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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Quetzali Vazquez mounted a massive second-set comeback at No. 3 singles and top-seeded University of North Florida women's tennis defeated No. 3 Florida Gulf Coast 4-1 to win its third Atlantic Sun Tournament title in four years on Sunday at the UNF Tennis Complex. The Ospreys receive the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
 
"Today was an amazing accomplishment for this group of women," said head coach Audra Cohen. "They continue to impress me with their growth and determination to succeed. I'm extremely proud of four seniors, who have exceeded my expectations both athletically and academically. It's truly my honor to be their coach."
 
UNF went up 1-0 with a pair of doubles wins on the No. 1 and No. 3 courts. Vazquez and Marina Cunningham teamed for a dominant 8-1 win over Johanna Sterkel and Alex Landert on the No. 3 court. Taylor Hollander and Esther Zuniga downed Sarah Means and Elizabeth Means 8-3 at the No. 1 spot to win the doubles point.
 
Zuniga fended off a second-set comeback from Sarah Means in order to win No. 1 singles 6-0, 6-4 and put UNF up 2-0. Luise Intert quickly followed with a 6-4, 6-0 No. 6 singles victory against Landert to put the Ospreys ahead 3-0.
 
Florida Gulf Coast got on the scoreboard as Sterkel held off Michelle Valdez 6-4, 6-3 on the No. 2 court.
 
At No. 3 singles, Vazquez got out to a hot start against Breana Stampfli and ultimately won the first set 6-3. However, the momentum appeared to swing towards Stampfli's way as she held a 3-0 lead in the second set. Vazquez fought back and rattled off six-straight points in order to win the second set 6-4 and clinch the win for the Ospreys.
 
"Quetzali has been an incredible leader throughout this tournament and during the entire season," said Cohen. "She has grown immensely and has gone from a weak mindset to the backbone of strength for our program."
 
Following the match, the All-Tournament Team was announced. Zuniga was tabbed as the Tournament MVP and All-Tournament, while Vazquez and Cunningham were tabbed All-Tournament. Also joining the All-Tournament Team were Florida Gulf Coast's Sterkel and Elizabeth Means and Lipscomb's Hannah Gamage.
 
UNF learns of its opponent for the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, Apr. 28 during the NCAA Selection Show on NCAA.com at 5 p.m.
 
Match Results
No. 1 North Florida  4, No. 3 Florida Gulf Coast 1
Singles Competition:
No. 1 – Esther Zuniga (UNF) def. Sarah Means (FGCU) 6-0, 6-4
No. 2 –Johanna Sterkel (FGCU) def. Michelle Valdez (UNF) 6-4, 6-3
No. 3 – Quetzali Vazquez (UNF) def. Breana Stampfli (FGCU) 6-3, 6-3
No. 4 – Taylor Hollander (UNF) vs. Candela Munoz Giron (FGCU) 1-6, 3-2, unfinished
No. 5 – Marina Cunningham (UNF) vs. Elizabeth Means (FGCU) 6-7 (5), 1-1, unfinished
No.6 – Luise Intert (UNF) def. Alex Landert (FGCU) 6-4, 6-0
 
Doubles Competition:
No. 1 – Taylor Hollander/Esther Zuniga (UNF) def. Sarah Means/Elizabeth Means (FGCU) 8-3
No. 2 – Luise Intert/Rebeca Pereira (UNF) vs. Candela Munoz Giron/Breana Stampfli 3-5, unfinished
No. 3 – Quetzali Vazquez/Marina Cunningham (UNF) def. Johanna Sterkel/Alex Lander (FGCU) 8-1
 
Order of Finish: Doubles (3, 1); Singles (1, 6, 2, 3)