FORT MYERS, Fla. – After the threat of inclement weather postponed the season-opening dual match Sunday afternoon, the FGCU women's tennis team kicks off its dual season with an in-state matchup against rival USF Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
The Eagles and Bulls have met in dual matches six times since 2005 with USF emerging victorious on all six occasions. Most recently, the two teams met during the second week of the dual season last year, when USF registered a shutout win against FGCU in Tampa.
 
Admission to all FGCU tennis matches is free, and fans are encouraged to bring their own seating as bleacher space is limited.
 
THE GREEN AND BLUE
Entering the 2017 season, head coach Courtney Vernon and the Eagles have their eyes set on the program's first ASUN Championship, which will be held at the FGCU Tennis Complex in April. FGCU returns four members from last year's squad, including First Team All-Conference performers Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Joseph's Convent) and Julia Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva), and welcomes five talented newcomers to this year's team.

Stampfli, a senior leader for the Green and Blue, will likely occupy the #1 singles position for the second straight season and look to build upon her already impressive career with the Eagles. In doubles action, FGCU's Second Team All-Conference tandem of Ascúa and Julianna Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) hope to continue their momentum from a season ago when they led the ASUN in overall wins (13), wins in the #2 position (12) and conference wins (6) while ending the season on a 10-match win streak.
 
SCOUTING USF
USF completed the 2015-16 season with a 17-7 overall record, 4-1 mark in the American Athletic Conference and ended the season ranked #61 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The Bulls started the year 2-5, but rattled off wins in 13 of its final 14 regular season matches, including 11 straight. They then entered the American Athletic Conference Tournament and swept both Cincinnati and SMU en route to the conference championship. However, the Bulls squared off with #30 Tulsa in the final match and were defeated, 4-0.
 
This year, the Bulls return nine members from last year's team, including six upperclassmen, while welcoming a trio of newcomers to the squad. Reigning American Athletics Conference Freshman of the Year Ana Roman Dominguez and fellow all-conference team members Vera Bessonova and Jessica Cortes Chaves headline the list of returners for the Bulls. Additionally, Vanja Klaric, another freshman standout from a season ago, returns after posting an 11-1 record last year.
 
LAST TIME OUT
FGCU opened its spring season with an impressive showing at the annual FGCU Spring Invite. The Eagles split four doubles matches and won six of eight singles matches against St. John's. Additionally, the Green and Blue won two of three doubles matches and swept singles play against Northwestern State while also winning a doubles match and five of eight singles matches against Utah, who finished the 2015-16 season ranked #49 in the ITA Rankings.
 
Maja Ornberg (Kil, Sweden/De la Gardiegymnasiet, Lidkoping) and Sara Kelly (Naples, Fla./Florida Virtual School), a pair of newcomers for the Green and Blue, highlighted the weekend with a 3-0 mark in singles play against the Utes, Red Storm and Lady Demons. Additionally, Sofia Perez (Costa Rica/Florida Virtual School) won both of her singles matches, while Ascúa, Curtis, Bridget Forster (Boca Raton, Fla./Florida Virtual School) and Stampfli wrapped up the weekend with a 2-1 mark.
 
In doubles play, a pair of FGCU tandems – Ascúa/Curtis and Ornberg/Stampfli – went 2-1 on the weekend with wins against St. John's and Northwestern State and a loss against Utah.
 
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 reining ASUN Co-Coach of the Year Courtney Vernon, whose third season under the helm saw the Eagles finish in a program-best second place in the regular season conference standings and advance to their second consecutive Atlantic Sun Championship Final. She has mentored her student-athletes into earning a total of 29 ASUN All-Conference honors, including the 2014 and 2016 ASUN Freshman of the Year and 2016 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Vernon has led the Green and Blue to a 36-29 overall record (.554) and 15-5 conference record (.750) in her three 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.