coaching career, Landert started her collegiate tennis career, as a player, at Seton Hall.
In her freshman year, Landert totaled 12 singles victories and went 8-2 in doubles for her first season. She was named a Big East Academic All-Star.
In her sophomore year, Landert had a 10-8 overall record in singles and a 13-10 overall record on the doubles court.
After her two-season tenure with the Hall, Landert transferred to FGCU as a junior. There, she finished the season with an overall singles record of 6-8 overall with a 4-2 record in conference and 9-7 record playing doubles with a 4-2 mark in the conference. She went 7-9 overall.
In her senior year at FGCU, Landert missed a majority of the season due to a hip injury, but went 6-6 overall in singles competition and 2-0 in conference as the No. 3 position in the A-SUN and posted a 7-5 overall record in doubles competition.
With her moment to shine as an assistant coach, Landert is surely bringing back the Swiss Superwoman at FGCU.
This year, the team will lose two players: senior Breana Stampfli and sophomore Sara Kelly.
Stampfli is graduating in the fall and Kelly is going to play professional for the team.
The team consists of one senior, three juniors, one transfer, two sophomores and one freshman.
Stampfli is graduating in the fall and Kelly is going to play professional for the team.
The team consists of one senior, three juniors, one transfer, two sophomores and one freshman.
The lone senior on the team is Julianna "Juje" Curtis.
Hailing from West Des Moines, Iowa, Curtis comes to FGCU with a passion and a lot of smarts.
In her freshman year, Curtis had overall record of 6-7 with a 3-5 record in singles and 2-6 record in doubles.
In her sophomore year, Curtis, playing strongly at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, went 19-2 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference play and went 18-11 overall in singles play, including a 4-2 conference mark in the No. 4 position. Curtis did so well that she was named on the A-SUN Second-Team All-Conference in doubles and to the A-SUN All-Academic Team.
Curtis's junior year was her moment to shine. She turned in 13 overall wins this season with five wins coming in dual matches and one coming in conference play mainly transitioning between No. 3 to No. 5 singles. Curtis was 12-5 in #1 doubles, which ranked tied for the second most wins in the conference, including a 3-1 mark in conference play. As a result on the tennis court and off the tennis court, Curtis was unanimously named on the A-SUN All-Academic Team for the second time as well as being named A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year and an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
With her smarts on and off the court, Curtis will make her senior year a journey to remember.
To back up Curtis, three juniors definitely come into play: Julia Ascúa, Sofia Blanno and Laura Falceto Font.
The first junior is Julia Ascúa.
Hailing from Santa Fe, Argentina, Ascúa is more of the powerhouse for the team.
In her freshman year, Ascúa, playing majorly as No. 3 singles, turned in a team-leading 22 overall wins in singles competition and 19-2 in overall in doubles with a perfect 6-0 in conference, teaming up with Curtis in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Ascúa did so well her freshman year, she was named a unanimous selection to the A-Sun All-Conference First Team and was the only freshman to appear on the list, earned Second-Team All-Conference honors in doubles competition, named to the All-Freshman Team and went 2-0 in both singles and doubles play during the A-SUN Tournament where she was named to the All-Tournament Team.
In her sophomore year, Ascúa, still majorly playing her role as No. 3 singles, registered 12 dual match wins and went 16-9 overall in singles with a perfect 4-0 record in conference and still teaming with Curtis, went 12-5 in #1 doubles, which ranked tied for the second most wins in the conference. Ascúa once again earned A-SUN First Team All-Conference for the second time, earned A-SUN All-Academic Team recognition in her first year of eligibility and was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
For the Jet, she will give all the power she has to make it work.
Next up is someone who I share a special handshake with: Sofia Blanno.
Coming from John Creeks, Georgia, Blanno comes into play strongly.
Prior to FGCU, Blanno spent her freshman at Auburn University where she went 1-6 in singles play and 1-2 in doubles competition during the season.
After transferring to FGCU her sophomore year, Blanno appeared in eight matches and went 4-4 overall, mainly as No. 6 singles. She was also named an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
For the Golden Savage, she will get more playing and give it all she's got.
Lastly is the Lioness of Espana: Laura "Lau" Falceto Font.
Hailing from Zaragoza, Spain, Font is mainly the speedster on the team.
In her freshman year, Font, playing primarily at No. 6 singles, led FGCU with 13 dual-match wins and ranked T-3 in the conference in the category with a 6-0 record in conference. Font primarily played with Elizabeth Means in No. 3 doubles to go 8-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play. As a result of her hard work, Font was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and A-SUN All-Freshman Team.
