FORT MYERS, Fla. - Jordana Ossa (Miami, Fla.) and Emma Bardet (France) advanced to the singles main draw semifinals with a win at the Bedford Cup on Saturday.
"Today was another great opportunity to compete," head coach
Courtney Vernon said. "Emma and Jordana both had very good wins, and they are both playing for a spot in the championship tomorrow morning. Fanny and Amelia got to the finals of the doubles today, and we have had a lot of other very good matches. The ladies are looking forward to competing again tomorrow."
Bardet took down a ranked Kamila Umarova out of FIU 7-6 (6-8), 2-6 and 7-5 to reach the semis. Entering the weekend, No. 119 Umarova was the highest and only ranked singles player competing in the Bedford Cup.
Ossa defeated an FIU Panther of her own in straight sets to advance, besting Ekaterina Khairutdinova 6-2 and 7-5. On Friday, Bardet and Ossa posted two wins apiece to reach Saturday's semifinal round.
Berdet will face Emma Shelton from Florida, and Ossa will face Jasmine Makela out of North Florida in the finals on Sunday. The winner of both matches will advance to the main draw singles final, a potential all Green and Blue matchup.
Both semifinal matches are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at the FGCU Tennis Complex. The main draw singles final is set for 11:30 a.m.
In doubles, the Bardet and Ida Ferding (Sweden) duo fell 6-1 in a main draw semifinal round to Kamila Umarova and Ekaterina Khairutdinova (FIU). Berdet and Ferding recorded a 6-4 win over Sierra Berry and Grace Schumacher from USF to reach the semis.
In doubles Flight B, Fanny Norin (Sweden) and Amelia Kopel (Poland) made a finals appearance, falling 8-4 to Kendall Nash and Annabelle Davis from North Florida.
Isabella Colmenares (Venezuela) picked up a singles win in Flight A consolation action, and Kopel also picked up a win in the Flight B consolation bracket. With the victories, Kopel advanced to the Fight B consolation final and Colmenares to the Flight A consolation semifinal round.
Colmenares will face Anias Gabriel (Stetson), and Kopel will take on Kirstina Miletic (FIU) tomorrow morning.
FLIGHT A: SINGLES QUARTERFINALS
Emma Bardet defeats #119 Kamila Umarova (FIU) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 10-5
Jordana Ossa defeats Megan Forster (North Florida) 6-2, 7-5
FLIGHT A: SINGLES CONSOLATION QUARTERFINALS
Isabella Colmenares defeats Amber McGinnis (FAU) 6-2, 6-0
Grace Schumacher (USF) defeats Ida Ferding 6-3, 3-6, 10-7
FLIGHT A: DOUBLES QUARTERFINALS
Emma Bardet and
Ida Ferding defeats Cliona Walsh and Laura Pellicer Perello (USF) 6-2
FLIGHT A: DOUBLES SEMIFINALS
Kamila Umarova and Ekateria Khairutdinove (FIU) defeats
Emma Bardet and
Ida Ferding 6-1
FLIGHT B: SINGLES CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
Amelia Kopel defeats Claudia Sumaia (Florida A&M) 7-5, 6-2
HEAD COACH COURTNEY VERNON
FGCU's women's tennis team is led by three-time ASUN Coach of the Year Courtney Vernon (10th 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
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
#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 15+ 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.
