Women’s Tennis Continues Winning Ways at FGCU in 4-3 Triumph

Saturday, March 2

Fort Myers, Fla.

5:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

FGCU

Action shot of Ana Paula Melilo hitting a forehand.

Women’s Tennis Continues Winning Ways at FGCU in 4-3 Triumph

3/2/2019 10:59:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Women's tennis was 5-1 in Fort Myers coming into play Saturday, and the winning ways continued for the Ospreys at the Eagles' home courts. UNF (5-6, 1-0 ASUN) won a critical doubles point to help lift it past FGCU, 4-3.

Valentina Mariotto and Ana Paula Melilo raced out to a 6-1 win at number-three doubles. Constanza Gorches and Rafaela Gomez clinched the point with a 6-4 triumph at the one slot.

FGCU (4-4, 0-1 ASUN) got one back at five singles, knotting up the match. Gomez performed well at the second spot, posting a pair of 6-2 sets to help UNF regain the lead, 2-1.

Melilo won arguably the biggest point of the match, outlasting FGCU's Julia Ascua in three sets, making it 3-1 Ospreys. Gorches clinched it at the sixth spot before the Eagles claimed two singles points after the match was decided.

Cobra's Comments:
"I'm just really proud of the team effort. We came together as a team today. We talked a lot about being louder than FGCU, and we were. It started at doubles as we were very aggressive, coming out with high energy and playing every point. We helped each other on all of the courts and I think that was an important start for us. In singles we played well in big points and we were able to stay focused throughout the matches, and that proved to be the difference. This is a big win for us, but we've got to get right back to work for Appalachian State and Troy this week." -- Head coach Mariana Cobra.

Up Next:
UNF comes home to host Appalachian State Tuesday, March 5, at 5 p.m.

Notes:

This is UNF's first win at FGCU in the regular season in three years.
Melilo is 14-9 in singles this season.
Gomez and Gorches are 7-2 as a pair.
Six of the last eight matches between these two teams have been decided by 4-3 scores.
UNF is 6-1 in Fort Myers.
UNF's last win against FGCU was in the 2017 ASUN Championship

UNF 4, No. 50 FGCU 3
March 2, 2019 | FGCU Tennis Complex | Fort Myers, Fla.

Singles
1. Maja Ornberg (FGCU) def. Lucia Montano (UNF) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-5)
2. Rafaela Gomez (UNF) def. Sara Kelly (ULM) 6-2, 6-2
3. Ana Paula Melilo (UNF) def. Julia Ascua (FGCU) 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
4. Sofia Perez (FGCU) def. Valentina Mariotto (UNF) 7-5, 7-5
5. Bridget Forster (FGCU) def. Sean Lodzki (UNF) 6-2, 6-2
6. Constanza Gorches (UNF) def. Laura Font (FGCU) 6-1, 7-6

Doubles
1. Rafaela Gomez/Constanza Gorches (UNF) def. Julia Ascua/Maja Ornberg (FGCU) 6-4
2. Sofia Perez/Madison Gallegos (FGCU) vs. Florencia Rossi/Lucia Montano (UNF) 4-4 (unfinished)
3. Ana Paula Melilo/Valentina Mariotto (UNF) def. Patricia Villar/Sara Kelly (FGCU) 6-1

Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1); Singles (5, 2, 3, 6, 1, 4)