In her sophomore year, Font played anywhere from the No. 3 to No. 6 position in singles action. She went 17-8 overall, led the conference with a 9-3 record while primarily playing #4 singles, and went a perfect 6-0 against A-SUN opponents. As a result, Font was named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team for the second time, a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team and named an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
For the Lioness of Espana, she will show the speed that she's got to bring to the court.
FGCU managed to ink a new transfer to join the team: Patricia "Patri" Villar.
Hailing from Logrono, Spain, Villar came to make her mark with an excellent opportunity.
Prior to FGCU, Villar spent her first two years at the University of Louisiana-Monroe of the Sun Belt Conference.
In her freshman year at ULM, Villar went 20-10 including a 14-5 mark in dual matches and 3-1 record in conference in singles
In her sophomore year, Villar posted a 10-6 overall record and went 4-0 in conference.
Villar also gains experience at the national tournament level. After winning in the Sun Belt Conference Championship, Villar punched her ticket to the tournament before falling in the first round to Texas A&M.
Vilar joins FGCU as a junior with two years of eligibility remaining, and I'm looking forward to the change she will make to help FGCU.
Three sophomores join the fray to help: Bridget Forster, Sofia Perez and Maja Ornberg.
The first sophomore is Bridget Forster.
Hailing from Boca Raton, Florida, Forster makes a great impact for the team.
In her freshman year, Forster, mainly playing in No. 5 and No. 6 singles, went 14-6 overall with a 7-1 record in dual matches and posted a 4-1 record in conference play. Primarily paired with Sara Kelly, Forster went 8-2 in dual matches and 2-2 in the A-SUN. She did so well that she was named a member of the A-SUN All-Freshman Team and named an ITA Scholar-Athlete along with Curtis, Kelly, Blanno, Font and Ascúa.
For Forster, there is no doubt she will give it everything she's got.
A player who is always look to put her foot in the door is Sofia Perez.
Hailing from Alajuela, Costa Rica, Perez came to play late for FGCU, but played strong.
In her freshman year, Perez played in five matches and went 4-1 overall in singles play and went 0-2 doubles.
Even though she was limited playing, Perez came to still make her mark.
The last sophomore who made the biggest statement is Maja Ornberg.
Hailing from Kil, Sweden, Ornberg came to make her mark.
Prior to FGCU, Ornberg competed for Riksidrottsgymnasiet Tennis program where she tallied eight career doubles wins on the ATP/WTA Tour and ITF Pro Circuit and won five singles matches on the above circuits.
In her freshman year, Ornberg took the world by storm. Ornberg recorded 14 overall wins on the season with a 4-2 record in conference, and spent the entire season in #1 singles and was one of five Eagles to register double-digit wins with a 10-7 dual match record. Pairing with Stampfli, Ornberg tied for the conference lead with 9 wins in #2 doubles and went 4-1 against league competition.
Because of her hard work, Ornberg earned a plethora of postseason honors. She was named A-SUN Freshman of the Year, the third in program history, a unanimous A-SUN First Team All-Conference selection, A-SUN Second Team All-Conference in #2 doubles and a unanimous selection to the A-SUN All-Freshman Team.
With her hard work, the Swedish Sensation will continue to make her mark for FGCU.
The last member on the team and the lone freshman is Madison Gallegos.
Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Gallegos came to make her presence known.
Prior to FGCU, Gallegos attended the Colorado Connection Academy, where she played a number of tournaments in the Southwest Florida and competed in the main draw of the Junior Orange Bowl and Orange Bowl where she claimed several intermountain sectional championships and regional championships. She defeated second-seeded Eva Raszkiewicz 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 in the semis and top-seeded Viva Laas 6-3, 6-1 in the finals to be crowned women’s open singles champion at the 47th annual City of Naples Tennis Championships.
Gallegos also won the Southwest Florida Clay Court Championships as the top seed and advanced to the round of 16 at the ITF Indian Harbour Beach. Gallegos was ranked #1 in the intermountain section as a 12, 14 and 16-year-old being tabbed top-50 nationally in all three years.
For Gallegos, this year will be her moment to shine for the team.
Every time I see the women's tennis team play, I think of all the hard work they put in to make their season more stronger each time. Players from Maja and Lau returning to continue their marks to Patricia and Madison make their new marks with a new team.
Nonetheless, the team is looking strong and better than ever each year.
PC: http://www.fgcuathletics.com/index.aspx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)