FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's tennis program capped off a successful opening weekend at the Bedford Cup with appearances in both the 'B' draw semifinals and 'A' back draw finals on Sunday at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
"The girls competed very well this weekend and we were able to get a lot of matches in," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "This group is very special. They love to work hard and enjoy being challenged and growing as a team. The support staff for this event was very helpful, and I can't begin to thank all the people that made this weekend run so smoothly and successfully."
 
After advancing through the 'B' draw in the first two days of competition, Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) squared off with USF's Nicole Dzenga in the semifinals on Sunday. The freshman fell into an early hole after dropping the first set 6-3 and couldn't dig herself out, ultimately losing the match in two sets.
 
In the 'A' back draw, Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Joseph's Covenant) continued to play well after a first-round loss on Friday. The former A-Sun Freshman of the Year defeated USF's Jessica Cortes Chaves (6-4, 6-3) in the semifinal consolation before facing Miami's Clara Tanielian in the finals. Stampfli dropped the first set 6-3, but responded to win the second set 6-1. Tanielian then took the 10-point tiebreaker by a 10-7 margin to emerge victorious.
 
The Eagles competed in additional consolation matches to cap off the tournament, and the results from those matches are listed below.
 
FGCU SUNDAY RESULTS
Singles 'B' Draw Semifinals:
Nicole Dzenga (USF) def. Laura Falceto Font (FGCU) 6-3, 6-0
 
Singles 'A' Back Draw Semifinals:
Breana Stampfli (FGCU) def. Jessica Cortes Chaves (USF) 6-4, 6-3
 
Singles 'A' Back Draw Finals:
Clara Tanielian (Miami) def. Breana Stampfli (FGCU) 6-3, 1-6, 10-7
 
Singles 'A' Draw Northwest Consolation:
Olga Martinez (USF) def. Joselyn Treyes Albarracin (FGCU) 6-4, 6-3
 
Singles 'A' Draw South Consolation:
Caroline Eberhart (UCF) def. Elizabeth Means (FGCU) 6-3, 6-2

Unscheduled Consolation Matches:
Julianna Curtis (FGCU) def. Valentine Briceno (FIU) 6-4, 1-6, 10-3
Alexandra Landert (FGCU) def. Jennifer Leib (FAU) 6-1, 6-1
Julia Ascúa (FGCU) def. Alexis Crenshaw (FAU) 6-2, 6-1
Laura Falceto Font (FGCU) def. Maja Salibasic (Stetson) 8-5
 
BEDFORD CUP AWARDS
Singles 'A' Draw Champion: Yolimar Ogando (Miami)
Doubles 'A' Draw Champion: Ogando/Zhang (Miami)
Sarah Vande Berg Sportsmanship Award: Emilia Granstrom (UCF)
 
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.