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FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's tennis team got its season off to a good start at the Bedford Cup as five Eagles advanced to the quarterfinal round in singles play and a duo advanced to the semifinal round in doubles play on Friday at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
"The girls competed very well today," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "The energy and competitiveness in both singles and doubles was very exciting to be a part of. I'm thrilled with the tremendous progress that these ladies have made in a short period of time, and I'm excited they have the chance to compete again tomorrow."
 
In 'A' flight singles play, freshman Joselyn Treyes Albarracin (Guayaquil, Ecuador/InterAmerican Academy) got the Eagles off to a fast start with a victory against UCF's Caroline Eberhart (6-3, 6-1). She then kept the momentum going and punched FGCU's first ticket to the quarterfinal round after defeating FIU's Carlotta Orlando (6-0, 6-2). Also in 'A' flight singles play, Elizabeth Means (Washington, D.C./Wiregrass Ranch HS) and Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Joseph's Covenant) both suffered hard-fought losses in round one. Means fell to UCF's Sofia Baptista (6-2, 7-5), while Stampfli took USF's Vera Bessonova to three sets, but ultimately fell 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
 
In the 'B" flight, all four of FGCU representatives advanced to Saturday's quarterfinal round. Sophomore Julianna Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) put together a pair of victories against UCF's Alexandra Lyubimova (6-2, 6-1) and FIU's Katie Brozovich (7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-4), while Alex Landert (Zurich, Switzerland/Seton Hall) notched wins versus Stetson's Anja Erwin (6-1, 6-2) and FAU's Jazz Whittaker (6-4, 3-6, 6-2) to cap off singles play on Friday afternoon. Additionally, a duo of FGCU freshmen in Julia Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) and Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) advanced to the final eight in singles play. Ascúa defeated FIU's Andrea Lazaro (6-4, 6-4) and UCF's Diana Dehterevich (7-5, 6-4) and Falceto Font downed FAU's Heather Walton (6-4, 6-1) and USF's Juliana Cardosa (4-6, 6-2, 7-5) en route to their quarterfinal appearances on Saturday.
 
In the afternoon session, Ascúa and Curtis teamed up to put together a pair of wins in 'B' flight doubles play and advanced to Saturday's semifinal round. To get there, the eighth-seeded duo recorded a pair of upsets against Stetson's Erwin and Lyubimova (6-2) and USF's Cardosa and Olga Martinez (6-2).
 
A pair of additional FGCU doubles partners advanced to the quarterfinal round unscathed, but entered Saturday's North Consolation after suffering defeats in the round of eight. In 'A' flight doubles play, Means and Stampfli defeated a tough UNF duo in Noemi Hemmerich and Quetzali Vazquez (7-5) before falling to Miami's Silvia Fuentes and Clementina Riobueno. In the 'B' flight, Landert teamed with Treyes Albarracin and advanced to the final eight with a victory against Bethune-Cookman's Hilary Hanton and Matea Roki (6-4). However, the duo dropped their last match of the afternoon to FIU's Nerma Caluk and Andrea Lazaro.
 
SCHEDULE OF COMPETITION
Singles A – Quarterfinals:
Joselyn Treyes Albarracin vs. Wendy Zhang (Miami) – 8:00 a.m.
 
Singles A – Consolation Round of 16:
Elizabeth Means vs. Ana Roman Dominguez (USF) – 8:00 a.m.
Breana Stampfli vs. Maja Salibasic (Stetson) – 8:00 a.m.
 
Singles B – Quarterfinals:
Julianna Curtis vs. Luise Intert (UNF) – 9:45 a.m.
Julia Ascúa vs. Nerma Caluk (FIU) – 9:45 a.m.
Laura Falceto Font vs. Alejandra Vidal (B-CU) – 9:45 a.m.
Alexandra Landert vs. Nicole Dzenga (USF) – 9:45 a.m.
 
Doubles A – North Consolation:
Means/Stampfli vs. Pough/Whittaker – TBA
 
Doubles B – North Semifinals:
Ascúa/Curtis vs. Matias/Mendell (UCF) – TBA
 
Doubles B – North Consolation:
Landert/Treyes Albarracin vs. Companion/Walton (FAU) - TBA
 
UP NEXT
Following this weekend's Bedford Cup, the FGCU women's tennis program will travel to Athens, Ga., to compete in the ITA Women's Southeast Regional Championships. The ITA Tournament is a four-day event beginning on Saturday, Oct. 24 and ending on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date coverage of FGCU women's tennis, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WTEN and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available.
 
HEAD COACH COURTNEY VERNON
FGCU's women's tennis team is led by Courtney Vernon, whose second season under the helm saw the Eagles finish third in the conference standings with the program's first-ever appearance in the Atlantic Sun Championship Final. She has produced nine A-Sun All-Conference selections and the 2014 A-Sun Freshman of the Year. She has led the Green and Blue to a 24-20 overall record (.545) and 10-4 conference record (.714) in her two years at FGCU.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE 
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.