FORT MYERS, Fla. – After three ties and two lead changes, the FGCU women's tennis team (5-7) dropped a hard-fought, back-and-forth match against Northern Arizona (8-6) by a final margin of 4-3 at the FGCU Tennis Complex Monday evening.
 
"Today was a tough match," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "But with the tough matches, we have an opportunity to grow the most. We will continue to work and prepare for our next match."
 
With the match tied, 3-3, Elizabeth Means (Washington, D.C./Wiregrass Ranch HS) battled until the very end, but was physically drained on the court after fighting cramps earlier in the afternoon and ultimately dropped a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 match to Eirene Granville in No. 5 singles.
 
Leading up to that point, FGCU hung tough against NAU, who was ranked as high as No. 71 earlier this season, and won three of the first five singles matches, but an ultimately 3-3 split made the doubles point that much more pivotal and allowed the Lumberjacks to claim the win.
 
Julia Ascua (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) got the Eagles on the board with a quick match in No. 3 singles as she defeated Hailey Rochin in straight sets (6-1, 6-3) for her second consecutive win. Shortly after, Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) kept the momentum going and won her third straight match by a 6-2, 6-4 margin against Emelia Box in No. 6 singles to push FGCU out in front, 2-1.
 
Northern Arizona responded, though, with two straight wins of its own to reclaim the lead, 3-2. In No. 1 singles, Hanneke Lodewijks defeated Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Jospeh's Convent) in a three-set match by a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. Then, the Lumberjacks jumped back in front after Blanka Szavay claimed another three-set match against Joselyn Treyes Albarracin (Guayaquil, Ecuador/InterAmerican Academy). The FGCU freshman fought hard to force a third set, but ultimately lost in 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 fashion.
 
Julianna Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) evened the score again, 3-3, as she registered a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win against Jordan Denesik, her first win of the season in the No. 4 position. But after falling behind 3-0 in the decisive third set, Means couldn't dig herself out of a hole.
 
In doubles play, the Lumberjacks won a pair of matches, 6-3, to get out to an early lead. Northern Arizona's No. 2 tandem of Box and Rochin handed Curtis and Ascua their first loss in four matches before the Lumberjacks claimed the ever-important point as Szavay and Lodewijks defeated Stampfli and Treyes Albarracin by the same margin. With the point already decided, Means and Falceto Font led Denesik and Granville, 4-2, but did not complete the match.
 
MONDAY RESULTS
Doubles
No. 1 Doubles: Szavay/Lodewijks (NAU) def. Stampfli/Treyes Albarracin (FGCU): 6-3
No. 2 Doubles: Box/Rochin (NAU) def. Ascua/Curtis (FGCU): 6-3
No. 3 Doubles: Falceto Font/Means (FGCU) led Denesik/Granville (NAU): 4-2, DNF
 
Singles
No. 1 Singles: Lodewijks (NAU) def. Stampfli (FGCU): 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 Singles: Szavay (NAU) def. Treyes Albarracin (FGCU): 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
No. 3 Singles: Ascua (FGCU) def. Rochin (NAU): 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 Singles: Curtis (FGCU) def. Denesik (NAU): 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 Singles: Granville (NAU) def. Means (FGCU): 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
No. 6 Singles: Falceto Font (FGCU) def. Box (NAU): 6-2, 6-4
 
Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (3, 6, 1, 2, 4, 5)
 
UP NEXT
FGCU will wrap up a seven-match home stand by hosting Northern Illinois (5-4) Wednesday at 5 p.m. The following week, A-Sun competition will being with a road match at Lipscomb Thursday, March 24 at 11 a.m.
 
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.