FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's tennis team earned a split-decision on day two of the spring season, taking down Georgia State, 4-2, before falling to Minnesota, 4-3. After the first weekend of the spring season, the Eagles sit at 2-1 after defeating Toledo yesterday.

"This weekend was a great opportunity to get a lot of matches in," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "Today was a full day of tennis and the ladies continue to learn more about competing and their games every time we have the privilege to play. We look forward to hosting Miami on Thursday."

Against Georgia State, the Eagles had to bounce back after dropping the doubles point. Sophomores Fanny Norin (Stockholm, Sweden/Thoren Business School) and Jordana Ossa (Miami, Fla./John A. Ferguson Senior HS/Wisconsin) did pick up their second win together this weekend with a 6-2 win on court three.

The comeback started on court six as freshman Lola Glantz (Lueneberg, Germany/Fernuniversitat) cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

The Panthers responded with a win on court one, but junior Alba Retortillo (Leon, Spain/La Anunciata) quickly tied it back up again with a 7-6 (5), 7-5 win on court four.

Junior Emma Bardet (Vichey, France/Long Beach State put the Eagles out in front with a 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-4 win on court two before Ossa clinched the match with a come-from-behind 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3 win on court five.

Against Minnesota, the Eagles got off to a better start as they won the doubles point. Ossa and Norin stayed perfect on the season with a 6-3 win while Retortillo and freshman Isabella Colmenares (San Cristobal, Venezuela/Colegio Juan XXIII) won 6-1 to give the Eagles the early advantage.

In singles, the Gophers took the lead with wins on courts one and five before Glantz tied it up with a 7-5, 6-1 victory on court six to continue her strong start to the season.

The two teams traded the next two matches as Bardet claimed victory on court two with a 6-4, 6-4 win.

With the match tied at three, it all came down to court four and although Retortillo gave it all she got, she came up just short in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

FGCU 4, Georgia State 2
Singles Competition
1.    Eva Chivu (GSU) def. COLMENARES, Isabella (FGCU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
2.    BARDET, Emma (FGCU) def. Sofya Golubovskaya (GSU) 7-6 (7-0), 4-6, 6-4
3.    NORIN, Fanny (FGCU) vs. Andreea Stanescu (GSU) 7-5, 4-6, 3-0, Unfinished
4.    RETORTILLO, Alba (FGCU) def. Angel Carney (GSU) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5
5.    OSSA, Jordana (FGCU) def. Alexia Alvarez (GSU) 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-3
6.    GLANTZ, Lola (FGCU) def. Ellie Aldrich (GSU) 6-2, 6-1

Doubles Competition
1.    Andreea Stanescu/Eva Chivu (GSU) def. GLANTZ, Lola/BARDET, Emma (FGCU) 6-4
2.    Sofya Golubovskaya/Angel Carney (GSU) def. RETORTILLO, Alba/COLMENARES, Isabella (FGCU) 6-2
3.    OSSA, Jordana/NORIN, Fanny (FGCU) def. Ellie Aldrich/Alexia Alvarez (GSU) 6-2

Minnesota 4, FGCU 3
Singles Competition
1.    Rachel Hanford (MINN) def. COLMENARES, Isabella (FGCU) 6-3, 6-3
2.    BARDET, Emma (FGCU) def. Ekin Ercetin (MINN) 6-4, 6-4
3.    Vasia Karvouni (MINN) def. NORIN, Fanny (FGCU) 6-4, 6-2
4.    Anfisa Danilchenko (MINN) def. RETORTILLO, Alba (FGCU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
5.    Maria Rizzolo (MINN) def. OSSA, Jordana (FGCU) 7-5, 6-3
6.    GLANTZ, Lola (FGCU) def. Zeyneb Sarioglan (MINN) 7-5, 6-1

Doubles Competition
1.    Dalila Said/Maria Rizzolo (MINN) def. MACIAS, Gabriela/BARDET, Emma (FGCU) 6-1
2.    RETORTILLO, Alba/COLMENARES, Isabella (FGCU) def. Anfisa Danilchenko/Emilee Duong (MINN) 6-1
3.    NORIN, Fanny/OSSA, Jordana (FGCU) def. Ekin Ercetin/Lucy Lu (MINN) 6-3

The Eagles will return to the courts, Thursday afternoon when they host #24 Miami. First serve is set for 1 p.m. from the FGCU Tennis Complex.

For complete coverage of FGCU women's tennis, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_WTEN and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU women's tennis or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.

HEAD COACH COURTNEY VERNON
FGCU's women's tennis team is led by three-time ASUN Coach of the Year Courtney Vernon (9th season) who led the Eagles to back-to-back ASUN regular-season crowns in her fifth season in 2018. She has mentored her student-athletes into earning 63 ASUN All-Conference and All-Academic honors, including 2014, 2016, and 2017 ASUN Freshman of the Year as well as the 2016, 2017 and 2019 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the 2018 Player of the Year. Vernon has led the Green and Blue to an 85-64 overall record (.570) and 36-10 conference record (.782).

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FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 87 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 43 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 25, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 24 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, 2020 Fall, and 2021 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.