FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming off three straight road matches to start ASUN play, the FGCU women's tennis team (11-4, 3-0 ASUN) returns to Fort Myers to kick off the home portion of its conference schedule with a pair of matches against Kennesaw State (5-11, 1-3 ASUN) and Lipscomb (5-15, 1-3 ASUN).
 
The Eagles are scheduled to take on the Owls while playing alongside the men's team Thursday at 6 p.m. FGCU's match against Lipscomb will then take place Saturday at 5 p.m. at the FGCU Tennis Complex, which will host the ASUN Championships in just over two weeks.
 
Admission to all FGCU home matches is free, and fans are encouraged to bring their own seating as bleacher space is limited. Information on each match and the season as a whole can be found at the marketing table set up in between courts one and seven.
 
MATCH HISTORY
FGCU has had great success against both ASUN mainstays as the Eagles are 8-2 all-time against Kennesaw State and 10-0 versus Lipscomb. FGCU faced both familiar opponents to open conference play a year ago, and the Eagles registered a pair of wins by defeating the Bisons, 5-2, before also taking down the Owls, 7-0.
 
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Kennesaw State enters Thursday's dual match with a 5-11 overall record and 1-3 mark in ASUN play. The Owls went on a three-match win streak with victories against Alabama A&M and Western Carolina as well as a conference-opening win against USC Upstate, but have dropped their last four matches against NJIT, Akron, UNF and Stetson.
 
Alexandra Mercado has been the team's primary #1 singles player as she has posted a 9-7 overall record and is 2-2 against conference opponents. Mercado has paired with Elle Baker to post a 2-1 record against ASUN foes in doubles competition, and the duo is joined by Jessica Cantrell and Jada Tijani with the same mark in league play.
 
SCOUTING THE BISONS
Lipscomb enters the weekend with a 5-15 overall record this season and, like Kennesaw State, is 1-3 in league play. The Bisons have scattered wins this season as the team is yet to win back-to-back matches. Lipscomb split a pair of road matches against NJIT and USC Upstate to start ASUN action, but has dropped its last two home matches against Stetson and UNF.
 
Victoria Dzyuba is the unquestionable leader of the Bisons as she has posted a 16-3 overall record with 13 straight wins and is 4-0 in league play in the #1 singles position. Dzyuba, who was ranked in the ITA top-100 at the start of the season, has five more dual match wins than any other member of the ASUN. Additionally, she has paired with teammate Denise Buberl to go 12-1 in #1 doubles action, which also leads the league by four.
 
ASUN SUCCESS
After a pair of conference road wins at USC Upstate and NJIT last week, FGCU extended its season-long win streak to four matches and is a perfect 3-0 in ASUN play. In four seasons under head coach Courtney Vernon, FGCU has reached new heights in conference play as the Eagles are 18-5 against ASUN opponents and have advanced to two straight ASUN Championship Finals. Dating back to the beginning of ASUN play a season ago, FGCU is 8-1 against conference opponents with its lone loss coming by a 4-3 margin at two-time defending ASUN Tournament champion UNF.
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
FGCU has been tough to beat at home this season as the Eagles are 7-1 at the familiar confines of the FGCU Tennis Complex. The Eagles started the season 3-0 in Fort Myers, highlighted by the team's first win against USF in program history to begin the dual season, and capped off a five-match homestand during March with a 4-1 record. The Green and Blue registered wins against defending Big East Tournament champion Xavier, Troy, Georgia Southern and George Washington. Their lone loss of the season came at the hands of then #18 Duke.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
FGCU continues to build upon an already single-season record with four ASUN Women's Tennis Player of the Week awards. Breana Stampfli (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago/St. Joseph's Convent) was the first to earn the recognition after securing the matching-clinching win against USF to start the dual season, marking the second time in her career she received the weekly award. Two weeks later, Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) took home the award for the first time in her career after clinching FGCU's comeback against Southern Miss. Maja Ornberg (Kil, Sweden/
De la Gardiegymnasiet, Lidkoping) then earned the honor after going 4-0 in singles and doubles action in a pair of wins for the Eagles and securing FGCU's fourth straight win against FAU. Most recently, Julia Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) took home the honor for the second time in her career after going 3-0 in singles and doubles action to start the recent five-match homestand.
 
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 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.