NEWARK, N.J. – The FGCU women's tennis team (11-4, 3-0 ASUN) used a come-from-behind effort to remain perfect in ASUN play and hand NJIT (5-9, 2-1 ASUN) its first conference loss of the season as the Eagles defeated the Highlanders, 5-2, Saturday afternoon in Newark, N.J.

With the win, FGCU has now won a season-best four straight matches and seven of its past eight. Additionally, the Eagles complete their three-match road trip to start conference play with a perfect record. Dating back to the beginning of last conference season, the Green and Blue are 8-1 against ASUN opponents.

"The ladies were challenged again today at NJIT," said FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon. "They are a strong team indoors and came out swinging. I'm proud of the way our girls responded from doubles and played in singles. They competed hard and were both focused on determined. We're looking forward to getting back home for a couple of matches next week."

FGCU was swept in doubles action for just the third time this season, but the Eagles responded in singles play and claimed five of six matches from the Highlanders to claim the win.

Maja Ornberg (Kil, Sweden/De la Gardiegymnasiet, Lidkoping) and Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Joseph's Convent) were defeated, 6-3, in #2 doubles, marking their first ASUN doubles loss of the season. However, both responded to win their singles matches in the #1 and #2 position, respectively, marking the fourth straight win for each. Stampfli cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 win against Rafaella Sampaio, while Ornberg won her match in the decisive third set. After winning the first set, 6-2, the FGCU freshman dropped a hard-fought second frame, 5-7, before blanking her NJIT counterpart in the final set.

Playing in #3 singles for the second straight match, Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) won her third straight singles dual and joined Ornberg and Stampfli with perfect 3-0 records to start conference play. Like Ornberg, the Zaragoza, Spain native's match went three sets. However, Falceto Font responded from a first-set loss to take the second and third frames by scores of 6-3 and 6-4. She and Stampfli lead the way with a team-best 10 dual-match wins this spring.

After Julia Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) and Julianna Curtis (Tampa, Fla./Allendale Academy) suffered their first ASUN doubles loss in their two-year career as a duo, Curtis also dropped the Eagles' lone match in singles play, falling to Nathalie Habegger in straight sets.

However, FGCU's freshman duo of Sara Kelly (Naples, Fla./Florida Virtual School) and Bridget Forster (Boca Raton, Fla./Florida Virtual School) both improved to 2-0 in conference play with straight-set wins in the #5 and #6 position, respectively. Kelly defeated Alba Rosas Garcia 6-1, 6-3 and claimed her fifth straight singles win. Forster pushed her win streak to three straight matches with a 6-2, 7-5 win against Amanda Helminsky in the final singles spot.

RESULTS VS. NJIT
Doubles
#1: Sampaio/Eltony (NJIT) def. Ascúa/Curtis (FGCU): 6-1
#2: Habegger/Rosas Garcia (NJIT) def. Ornberg/Stampfli (FGCU): 6-3
#3: Kelly/Forster (FGCU) vs. Minc/Helminsky (NJIT): 5-2, unfinished

Singles
#1: Ornberg (FGCU) def. Eltony (NJIT): 6-2, 5-7, 6-0
#2: Stampfli (FGCU) def. Sampaio (NJIT): 6-1, 6-3
#3: Falceto Font (FGCU) def. Minc (NJIT): 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
#4: Habegger (NJIT) def. Curtis (FGCU): 6-1, 6-2
#5: Kelly (FGCU) def. Rosas Garcia (NJIT): 6-1, 6-3
#6: Forster (FGCU) def. Helminsky (NJIT): 6-2, 7-5

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

UP NEXT
FGCU returns to the FGCU Tennis Complex to host its final three ASUN matches of the season before also hosting its first ASUN Tennis Championships. The Eagles will welcome Kennesaw State to Fort Myers Thursday, Apr. 6 at 6 p.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 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 47-33 overall record (.588) and 18-5 conference record (.782) in her three-plus 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.