FORT MYERS, Fla. –The FGCU women's tennis team (6-7) responded from back-to-back losses in a big way as they blanked Northern Illinois (5-6) and claimed the match, 7-0, Wednesday night at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
FGCU won the doubles point and never looked back as they also claimed each of the six singles matches in straight sets against the Huskies
 
"The girls were sharp tonight and it showed in their performance," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "We will look to build off of this performance and hopefully use it as momentum as we head into conference play next week."
 
In doubles play, Julia Ascua (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) and Julianna Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) improved to 7-2 with a dominant, 6-0, win against NIU's Abigail Dekkinga and Michelle Erasmus in the No. 2 slot before Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Jospeh's Convent) and Joselyn Treyes Albarracin (Guayaquil, Ecuador/InterAmerican Academy) won a close match after claiming the tiebreak against Adey Osabuohien and Evelyn Youel, 7-6, in the top position. With the point already decided, Elizabeth Means (Washington, D.C./Wiregrass Ranch HS) and Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) led Cristina Alvarez and Meghan Montgomerie in the tiebreak, but the match did not finish.
 
The Eagles then shutout out the Huskies in singles competition as all six matches were decided in straight sets. Ascua blanked Dekkinga as she claimed a 6-0, 6-0 match in the No. 3 position for her third consecutive win, while Falceto Font won her fourth straight after registering a 6-1, 6-0 win against Montgomerie in the No. 6 spot to bring FGCU within one point of claiming the match. Curtis then closed it out with a 6-4, 6-0 win against Erasmus in No. 4 singles to halt a two-match losing streak for FGCU heading into conference play. With the match already decided, Treyes Albarracin recorded a 6-2, 7-5 win against Alvarez in the No. 2 spot. Moments later, Stampfli claimed her match in the top spot after winning back-to-back sets against Osabuohien by identical scores of 6-3 before Means ended the night with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Youel in No. 5 singles.
 
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
Doubles
No. 1 Doubles: Stampfli/Treyes Albarracin (FGCU) def. Osabuohien/Youel (NIU): 7-6
No. 2 Doubles: Ascua/Curtis (FGCU): Dekkinga/Erasmus (NIU): 6-0
No. 3 Doubles: Falceto Font/Means (FGCU) led Alvarez/Montgomerie (NIU): 6-6 (5-3) - DNF
 
Singles
No. 1 Singles: Stampfli (FGCU) def. Osabuohien (NIU): 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 Singles: Treyes Albarracin (FGCU) def. Alvarez (NIU): 6-2, 7-5
No. 3 Singles: Ascua (FGCU) def. Dekkinga (NIU): 6-0, 6-0
No. 4 Singles: Curtis (FGCU) def. Erasmus (NIU): 6-4, 6-0
No. 5 Singles: Means (FGCU) def. Youel (NIU): 6-4, 6-3
No. 6 Singles: Falceto Font (FGCU) def. Montgomerie (NIU): 6-1, 6-0
 
Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (3, 6, 4, 2, 1, 5)
 
UP NEXT
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 30-27 overall record (.526) 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.