JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the second time in three years and for the tenth time since 2010, UNF women's tennis (18-6, 7-1 ASUN) won the ASUN Championship title after defeating Stetson (18-8, 6-2 ASUN) Saturday afternoon.
 
In a tough competition, the Ospreys had their work cut out for them in doubles as it took an hour and fifteen minutes to determine the point. Kit Gulihur and Ana Paula Melilo earned a 6-0 victory on the top court, yet Annabelle Davis and Jasmin Makela fell, 6-2. Kendall Nash and Isabel Oliveira went into a seven-point tiebreaker and secured the doubles point for UNF with a 7-2 victory. The duo evaded match point to come back and win in the tiebreaker.
 
With a 1-0 lead, Gulihur quickly strengthened the lead to 2-0 after defeating Stetson's top player in two sets. Although Nash and Oliveira both fell in three sets, Davis secured a big win at the top slot to put the Ospreys up 3-2. Makela, who earned a spot on the ASUN All-Freshman Team, clinched the win for UNF to secure the ASUN Championship Title. She worked around a Stetson set point in the first frame, setting up her straight-sets win.
 
With this win, the Ospreys receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Stay tuned for the NCAA Selection Show May 1 as UNF finds out its draw for NCAA Tournament play.

Coach Dunagan's comments after winning the ASUN Championship:
"I can't begin to express how proud I am of this team. Wow. The way that we have handled adversity all year has prepared us for this very moment. We stayed tough with match points down in doubles and we kept trusting in ourselves to the very end. It's the culture we've built and I am so proud of them. They earned it." 

Singles competition
1. Kit Gulihur (UNF) def. Nadejda Maslova (STE) 6-1, 6-4
2. Annabelle Davis (UNF) def. Alanna DeFrancesco (STE) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Anais Gabriel (STE) def. Isabel Oliveira (UNF) 0-6, 6-2, 6-4
4. Ana Paula Melilo (UNF) vs. Cheri Darley (STE) 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 2-1, unfinished
5. Noa Cohen (STE) def. Kendall Nash (UNF) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
6. Jasmin Makela (UNF) def. Magdalena Hedzrak (STE) 7-5, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Kit Gulihur/Ana Paula Melilo (UNF) def. Nadejda Maslova/Magdalena Hedzrak (STE) 6-0
2. Isabel Oliveira/Kendall Nash (UNF) def. Alanna DeFrancesco/Cheri Darley (STE) 7-6 (7-2)
3. Anais Gabriel/Noa Cohen (STE) def. Annabelle Davis/Jasmin Makela (UNF) 6-2

Match Notes:
Stetson 18-8
North Florida 18-6
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,5,3,2,6)
 
Osprey Notes: 

• This is the tenth time in program history that UNF has earned the ASUN Championship Title
• Two championship titles have been earned under Coach Dunagan, as well as two regular season titles
• Makela has won nine-straight singles matches, clinching the match as a freshman
• North Florida previously won the ASUN Championship against Stetson in 2018, also on home courts