FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's tennis team (6-2) defeated Mercer (4-3) 6-1 on Friday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
The win was the Green & Blue's ninth straight victory against the Bears, who have never defeated the Eagles.
 
"The ladies competed well today," said FGCU head women's tennis coach Courtney Vernon. "We have a lot to continue working on but they are making progress each time they compete. They are looking forward to competing again (Saturday)." 
 
The Eagles took control early, as seniors Ida Ferding (Vasteras, Sweden/Akademi Basted Gymnasium) and Emma Bardet (Vichy, France/Long Beach State) won their doubles match 6-3 at No. 1. The Green & Blue team of junior Fanny Norin (Stockholm, Sweden/Thoren Business School) and sophomore Isabella Colmenares (San Cristobal, Venezuela/Colegio Juan XXIII) clinched the doubles point at No. 3 with a 7-5 victory.
 
Senior Alba Retortillo (Leon, Spain/La Anuciata) and junior Jordana Ossa (Miami, Fla./John A. Ferguson Senior HS/Wisconsin) earned a 6-3 victory at No. 1 to sweep the doubles matches.
 
Colmenares earned the Eagles' second point with a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 3 and Ferding followed with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph at No. 5. Norin clinched the match for the Green & Blue with a 6-1, 6-2 score at No. 2. Bardet earned the Eagles fifth point with a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (8) decision at No. 1 before Ossa sealed the match with a 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (6)
 
The Eagles will return to the court Saturday morning to take on Mercer again.  First serve is set for 9 a.m. at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
 
Singles Competition


1. BARDET, Emma (FGCU) def. Teodora Ristic (MER) 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8)
2. NORIN, Fanny (FGCU) def. Mary Courville (MER) 6-1, 6-2
3. COLMENARES, Isabella (FGCU) def. Eden Schlagenhauf (MER) 6-3, 6-2
4. OSSA, Jordana (FGCU) def. Camilla Ciaccia (MER) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6)
5. FERDING, Ida (FGCU) def. Marina Quinones (MER) 6-2, 6-2
6. Kristin Yordanova (MER) def. MACIAS, Gabriela (FGCU) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6)


Doubles Competition
1. BARDET, Emma/FERDING, Ida (FGCUW) def. Mary Courville/Teodora Ristic (MER) 6-3
2. OSSA, Jordana/RETORTILLO, Alba (FGCUW) def. Camilla Ciaccia/Eden Schlagenhauf (MER) 7-5
3. NORIN, Fanny/COLMENARES, Isabella (FGCUW) def. Marina Quinones/Kristin Yordanova (MER) 7-5 
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,5,2,6,1,4)

 
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 106-74 overall record (.588) 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 94 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 47 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22 and No. 25 in 2022-23) beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as four of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green & 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 3.66 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2022 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 27 consecutive semesters. The past seven semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative team GPA. 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.
 
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