FORT MYERS, Fla. – Continuing a stretch of five matches in a span of 11 days, the FGCU women's tennis team (7-3) continued to play well in the confines of the FGCU Tennis Complex as the Eagles defeated Georgia Southern (9-3), 7-0, Tuesday evening.  

The win was FGCU's second shutout of the season and third straight win in its current five-match hometsand, which started with a pair of wins against defending Big East Champion Xavier and Troy last week. The Eagles have now won three straight matches for the second time this season and improve to 6-0 in matches contested at the FGCU Tennis Complex this season. Dating back to Mar. 16, 2016, the Green and Blue have won nine straight home matches.

On the other hand, FGCU handed Georgia Southern just its third loss of the season and snapped the visiting Eagles' four-match win streak.

"The girls played with good intent tonight," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "They were focused, and it showed. We're looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow to prepare for Duke on Wednesday."

Due to the threat of rain, Vernon and Georgia Southern head coach Michele Standord agreed to begin Wednesday's match with singles play. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead after claiming the first set on all six courts and never looked back as five of six matches were decided in straight sets.

Competing in #1 singles for the 10th straight match this season, freshman Maja Ornberg (Kil Sweden/De la Gardiegymnasiet, Lidkoping) breezed to a 6-1, 6-2 win against Georgia Southern's Giulia Riepe, before running mate and senior captain Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago) secured a straight-set win in the #2 position. Stampfli took the first set, 6-1, but got off to a slow start in the second frame to fall behind, 4-1. However, the Trinidad & Tobago native responded to win the next five games and win her third straight match while improving to 6-3 on the season.

Julianna Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) then got the Green and Blue to within a point of claiming the match as she defeated her Eagle counterpart, Emilia Bujan, in back-to-back sets of 6-2 in #5 singles.

Minutes later, Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) secured the match for FGCU as she took down Mariana Ranzahuer in a pair of hard-fought sets in #4 singles. Falceto Font emerged victorious, 6-4, in the first set before taking the second frame by the same margin. Like Stampfli, the Eagle sophomore claimed her third straight win and improved to 7-2 in singles action this season.

As the two teams played out their matches, Sara Kelly (Naples, Fla./Florida Virtual School) defeated Ella Monsey 6-4 in back-to-back sets in #6 singles, while Julia Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) capped off singles action with a three-set win against Lindsay Truscott. After taking the first set, 6-3, Ascúa appeared ready to take the match in straight sets as she jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second frame. However, the Argentina native dropped the final five games of the set but responded in a big way as she blanked her opponent in the decisive third frame.

Doubles action ensued, and the Green and Blue didn't let up as the Eagles claimed all three matches by at least two points.

The freshmen duo of Kelly and Bridget Forster (Boca Raton, Fla./Florida Virtual School) competed together for the third straight match and improved to 2-0 in doubles play with a 6-2 win against Bujan and Monsey on court three.

FGCU's top tandem of Ascúa and Curtis then extended its win streak to three matches and clinched the doubles point for the Green and Blue with a 6-3 victory versus Ranzahuer and Truscott. Ascúa and Curtis' three-match win streak comes on the heels of losing three straight matches earlier this season. Dating back to last season, they have won 15 of their last 18 doubles matches.

Capping off the night, Stampfli and Ornberg also won their third straight doubles match and improved to 6-3 on the season with a 6-4 win against Riepe and de Winter on court two.

RESULTS VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Doubles
#1: Ascúa/Curtis (FGCU) def. Ranzahuer/Truscott (GSU): 6-3
#2: Ornberg/Stampfli (FGCU) def. Riepe/de Winter (GSU): 6-4
#3: Forster/Kelly (FGCU) def Bujan/Monsey (GSU): 6-2

Singles
#1: Ornberg (FGCU) def. Riepe (GSU): 6-1, 6-2
#2: Stampfli (FGCU) def. de Winter (GSU): 6-1, 6-4
#3: Ascúa (FGCU) def. Truscott (GSU): 6-3, 5-7, 6-0
#4: Falceto Font (FGCU) def. Ranzahuer (GSU): 6-4, 6-4
#5: Curtis (FGCU) def. Bujan (GSU): 6-2, 6-2
#6: Kelly (FGCU) def. Monsey (GSU): 6-4, 6-4

Order of Finish: Doubles (3, 1, 2); Singles (1, 2, 5, 4, 6, 3)

UP NEXT
FGCU continues its five-match homestand and #15 Duke Wednesday, Mar. 15 at 5 p.m. Ranked #15 in last week's ITA Rankings, the Blue Devils will represent the highest-ranked opponent to take the FGCU Tennis Courts against the Green and Blue. Ranked preseason #10, Duke is 6-3 overall with a 1-0 mark in ACC play this season. The Blue Devils won its first four matches before going on a three-match losing streak against Georgia, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt at the National Team Indoor Championships. However, Duke has responded to win its latest two matches, which included a conference win against N.C. State.

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 43-32 overall record (.573) 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.