FORT MYERS, Fla. - FGCU women's tennis was named an All-Academic Team recipient by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Tuesday. Six Eagles were also named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
"I'm extremely proud of how hard the ladies continue to work in the classroom to further their education," head coach Courtney Vernon said. "They are beyond deserving of these honors and are making the most of their opportunities on and off the court."
Over 1,500 Division I women student-athletes were named ITA Scholar-Athletes, and 250 women's tennis programs garnered All-Academic Team distinction in 2022. To be named an ITA All-Academic Team, programs must post a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or above (on a 4.00 scale) for the entire academic year.
The Green and Blue held a 3.694 cumulative GPA for the 2021-22 academic year. During the spring, six Eagles made the Dean's List, including one 4.0, as FGCU posted its 21st-straight semester GPA of 3.5 or higher (3.70).
The following Eagles were recognized as 2022 ITA Scholar-Athletes – Emma Bardet, Ida Ferding, Lola Glantz, Gabriela Macias, Fanny Norin and Jordana Ossa. To be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, a student-athlete must hold a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.00 scale) or higher for the academic year.
On the courts in 2022, FGCU captured the ASUN regular-season crown as co-champions for just the third time in program history, amassing a 14-7 overall record and a 8-1 mark in league play.
Vernon also directed the Eagles to a ranked team status as one of the ITA's top 75 women's tennis programs, highest at No. 62 and finished at No. 71.
Three Eagles earned ASUN honors. Bardet was named to the ASUN All-Academic Team, Norin was named All-Conference Second Team and Isabella Colmenares was named to the All-Freshman Team.
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 during 2018, adding a third regular-season title in 2022. She has mentored her student-athletes into earning 66 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 99-73 overall record (.575) and 44-11 conference record (.800).
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
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#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 92 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 10 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 44 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. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) 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 25 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2021) 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.
