Women's Tennis Blasts FGCU on Senior Day, 6-1

Sunday, April 7

Jacksonville, Fla.

10 a.m.

University of North Florida

Florida Gulf Coast

4/7/2013 7:25:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: UNF Athletics

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The University of North Florida women's tennis team's seniors, Lorena Aviles and Melanie Aguirre, went undefeated in the last home match of their careers to lead the Ospreys to a 6-1 home win over Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday afternoon.

Aviles and Aguirre began their Senior Day with an 8-3 victory at No. 1 doubles that raised their record as a pair to 11-3 on the year, playing exclusively in the top position. The duo has also won eight of its last 10 matches together. Later, both seniors would capture victories in their singles matches, as Aviles triumphed in three sets at No. 1, 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8), while Aguirre earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 5.

"This was a great day for our seniors," Head Coach Audra Cohen said. "I was happy to see Melanie and Lorena win their final home matches and today was no exception to the level of play they have brought to the program throughout their UNF careers."

Shortly after the seniors' win at No.1 doubles, junior Simona Weymar and sophomore Rebeca Pereira sealed the doubles point for UNF with an 8-3 victory of their own at No. 2. The win raised the pair's record to 8-0 on the year and stretched their winning streak against Atlantic Sun Conference opponents to 13 matches. Sophomores Taylor Hollander and Marina Cunningham later completed the doubles sweep for the Ospreys with an 8-6 win at No. 3.

Weymar doubled the Ospreys' advantage shortly into singles play, cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 win at the No. 2 position to put UNF up 2-0. Hollander then made the score 3-0 with a straight-set, 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 4, her eighth win in 10 matches.

Freshman Mariella Calderon earned the clinching point for the Ospreys on Senior Day, earning a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 6 to put UNF up 4-0 and seal the win. The victory was Calderon's fourth straight win, constituting the longest singles winning streak on the team.

After Aguirre's victory made it 5-0, FGCU pulled a point back with a win at No. 3 before Aviles finished the match off with her win at the top singles spot.

"This was an important weekend for us as the conference tournament approaches," Cohen said. "FGCU is a good team that has had chances to beat the top teams in the conference and we really silenced them here today. We'll certainly take this momentum into next week's matches, as well as the conference tournament."

With the win, UNF moves to 12-4 on the season, including a 5-1 mark in Atlantic Sun Conference play. FGCU falls to 10-6, 4-3 in the A-Sun.

With just two conference matches left to play, the Ospreys have compiled a 26-5 record in A-Sun singles matches, good for a winning percentage of .839, as well as an A-Sun doubles record of 12-2. UNF will also end its 2013 home campaign having gone 10-2 at UNF Tennis Complex.

The Ospreys will be back in action on Thursday, April 11, then they travel north to face new A-Sun foe Northern Kentucky in a match scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. EST.

Complete Results

North Florida 6, Florida Gulf Coast 1

Singles competition

1. Lorena Aviles (UNF) def. Sarah Means (FGCU) 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8)

2. Simona Weymar (UNF) def. Gyanna Mandic (FGCU) 6-1, 6-0

3. Johanna Sterkel (FGCU) def. Marina Cunningham (UNF) 6-1, 6-4

4. Taylor Hollander (UNF) def. Morgan Bechtel (FGCU) 6-4, 6-2

5. Melanie Aguirre (UNF) def. Elizabeth Means (FGCU) 7-5, 6-3

6. Mariella Calderon (UNF) def. Bettina Botha (FGCU) 7-5, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Lorena Aviles/Melanie Aguirre (UNF) def. Gyanna Mandic/Morgan Bechtel (FGCU) 8-3

2. Simona Weymar/Rebeca Pereira (UNF) def. Johanna Sterkel/Bettina Botha (FGCU) 8-3

3. Taylor Hollander/Marina Cunningham (UNF) def. Elizabeth Means/Sarah Means (FGCU) 8-6

Match Notes:

Florida Gulf Coast 10-6, 4-3 A-Sun

North Florida 12-4, 5-1 A-Sun