FORT MEYER, FLA. – The Northern Arizona University women's tennis team migrated south to take on the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles and walked away victorious with a final score of 4-3. In a match filled with various ties and lead changes, the Lumberjacks snagged their eighth win of the season to move to 8-6 overall. Head Coach Kim Bruno was pleased with the level of fight and determination her squad showed this afternoon.

"Everyone showed up today," Bruno commented. "We were able to compose ourselves on their home floor- in front of a tough crowd- to pull out a great win. Florida Gulf Coast is a tough team and they've beaten teams we haven't this year. Our girls deserve this one."

After stealing the doubles point, NAU had the momentum heading into singles play before the Eagles jumped back out in front 2-1 with wins on courts three and six. With freshman Hanneke Lodewijks back in the lineup, she took down Breana Stampfli at line one despite dropping her first set. With the match knotted up at two, Blanka Szavay stole the 3-2 lead for the 'Jacks on court two with a tight 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Joselyn Albarracin Treyes.

Doubles tandem Szavay and Lodewijks are now 7-3 overall including a four-match win streak. Emelia Box and Hailey Rochin, who snagged the first of NAU's two doubles wins, snapped Juliana Curtis and Julia Ascue's four match-win streak at line two for their second win in 2016. In singles, Lodewijks moves to 4-6 on court one and Szavay sits at 6-7 overall on court two following today's win.

Freshman Eirene Granville, too, shined for Northern Arizona on court five and clinched her fourth match of the 2016 campaign. With the match at 3-3, all eyes were on Granville. In a three-set decision, she ousted Laura Falceto Font 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to lift the 'Jacks over the Eagles. Florida Gulf Coast drops to 5-7 this year but did beat the University of Texas, El Paso who NAU lost to earlier this season.

"We were all sitting there watching Eirene's [Granville] match," Bruno noted.  "She knew that if she didn't get this one, her team wouldn't either. She fought for every point. When we do that, we are going to beat a lot of teams."

Northern Arizona will be back in action on their home floor on Saturday, March 19 against Northern Colorado and on Monday, March 21 against University of Alabama Birmingham.

Results

Doubles

1. Blanka Szavay/Hanneke Lodewijks (NAU) def. Breana Stampfli/J. Treyes Albarracin (FGCU) 6-3
2. Emelia Box/Hailey Rochin (NAU) def. Julianna Curtis/Julia Ascua (FGCU) 6-3
3. Elizabeth Means/Laura Alceto Font (FGCU) vs. Jordan Denesik/Eirene Granville (NAU)  4-2

Order of Finish: 2, 1

Singles

1. Hanneke Lodewijks (NAU) def. Breana Stampfli (FGCU) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. Blanka Szavay (NAU) def. J. Albarracin Treyes (FGCU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
3. Julia Ascua (FGCU) def. Hailey Rochin (NAU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Julianna Curtis (FGCU) def. Jordan Denesik (NAU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
5. Eirene Granville (NAU) def. Elizabeth Means (FGCU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
6. Laura Falceto Font (FGCU) def. Emelia Box (NAU) 6-2, 6-4

Order of Finish: 3, 6, 1, 2, 4, 5*