FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's tennis team (14-6, 5-2 ASUN Conference) made easy work of Queens (N.C.) (5-16, 0-7), sweeping the Royals 7-0 on Thursday. The 2023 senior class was honored before first serve.
 
Thursday's sweep marked the fifth time this season FGCU brought out the broomsticks for ASUN opponents.
 
"Today was a solid win for the team," said FGCU women's tennis head coach Courtney Vernon. "Queens came out with a lot of energy, but the team did a good job of staying focused on what they needed to do. Today was a very special day as we had the opportunity to honor our three amazing seniors – Ida, Emma and Alba. They are such special women, and it has been a privilege to have them be part of this program.
 
"The impact they have had has been very great, and we are grateful for each one of them. We want to give a very special thank you to the Bonita Bay club scholarship group, who came out to support Ida. These friends of ours from Bonita Bay do so much for us, and we are deeply grateful and humbled at their kindness to the program."
 
FGCU picked up the doubles point without having to finish the third match. Sophomore Isabella Colmenares (San Cristobal, Venezuela/Colegio Juan XXIII) and junior Fanny Norin (Stockholm, Sweden/Thoren Business School) teamed to win 6-0 at No. 3, and seniors Emma Bardet (Vichy, France/Long Beach State) and Ida Ferding (Vasteras, Sweden/Akademi Bastad Gymnasium) clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 victory at No. 1.
 
FGCU notched three straight-set singles victories to seal the match. Ferding quickly made it 2-0 Eagles with a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 4. Junior Jordana Ossa (Miami, Fla./John A. Ferguson Senior HS/Wisconsin) followed with 6-2, 6-0 showing at No. 3.
 
Sophomore Gabriela Macias (Barranquilla, Colombia/Colegio Fontan) then clinched the match with the third straight-set victory of the day for FGCU, a 6-1, 6-0 triumph at No. 6.
 
Bardet earned FGCU's fifth point of the day, winning 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 and senior Alba Retortillo (Leon, Spain/La Anunciatathen) pushed the Green & Blue's advantage to 6-0 with a 6-2, 6-0 showing at No. 5. 
 
Sophomore Isabella Colmenares (San Cristobal, Venezuela/Colegio Juan XXIII) closed out FGCU's victory with a hard fought 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-0 (10) win. 
 
The Eagles returns to action Saturday for its final regular-season match, hosting Liberty (15-7, 6-1 ASUN) at 5 p.m. at the FGCU Tennis Complex. 
 
Doubles Competition
 
1. BARDET, Emma/FERDING, Ida (FGCU) def. TULIAKOVA, Katsiaryn/AXELSSON, Hanna (QU) 6-2
2. RETORTILLO, Alba/OSSA, Jordana (FGCU) vs. MORSE, Jill/ALLARD, Amelie (QU) 5-1, unfinished
3. COLMENARES, Isabella/NORIN, Fanny (FGCU) def. TOMEGAH, Nyanquie/SINCLAIRE, Kelsey (QU) 6-0
 
Singles Competition
 
1. BARDET, Emma (FGCU) def. TULIAKOVA, Katsiaryn (QU) 6-4, 6-2
2. COLMENARES, Isabella (FGCU) def. MORSE, Jill (QU) 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 1-0 (12-10)
3. OSSA, Jordana (FGCU) def. AXELSSON, Hanna (QU) 6-2, 6-0
4. FERDING, Ida (FGCU) def. SINCLAIRE, Kelsey (QU) 6-0, 6-2
5. RETORTILLO, Alba (FGCU) def. ALLARD, Amelie (QU) 6-2, 6-0
6. MACIAS, Gabriela (FGCU) def. TOMEGAH, Nyanquie (QU) 6-1, 6-0
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (4,3,6,1,5,2)
 
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 113-79 overall record (.588) and 49-11 conference record (.816).
 
 
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 96 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 48 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. Nine FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20 in 2021-22 and No. 22 in 2022-23), baseball (No. 15 in 2023), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022), and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as five 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 3.67 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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