FORT MYERS, Fla. – With rain showers expected throughout the weekend, the FGCU women's tennis team (1-1) has altered its schedule and will not travel to Georgia. Instead, the Eagles will travel across Alligator Alley and face the #17 Miami Hurricanes (1-1) Saturday morning at 11 a.m.

"We are very thankful we were able to pick up a match against Miami for this weekend at the last minute," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "The ladies are looking forward to another opportunity to compete and also the challenge of facing another quality opponent."

LAST TIMEOUT
The Eagles fell 4-2 in a closely contested match against FIU in its spring home opener. The Green and Blue kept the scoreboard tight as the Eagles only trailed 3-2 late with two matches remaining on the courts. Madison Gallegos (Denver, Colo./Colorado Connections Academy) and Bridget Forster (Boca Raton, Fla./Florida Virtual School) saw their matches go to a grueling third set, before Forster fell in the third set, 6-1. At the time, Gallegos led FIU's Mina Markovic 5-1 in the third, before the match was called and ruled "unfinished" due to Forster's defeat.

Maja Ornberg (Kil, Sweden/De la Gardiegymnasiet, Lidkoping) claimed the Eagles' first victory of the day trouncing Maryna Veksler 6-2, 6-3. Meanwhile, Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) produced the second Green and Blue victory as the Spanish international came out on top with a second set tiebreaker, (7-5) trimming the deficit down to one, 3-2. Shortly after, Forster forced a third set before falling 6-1, clinching the victory for FIU.

RECAPPING AN HISTORIC 2017 SEASON
FGCU's 2016-17 season was its most successful to date, claiming the ASUN regular season title for the first time in program history. Led by the ASUN Freshman of the Year Ornberg, FGCU went 6-0 in conference play and 15-5 overall. The Eagles' run to an NCAA Tournament fell short, however, as FGCU dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to UNF in the final.

 PRESEASON FAVORITES
The reigning regular season champions, the FGCU women finished the poll with 44 points matching the reigning ASUN Tournament champions UNF. However, the Ospreys received four first-place votes while the Eagles received three. FGCU and UNF finished the regular season as the top two teams and met in the tournament final, with the Ospreys narrowly defeating the Eagles 4-3.
 
 Stetson (32 points) is expected to finish third according to the preseason poll, just ahead of Lipscomb (29). NJIT (25), Kennesaw State (14), and USC Upstate (8) round out the preseason poll.

SCOUTING MIAMI
The Hurricanes are 1-1 overall and are coming off a loss on the road to No. 12 Auburn, 4-2. UM features two nationally ranked players in No. 16 Estela-Perez Somarriba and No. 58 Sinead Lohan.

In singles play, Miami is 25-7 overall, 5-3 in dual play while posting a 10-6 record in doubles action, 2-2 in dual play. 

This will be the first meeting in three years between both teams as the Eagles fell to then No. 6 UM, 6-1 in Coral Gables, Fla. FGCU trails the all-time series 0-3.

UP NEXT
The Eagles will host Middle Tennessee in Fort Myers on Saturday, February 17 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 two-time ASUN Coach of the Year Courtney Vernon, whose fourth season under the helm saw the Eagles claim their first ASUN Championship in program history. She has mentored her student-athletes into earning 43 ASUN All-Conference and All-Academic honors, including the 2014, 2016 and 2017 ASUN Freshman of the Year as well as the 2016 and 2017 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Vernon has led the Green and Blue to a 52-35 overall record (.600) and 21-5 conference record (.808) in her four years at FGCU.