SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A day after picking up its first win in Atlantic Sun Conference play, the FGCU women's tennis team (4-9, 2-0 Atlantic Sun) earned a 6-1 victory over USC Upstate (2-11, 0-2 Atlantic Sun) on Saturday, Mar. 21, at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.

"The ladies played with very good energy today," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "There was a lot to learn today and they handled the challenges they faced well. We look forward to playing at home on Thursday against Lipscomb."

The duo of Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago/St. Joseph's Convent) and Candela Munoz Giron (Alicante, Spain/Troy) defeated the Spartans' pair of Isabel Von Stryk and Nona Ruppert by an 8-1 count in the No. 2 doubles slot while Johanna Sterkel (Schwetzingen, Germany/Carl-Theodor-Schule HS) and Alex Landert (Naples, Fla./Seton Hall) picked up the second match win in doubles play against Anna Zoske and Sarah Vande by an 8-1 score in the No. 3 doubles slot.

After winning the doubles point, the Eagles won six out of the seven singles matches in straight sets. In the No. 1 slot, Sarah Means (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Wiregrass Ranch HS) took on Isabel Von Stryk and won by a 6-3, 6-2 score. Sterkel followed suit when she won her match 6-4, 6-1 against Anna Zoske in the No. 3 slot.

Munoz Giron continued the Green and Blue's success when she earned a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Nina Roell in the No. 4 slot. Elizabeth Means (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Wiregrass Ranch HS) squared off against Sharlee Deshmukh in the No. 5 slot and came away with a clean 6-1, 6-2 win.

Rounding out the day for the Eagles was Landert in the No. 6 slot. The junior was challenged in the first set, but came away with a 6-4 win before earning a 6-0 victory in the second set over Sarah Vande Berg.

FGCU will take the show back to The Nest as the Eagles welcome Lipscomb on Thursday, Mar. 26, at 10 a.m. and Northern Kentucky Saturday, Mar. 28, at 5 p.m.

FINAL RESULTS

FGCU: 6, USC Upstate: 1
 
SINGLES
1. Sarah Means (FGCU) def. Isabel Von Stryk (Upstate) 6-3, 6-2
2. Nona Ruppert (Upstate) def. Breana Stampfli (FGCU) retired
3. Johanna Sterkel (FGCU) def. Anna Zoske (Upstate) 6-4, 6-1
4. Candela Munoz Giron (FGCU) def. Nina Poell (Upstate) 6-1, 6-0
5. Elizabeth Means (FGCU) def. Sharlee Deshmukh (Upstate) 6-1, 6-2
6. Alex Landert (FGCU) def. Sarah Vande Berg (Upstate) 6-4, 6-0
 
DOUBLES
1. Isabel Von Styrk/Nona Ruppert (Upstate) vs. Sarah Means/Elizabeth Means (FGCU) DNF
2. Breana Stampfli/Candela Munoz Giron (FGCU) def. Nina Roell/Sharlee Deshmukh (Upstate) 8-1
3. Alex Landert/Johanna Sterkel (FGCU) def. Anna Zoske/Sarah Vande Berg (Upstate) 8-1

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.

FGCU is led by Courtney Vernon, whose inaugural campaign saw the Eagles finish third in the conference standings with a Division-I best 14 wins overall in 2013-14. She has produced five A-Sun All-Conference selections and the 2014 Freshman of the Year.

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.