FORT MYERS, Fla. – After dropping the doubles point, the FGCU women's tennis team (4-5) gained the lead claiming the next two of three singles matches until ultimately freshman Madison Gallegos clinched on the last one of two remaining matches to give the Eagles the 4-3 final over Big Ten foe Minnesota (9-5).
 
"I am so proud of this group of strong women!" said head coach Courtney Vernon. "They had a lot of courage today and it showed. They stayed mentally focused and they went for it in the important moments. We will grow from the match today and we look forward to playing again tomorrow."

Soon after the Golden Gophers claimed the first doubles match on court one, the team of Julianna Curtis (West Des Moines, Iowa/Allendale Academy) and Laura Falceto Font (Zaragoza, Spain/El Pilar Maristas Zaragoza) claimed a 6-3 decision to even the doubles at 1-1. The pair now moves to 3-1 in dual play this season. This would leave court three as the decisive match as Gallegos (Denver, Colo./Colorado Connections Academy) and Patricia Villar (Logrono, Spain/Bachillerato Santa Maria/Louisiana Monroe) rallied back-and-forth but eventually dropped a close 7-5 battle.

In singles competition, Julia Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) tied the match for the Green and Blue trouncing her opponent in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4. The 1-1 affair was short-lived as Minnesota soon claimed a victory on court five to put the visitors ahead by one. From this point on, each remaining court in action would go into three sets to decide the final winner.

On court six, Sofia Perez (Alajuela, Costa Rica/Florida Virtual School) bounced back after falling in her second set 5-7, winning her third set 6-2. Maja Ornberg (Kil, Sweden/De la Gardiegymnasiet, Lidkoping) fell in her first set 3-6 but came back strong recording a pair of 6-3 and 6-0 sets which put the Eagles up 3-2. Ornberg now moves to 7-2 in dual play, going 4-0 out of the No. 1 position. In the No. 3 spot, Gallegos looked to clinch the match for the Eagles but it would be no easy task.

After coming out of the gates with a 6-4 first set, the newcomer dropped her second set 5-7. Minnesota's Annemarie Emme inched closer in the third set thriller but Gallegos outlasted her, coming out on top 7-5 to give FGCU the match.

COMPLETE RESULTS
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. Mehvish Safdar/Caitlyn Merzbacher (MINN) def. Julia Ascúa/Maja Ornberg (FGCU) 6-4
2. Laura Falceto Font/Julianna Curtis (FGCU) def. Tina Kreinis/Annemarie Emme (MINN) 6-3
3. River Hart/Caroline Ryba (MINN) def. Madison Gallegos /Patricia Villar (FGCU) 7-5

SINGLES RESULTS
1. Maja Ornberg (FGCU) def. Caroline Ryba (MINN) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
2. Julia Ascúa (FGCU) def. Tina Kreinis (MINN) 7-6, 6-4
3. Madison Gallegos (FGCU) def. Annemarie Emme (MINN) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
4. Barbara Mancera (MINN) def. Laura Falceto Font (FGCU) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6
5. Caitlyn Merzbacher (MINN) def. Patricia Villar (FGCU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Sofia Perez (FGCU) def. Cammy Frei (MINN) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
 
UP NEXT
FGCU is back on the courts tomorrow at 5 p.m. to take on Notre Dame. The men's tennis team will also be in action simultaneously against UAB.

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 55-39 overall record (.600) and 21-5 conference record (.808) in her four years at FGCU.