JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The FGCU women's tennis team (8-7, 4-0 ASUN) will travel north to face rival UNF (15-6, 5-0 ASUN) for a crucial conference clash as the Eagles have their sights set on at least a share of the regular season title with a win.

The match is set to commence at 4 p.m. and live stats will be available and can be found here.

"We are thankful to play North Florida tomorrow," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "The ladies have been continuing to work on their goals and we're looking forward to a fun match."

Thursday will represent the first-ever ASUN broadcast streamed on the new ESPN, which will debut earlier in the day. For $4.99 a month, subscribers will receive thousands of additional live events, original shows and films and an on-demand library, which is not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks.

ESPN is separate from ESPN3, which many FGCU and ASUN fans have become accustomed to over the last several years. ESPN can be accessed similar to ESPN3 – as part of a completely redesigned ESPN App and also via ESPN.com – however, fans can only watch ESPN games if they are monthly $4.99 subscribers.

MATCH HISTORY
The current top two teams in the ASUN standings and with a spot already clinched in the ASUN tourney, the Eagles last season put a halt to UNF's streak of three-straight regular season titles with a 4-3 decision, winning its first regular-season crown at The Nest. It will also mark the first meeting between both teams since last year's 2017 ASUN Championship Final where FGCU dropped a hard-fought 4-3 match – the Eagles and the Ospreys have met in three-straight ASUN Championship finals. In 14 all-time meetings, the Green and Blue's lone win came in last season's 4-3 victory to clinch the ASUN regular season title en route to finishing 6-0 in conference play.

SCOUTING THE OSPREYS
UNF enters Thursday's meeting 15-6 overall going 5-0 thus far in ASUN action. It will be the Ospreys last regular season match as they are coming off two wins at home against Lipscomb (5-2) and Kennesaw State (4-0).

In singles play, Rafaela Gomez has seen the most action in the #1 spot going 8-7, while Luise Intert is 11-3 in dual play, competing mostly out of the #4 and #5 slots. Florencia Rossi is 13-2 in dual action and has won her last eight matches.

Meanwhile, in doubles competition, UNF is on a three-match winning streak. Intert and Gomez spearhead the lineup going 13-4 in dual play and are 4-0 in ASUN action.

ASUN SUCCESS
After claiming their first regular-season crown in program history last season, the Eagles continue to march ahead under the guidance of head coach Courtney Vernon in her fifth season at the helm. A two-time ASUN Coach of the Year, the Green and Blue have posted a 25-5 record over conference foes under Vernon and have advanced to three-straight ASUN Championship Finals.
 
After being named the ASUN Freshman of the Year in 2017 –  becoming the third Eagle in the last four years and second straight to earn the recognition –  Maja Ornberg (Kil, Sweden/De la Gardiegymnasiet, Lidkoping) is 12-3 overall this year in dual action, going 9-1 in the #1 position. She joins Sofia Perez (Alajuela, Costa Rica/Florida Virtual School) and Bridget Forster (Boca Raton, Fla./Florida Virtual School) as the trio is 4-0 in conference play.

In doubles play, Madison Gallegos (Denver, Colo./Colorado Connections Academy) and Patricia Villar are 3-0 in ASUN competition, while Perez and Forster are also 3-0.

LAST TIME OUT
FGCU shut out USC Upstate putting on a dominant performance in the 7-0 triumph. With the win, the Green and Blue notched their 10th consecutive ASUN regular season win making it 15 of the last 16 in its conference slate. FGCU came away with wins on court #2 and #3 to take the doubles point and from there on, the Eagles swept in singles, coming out on top in each match in straight sets.

PRESEASON FAVORITES
The Eagles 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.

UP NEXT
The Green and Blue will host its final regular season match Saturday, April 14 at 5 p.m. against Stetson (11-7, 3-2 ASUN). It will also be senior night as Julianna Curtis will be honored after the doubles match for her accomplishments during her time as an Eagle.

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 59-41 overall record (.586) and 25-5 conference record (.827) in her four years at FGCU.