FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women’s tennis team won the doubles point and used five singles win to cruise against Atlantic Sun conference foe Jacksonville, 6-1, on Saturday at the FGCU Tennis Complex.

The Eagles improve to 6-9 (3-3 A-Sun) on the season and Jacksonville falls to 5-10 (1-4 A-Sun).

FGCU opened the match by winning two doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead against the Dolphins. Junior Morgan Bechtel (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) and freshman Marina Diez (Miami, Fla./West Broward HS) won easily against Gabriela Bartos and Veronique Spencer, 8-2, at No. 2 doubles. The team of sophomore Bettina Botha (Cape Town, South Africa/DeKuilen HS) and freshman Sarah Means (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Wiregrass Ranch HS) clinched the point with a 8-4 win against Harjit Gosal and Djessika Bezerra, at No. 3 doubles.

In the final doubles match, senior Jen Evans (Fort Myers, Fla./Evangelical Christian HS) and sophomore Gyanna Mandic (Oshowa, Canada/Edison Academies) battled but lost Aline Staudy and Natalia Melibeu, 8-5, at No. 1 doubles.

In singles, Jacksonville tied the match at 1-1 after Melibeu won in straight sets against Evans, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 2 singles. Diez gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead after defeating Bartos, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 4 singles.

Botha won in straight sets against Spencer, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 5 singles to give FGCU a 3-1 lead. Mandic clinched the match with a tough three set win at No. 6 singles against Gosal, 6-4, 1-6, 6-0.

Bechtel won in straight sets against Bezerra, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 3 singles to open up a 5-1 lead on the Dolphins.

In the final match, Means rallied after dropping the first set to win against Staudy, 0-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-1), at No. 1 singles. Means won the second set and took control in the super tiebreaker, winning eight straight points to finish the win.

The Green and Blue remain home to face A-Sun foe Stetson on Saturday, April 7 at 9 a.m. at the FGCU Tennis Complex.

Results and recaps will be available on www.FGCUathletics.com after each match this season.

Florida Gulf Coast University 6, Jacksonville
1 Singles competition
1. Sarah Means (FGCU) def. Aline Staudy (JU) 0-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-1)
2. Natalia Melibeu (JU) def. Jen Evans (FGCU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Morgan Bechtel (FGCU) def. Djessika Bezerra (JU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Marina Diez (FGCU) def. Gabriela Bartos (JU) 6-4, 6-3
5. Bettina Botha (FGCU) def. Veronique Spencer (JU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Gyanna Mandic (FGCU) def. Harjit Gosal (JU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Aline Staudy/Natalia Melibeu (JU) def. Gyanna Mandic/Jen Evans (FGCU) 8-5
2. Morgan Bechtel/Marina Diez (FGCU) def. Gabriela Bartos/Veronique Spencer (JU) 8-2
3. Bettina Botha/Sarah Means (FGCU) def. Harjit Gosal/Djessika Bezerra (JU) 8-4

Match Notes:
Jacksonville 5-10, 1-4 A-Sun
Florida Gulf Coast University 6-9, 3-3 A-Sun
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,4,5,6,3,1)