FORT MYERS, Fla. – Prior to kicking off conference play the following week, the FGCU women's tennis team (5-6) wraps up a seven-match homestand by playing host to Northern Arizona (7-6) Monday at 5 p.m., followed by a dual with Northern Illinois (5-5) Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
The Eagles only other match against Northern Arizona resulted in a hard-fought 4-3 loss during the 2006-07 season, while Wednesday's match marks their first against Northern Illinois.
 
"We played well against a couple of tough teams last week and are excited about getting back out there," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "The girls are focused on these next two matches and are looking forward to try to build momentum heading into conference play."
 
SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS
Northern Arizona, who was ranked as high as No. 71 in the country earlier this season, invades the FGCU Tennis Complex with a 7-6 overall record and 3-1 conference mark. After winning three straight matches from Feb. 27 to Mar. 5, the Lumberjacks dropped their most recent dual against Emory, 4-3.
 
In singles play, junior Marta Lewandowska holds a team-best 7-4 record at the No. 3 position while Jordan Denesik is right on her heels with a 7-5 mark. In doubles, the Lumberjack duo holds a perfect 3-0 record. Additionally, the tandem of Hanneke Lodewijks and Blanka Szavay are 6-3 and were ranked the No. 6 pair in the Mountain Region on Jan. 5.
 
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Northern Illinois enters its match against FGCU with a 5-5 overall record after dropping its most recent match at Drake by a 4-3 margin Saturday afternoon. The Huskies have posted a 2-1 mark at home this season and are 2-4 on the road.
 
Individually, Adey Osabuohien and Christina Alvarez have combined to go 11-3 out of the No. 1 and No. 2 positions, respectively. Additionally, the duo plays in the No. 1 spot in doubles competition and has posted a 4-3 record to this point in the season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
After winning the doubles point and jumping out to an early lead, the FGCU women's team (5-6) battled until the end but ultimately lost to Power Five opponent Penn State (4-7) by a 4-3 margin Thursday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
Four of six singles matches were taken to the decisive third set and FGCU was able to split with the Nittany Lions, who were ranked T-47 by the ITA entering the season, but it was all too late as Penn State had already claimed the match after winning the first four in singles play.
 
In doubles play, Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) and Elizabeth Means (Washington, D.C./Wiregrass Ranch HS) won their third straight match and improved to 4-1 as they notched an impressive 6-2 win over Penn State's Daria Sapogova and Ekaterina Blik in the No. 3 position. Moments later, Julia Ascua (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) and Julianna Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) continued to play well as a tandem as they improved to 5-0 in the No. 2 position and claimed the doubles point for FGCU with a 6-3 win against Jacqueline Zuhse and Katherine Whiteaway.
 
Penn State was then able to seize the early momentum from FGCU in singles play after winning the first set in five of six matches. The Nittany Lions evened the score, 1-1, as Whiteaway registered a 6-2, 6-3 win against Means in No. 5 singles and took the lead with a 6-3, 7-5 win as Zuhse defeated Curtis in No. 4 singles. Later, Joselyn Treyes Albarracin (Guayaquil, Ecuador/InternAmerican Academy) was down a set and trailed 4-5 in No. 2 singles, but battled back to win the last three games and force a decisive third set. However, the Ecuador native ran out of steam against a tough opponent as Blik won the match 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. In No. 1 singles, Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Joseph's Convent) also forced a third set after dropping the opening frame to Surin, but ultimately lost a hard-fought match by a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 margin.
 
The Eagles were playing for pride in the end and showed just that as Ascua and Falceto Font, a pair of freshman for FGCU, each won three-set matches in No. 3 and No. 6 singles, respectively. Ascua battled back from a first-set loss to register a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win against McCluskey. Then, in the final match of the day, Falceto Font ended it with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win against Samantha Tutelman.
 
UP NEXT
FGCU kicks off A-Sun competition with a match at Lipscomb on Thursday, March 24 at 11 a.m. The Eagles are 8-0 in the all-time series and most recently registered a 5-2 win against the Bison at the FGCU Tennis Complex during the 2014-15 season.
 
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 29-26 overall record (.527) 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.