Women's Tennis | 1/31/2014 12:00:00 AM
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – In its first trip outside The Nest this season, the FGCU women's tennis team fell 6-1 to No. 9 Miami Friday afternoon in Coral Gables. Candela Munoz (Alicante, Spain/Troy) picked up the Eagles' sole win.
FGCU moves to 2-2 on the season as the defending Atlantic Coast Conference Champions improve to 3-0.
“We faced a very talented team today,” head coach Courtney Vernon said. “Miami has a reputation of excellence in the tennis community. The girls learned things about their game today, and we look forward to getting back on our home courts against FIU tomorrow.”
Earning a point for the Green and Blue was Munoz after a three-set fight against Brittany Dubins in six singles. Dubins took the first set 6-2, but Giron flipped the score in the second to knot the match at one set apiece. In the 10-point tiebreaker, Giron kept focused en route to her 10-8 win and secure of the match. Giron moves to a prefect 5-0 in singles play this season and is the Eagles only undefeated player.
The Hurricanes claimed an early lead as the 29th-ranked pair Monique Albuquerque and Clementina Riobueno defeated Johanna Sterkel (Schwetzingen, Germany/Carl-Theodor-Schule HS) and Bettina Botha (Cape Town, South Africa/De Kuilen HS) in the No. 2 doubles slot, 6-1. Picking up a win in the No. 3 match to clinch the doubles point were 55th-ranked Brittany Dubins and Stephanie Wagner with a 6-0 win over Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago/St. Joseph's Convent) and Gyanna Mandic (Oshowa, Canada/Edison Academies).
The Hurricanes proved their top-ten national mark is well deserved as they won each of the remaining five singles matches in straight sets.
The Eagles will return home to host FIU on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Bethune-Cookman Sunday at 1 p.m.
For complete coverage of FGCU women's tennis follow us on Twitter at @FGCU_WTEN and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available at the end of each day.
Singles
1. No. 64 Kelsey Laurente (UM) def. Sarah Means (FGCU) 6-1, 6-0
2. No. 32 Stephanie Wagner (UM) def. Breana Stampfli (FGCU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Clementina Riobueno (UM) def. Johanna Sterkel (FGCU) 7-5, 6-1
4. Lina Lileikite (UM) def. Bettina Botha (FGCU) 6-0, 6-2
5. Monique Albuquerque (UM) def. Elizabeth Means (FGCU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Candela Munoz Giron (FGCU) def. Brittany Dubins (UM) 2-6, 6-2, 10-8
Doubles
1. Kelsey Laurente/Melissa Bolivar (UM), Sarah Means/Elizabeth Means (FGCU) 4-0, unfinished
2. No. 29 Monique Albuquerque/Clementina Riobueno (UM) def. Johanna Sterkel/Bettina Botha (FGCU) 6-1
3. No. 55 Brittany Dubins/Stephanie Wagner (UM) def. Gyanna Mandic/Breana Stampfli (FGCU) 6-0
