JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The FGCU women's tennis team (9-7, 5-0 ASUN) clinched a share of the regular-season title and the #1 seed in next week's ASUN Championship Tournament as the Eagles rallied from a 3-0 deficit to take down rival UNF (15-7, 5-1 ASUN) 4-3 Thursday evening.

In the process, the Green and Blue earn its second straight regular-season crown – second in program history – after last year's win at home by the same score of 4-3 over the Ospreys.

The Eagles have now won 11-consecutive regular-season ASUN matches including 16 of the last 17 in their conference slate.

"I am really proud of this team and the fight they show," stated head coach Courtney Vernon. "North Florida is always tough. We're excited for another opportunity to compete on Saturday and we're so excited to honor Julianna Curtis."

After falling behind 1-0 at the conclusion of doubles play, the Eagles soon stared at a 3-0 hole, before reeling off three straight victories all culminating on court #5 where Sofia Perez (Alajuela, Costa Rica/Florida Virtual School) picked up a 6-2 third set giving FGCU a 4-3 triumph.

FGCU got off to a quick start when the pairing of Madison Gallegos (Denver, Colo./Colorado Connections Academy) and Patricia Villar (Logrono, Spain/Bachillerato Santa Maria/Louisiana Monroe) claimed the first doubles match 6-1. UNF soon picked up a win on court #2 in a tight 7-5 decision, as it then came down to court #1. The tandem of Maja Ornberg (Kil, Sweden/De la Gardiegymnasiet, Lidkoping) and Julia Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva) battled Rafaela Gomez and Luise Intert into a tiebreaker in which the pair ultimately fell 7-6 (10-8).

Heading into singles competition, the home side carried over its momentum by capturing the first two victories on courts #3 and #4, but it started to shift into FGCU's favor. Ascúa started the rally with a 6-3 and tough contested 7-5 second set to put the Eagles on the board. Bridget Forster (Boca Raton, Fla./Florida Virtual School) added to it claiming a victory in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) as she moved to 5-0 in ASUN play.

On court #1, Ornberg knotted the affair 3-3 after the sophomore downed Gomez 6-3, 6-4, turning everyone's attention to court #5. Facing Valentina Mariotto, Perez dropped her first set 1-6 but returned the favor in the second set producing a 6-1 win of her own to force a third game – the only one of the match. Cruising to the tune of 5-2 in the third set, Perez returned a pair of two-handed backhands over to her counterpart. Shifting to her right to return Mariotto's forehand, the ball was hit beyond the line, capping FGCU's 4-3 comeback win.

Identical to Ornberg and Forster, Perez moves to 5-0 in ASUN action as each Eagle also extended their match winning streak to six.

DOUBLES RESULTS
1. Rafaela Gomez/Luise Intert (UNF) def. Maja Ornberg/Julia Ascúa (FGCU) 7-6 (10-8)
2. Lucia Montano/Eva Nyikos (UNF) def. Julianna Curtis/Laura Falceto Font (FGCU) 7-5
3. Madison Gallegos/Patricia Villar (FGCU) def. Valentina Mariotto/Florencia Rossi (UNF) 6-1
 
SINGLES RESULTS
1. Maja Ornberg (FGCU) def. Rafaela Gomez (UNF) 6-3, 6-4
2. Julia Ascúa (FGCU) def. Eva Nyikos (UNF) 6-3, 7-5
3. Lucia Montano (UNF) def. Madison Gallegos (FGCU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Luise Intert (UNF) def. Laura Falceto Font (FGCU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Sofia Perez (FGCU) def. Valentina Mariotto (UNF) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
6. Bridget Forster (FGCU) def. Florencia Rossi (UNF) 6-4, 6-2

UP NEXT
FGCU will look to claim the outright ASUN regular-season title this Saturday as the Eagles host their last match of the regular season against Stetson (11-7, 3-2 ASUN) at 5 p.m. The hatters have already clinched a spot in the ASUN Tournament. FGCU will also honor its lone senior Curtis after the doubles competition for all her accomplishments in her four years with the Green and Blue.

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 60-41 overall record (.586) and 26-5 conference record (.827) in her four years at FGCU.