FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's tennis team turned in a successful first day at the FGCU Invite as Julianna Curtis advanced to Sunday's final match and both Julia Ascúa and Joselyn Treyes Albarracin advanced to the semifinal round.
 
"Today went really well for the first day of our spring season," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "The girls trained hard over break and it seemed to have paid off. We're looking forward to competing the rest of the holiday weekend and playing a lot more matches,"
 
Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) made her way to the 'C' draw championship with a pair of decisive wins. First, the Tampa native defeated Arkansas State's Chiara Stefanov, 6-1, 6-2, and advanced to the semifinal round where she took down Northwestern State's Barbora Kollarova, 6-1, 6-1.
 
Meanwhile, in the 'B' draw, Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) and Treyes Albarracin (Guayaquil, Ecuador/InterAmerican Academy) also made quick work of their first two matches en route to an appearance in Sunday's semifinal. Ascúa defeated Alzbeta Veverkova of Northwestern State, 6-1, 6-4, in her first-round match and went on to down Barry's Barbora Kijasova, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinal. Fellow freshman Treyes Albarracin made her way to the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-3 win against St. John's Delia Arranz, followed by an identical 6-2, 6-3 win versus Elena Roca of Southern Miss in the quarterfinal.
 
Additionally in singles play, Elizabeth Means (Washington, D.C./Wiregrass Ranch HS) responded from a first-round loss to defeat Victoria Roberts of Arkansas State, 6-2, 6-2, in the 'A' draw consolation. Teammate Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Joseph's Convent) dropped both of her 'A' draw matches Saturday.
 
In doubles action, the duo of Curtis and Treyes Albarracin defeated Arkansas State's tandem of Gauguery and Roberts by a 6-3 margin. FGCU's team of Ascúa and Means dropped their match to Southern Miss' Drescher and Kitchen, 6-2.
 
SATURDAY RESULTS
'A' Draw Singles – Round of 16
Krutova (NSU) def. Means (FGCU): 7-5, 6-2
Onila (Barry) def. Stampfli (FGCU): 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
 
'A' Draw Singles – Consolation
Means (FGCU) def. Roberts (ASU): 6-2, 6-2
Vardanian (NSU) def. Stampfli (FGCU): 3-6, 7-6 (4), 10-8

'B' Draw Singles – Round of 16
Treyes Albarracin (FGCU) def. Arranz (SJU): 6-3, 6-0
Ascúa (FGCU) def. Veverkova (NSU): 6-1, 6-4
 
'B' Draw Singles - Quarterfinal
Ascúa (FGCU) def. Kijasova (Barry): 6-3, 6-2
Treyes Albarracin (FGCU) def. Roca (So. Miss): 6-2, 6-3
 
'C' Draw Singles - Quarterfinal
Curtis (FGCU) def. Stefanov (ASU): 6-1, 6-2
 
'C' Draw Singles – Semifinal
Curtis (FGCU) def. Kollarova (NSU): 6-1, 6-1
 
'A' Draw Doubles
Drescher/Kitchen (So. Miss) def. Ascúa/Means (FGCU): 6-2
Curtis/Treyes Albarracin (FGCU) def. Gauguery/Roberts (ASU): 6-3
 
Due to a forecast of rain, tomorrow's action originally scheduled for 8 a.m. will be pushed back to 11 a.m. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WTEN or visit FGCUAthletics.com for updates.


UP NEXT
Following the FGCU Spring Invite, the Eagles will start the dual season as they host in-state rival FIU at the FGCU Tennis Complex on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. FGCU is 1-3 all-time against FIU, with their lone win coming in 2013. It will mark the second time the Panthers have traveled to Fort Myers this season as they also competed in the Bedford Cup in October.
 
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.