.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Florida Gulf Coast
Minnesota Upends Florida Gulf Coast, 6-1
3/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The No. 59-ranked Minnesota women's tennis team took care of business on its spring break trip in Fort Myers, Fla., defeating Florida Gulf Coast on the road, 6-1, Monday night under the lights. The victory was the Gophers' sixth in a row and it improved the team's record to 11-4 on the season.
Minnesota's road mark now stands at 2-2 and its all-time record against the Eagles is now 2-0 after the Maroon and Gold won the schools' first meeting in 2014 by the same score.
The match's first point was clinched by Julia Courter and Jessika Mozia, who won an 8-4 decision at the No. 2 doubles spot. After FGCU earned a victory at No. 1 as sisters Elizabeth and Sarah Means won, 8-2, freshmen Mehvish Safdar and Caroline Ryba evened the competition with a triumph of the same score at No. 3.
To secure the team win, the Gophers took five out of six singles matches.
Tereza Brichacova got things started at the top spot with a straight-set defeat of Sarah Means. Courter's solid play in doubles carried over into singles as she cruised to a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 6. Minnesota's 11th win was officially sealed by Aria Lambert, who dispatched Candela Munoz Giron, 6-0, 6-4, at No. 5.
Lambert now has 74-career singles wins to her credit, tying her with Lisa Martin, Anne Gorde, Meg Horan and Nancy Rost for 12th in program history. She is 12-2 on the spring and has won 10 of her last 11 matches.
Also continuing a hot start to the spring in singles was Ryba, who is now 10-1 at position Nos. 1 and 2 after a two-set win in the second spot. Mozia capped the scoring for the Gophers at No. 3 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Eagles' singles wins leader, Johanna Sterkel.
Florida Gulf Coast got on the board with its lone win at No. 4 when Elizabeth Means rallied for a three-set win.
The Gophers resume Big Ten action this weekend as it takes on 13th-ranked Michigan and No. 73 Michigan State. Both matches are road contests.
No. 59 Minnesota 6, Florida Gulf Coast 1
FGCU Tennis Complex (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Singles competition
1. Tereza Brichacova (MINN) def. Sarah Means (FGCU) 6-4, 6-3
2. Caroline Ryba (MINN) def. Breana Stampfli (FGCU) 6-3, 7-5
3. Jessika Mozia (MINN) def. Johanna Sterkel (FGCU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Elizabeth Means (FGCU) def. Maja Vujic (MINN) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Aria Lambert (MINN) def. Candela Munoz Giron (FGCU) 6-0, 6-4
6. Julia Courter (MINN) def. Alex Landert (FGCU) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Elizabeth Means/Sarah Means (FGCU) def. Tereza Brichacova/Paula Rincon Otero (MINN) 8-2
2. Julia Courter/Jessika Mozia (MINN) def. Breana Stampfli/Candela Munoz Giron (FGCU) 8-4
3. Mehvish Safdar/Caroline Ryba (MINN) def. Johanna Sterkel/Alex Landert (FGCU) 8-2
Match Notes
Minnesota 11-4 (1-0 Big Ten)
Florida Gulf Coast 2-9 (0-0 Atlantic Sun)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,6,5,2,3,4)
###
Players Mentioned
