Florida Gulf Coast University secured a 4-2 victory over Stetson in the ASUN Tournament quarterfinals on Apr. 16, advancing the Eagles to their seventh consecutive semifinal appearance.
The match was decided when Ashley Matz clinched the final point for FGCU after a three-set battle against Anastasija Adeikyte. Matz had previously been forced to retire from a similar situation two weeks prior but finished strong this time with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win. The Eagles, seeded third, will next face second-seeded Lipscomb on Friday at 5 p.m., while Stetson concludes its season with a record of 13-7.
FGCU took an early lead by winning the doubles point with victories from Cecilie Maeland and Anjali Kotecha at No. 2 doubles and Nora Svensson and June Bjork at No. 1 doubles. In singles play, Sabrina Jaramillo won decisively at No. 5 singles for her twentieth singles win of the season—a mark that places her second all-time among FGCU freshmen in singles wins.
Stetson responded with wins at No. 2 and No. 4 singles before Svensson put FGCU back ahead with a straight-set victory at No. 1 singles over Pilar Astiga Harper. Matz then sealed the match for Florida Gulf Coast at No. 3 singles as Kotecha led her unfinished match on court six.
The Eagles now have an all-time record of 14-13 in ASUN Tournament play and are now eight-for-nine in quarterfinal matches, having won seven straight times in this round against various opponents including Stetson.
Looking ahead to their semifinal matchup against Lipscomb, FGCU seeks to avenge an earlier loss this season where they fell short without Maeland in their lineup and under indoor conditions—an unusual circumstance for them.
