FORT MYERS, Fla. – After a busy month of February and a 10-day break from competition, the FGCU women's tennis team (4-5) returns to the courts and plays host to the University of Texas El Paso (6-5) and Penn State (3-6) for a pair of midweek matches at the FGCU Tennis Complex. The Eagles will take on the Miners Wednesday at 11 a.m. and turn around to face the Nittany Lions Thursday at 3 p.m.
 
This week will mark the first time in program history FGCU has played either UTEP or Penn State.
 
"We've worked on some things and improved during our time off," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "The girls are excited to get back out on the courts against another team, and both UTEP and Penn State will present challenges this week."
 
SCOUTING THE MINERS
UTEP enters the week with a 6-5 overall record and has won each of its last three matches against Northern Arizona, Wyoming and New Mexico State. After starting the season 3-0, the Miners dropped five-straight matches before going on their current three-match win streak. UTEP will start its Florida road swing with a match at Florida Atlantic before traveling to Fort Myers.
 
In singles competition, Vivienne Kulicke leads the way with an 8-2 overall record in the No. 1 position. She has won each of her last six matches and appeared in the latest ITA poll as the No. 107-ranked player in the country. As a team, UTEP has posted a 29-34 dual-match singles record.
 
In doubles play, Kulicke has teamed up with Duda Santos to post a 3-4 record while winning two straight matches in the No. 1 position. The Miners are 13-15 in doubles competition during dual matches this season.
 
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State comes to Fort Myers with a 3-6 record after most recently registering a 6-1 win against Marshall on Sunday, Feb. 28. The Nittany Lions, who started the season ranked as high as T-47 according to the ITA, have registered early-season wins against St. Bonaventure and VCU. Penn State will play USF in Tampa before making the trip further south.
 
Kimberley Surin leads the way with a 2-2 record in the No. 1 singles position while Jacqueline Zuhse has registered a team-high four wins in the No. 4 position. Overall, Penn State is 20-32 in dual-match singles competition.
 
In doubles play, Surin and Devan McCluskey have posted a 2-2 record as the Nittany Lions' top tandem. Penn State has posted a 12-15 record during the pivotal doubles point this season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
After jumping out to an early lead in doubles play and appearing to be in control at the start of singles competition, the FGCU women's tennis team couldn't hold on as 24-time NCAA participant Tennessee defeated the Eagles, 5-2, Sunday, Feb. 28 at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
FGCU and Tennessee traded doubles wins in the first two matches of the morning. Julia Ascua (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) and Julianna Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) improved their doubles record to 4-1 with an impressive 6-2 win against Brittany Lindl and Kim Kermet in the No. 2 position. The Volunteers then evened it up as Sadie Hammond and Eve Repic defeated FGCU's top tandem of Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Joseph's Convent) and Joselyn Treyes Albarracin (Guayaquil, Ecuador/InterAmerican Academy) by an identical score of 6-2 to make the No. 3 doubles game the deciding factor in the point. With the pressure mounting early, Elizabeth Means (Washington, D.C./Wiregrass Ranch HS) and Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) claimed the pivotal point with a 6-4 win against MC Meredith and Tiffany Tavares.
 
After maintaining the momentum for the early stages of singles play and holding a lead in four of six matches following the first set, the Green and Blue couldn't keep it going as they dropped five of the six remaining points. Their lone singles win of the day came in the No. 6 position as Curtis recorded a 6-4, 6-4, against Schuck.
 
UP NEXT
FGCU will wrap up a seven-match home stand early next week by hosting Northern Arizona (7-6) Monday at 5 p.m. followed by 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 28-25 overall record (.528) 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.