01/18/2026

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Anjali Kotecha and Sabrina Jaramillo emerged as the weekend heroes, each delivering a final-point victory to lead the Florida Gulf Coast University women’s tennis team (2-0) to a pair of 4-3 thriller wins over St. John’s University and Miami (Ohio) to open the spring season.

Both home matches came down to a 3-3 deadlock, placing the outcome of the duals on a single court. On Friday, Kotecha provided the heroics against St. John’s, rallying from a set down to defeat Charlotta Buss 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. On Saturday, it was Jaramillo who played the spoiler for Miami (Ohio), outlasting Avery Voss in a three-set battle, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, to keep the Eagles’ record perfect.

Kotecha, who is no longer the “new kid on the block” after a strong freshman campaign, sees these tight matches as vital for a maturing roster. “I think it’s exciting; we have a really new team, so it’s going to be tough at the beginning,” Kotecha said. “But it’s really a good group of girls, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

FGCU 4, ST. JOHN’S 3

The Eagles opened the match by claiming the doubles point. June Bjork and Africa Burillo won 6-2 over St. John’s Victoria Papadopoulou and Noemi Babikova, while Nora Svensson and Kotecha beat the Red Storm’s Nicoline Sartz-Lunde and Nao Kojima, 6-2.

In singles play, Bjork (6-2, 6-2) and Svensson (7–6 (4), 6–2) kept the Eagles in the hunt, but the match ultimately rested on Kotecha’s shoulders.

Head Coach Courtney Vernon praised the sophomore’s relentless approach in the clutch.

“Anjali (Kotecha) always fights and she has a lot of spirit,” Vernon said. “She fights for every point and I’m really proud of her because she’s a great team player and she always puts the team first.

Despite the emotional toll of Friday’s three-set clincher, Kotecha was back on court less than 24 hours later.

“Each match is very different, so you kind of just reset the evening before and then do the same thing again the next day,” Kotecha said of the quick turnaround. “We’re surrounded by a really good team and really good coaches.”

FGCU 4, MIAMI (OHIO) 3

The challenge of the weekend was the quick turnaround between two very different styles of play. “Well, they’re both indoor teams, but they play a lot differently,” Coach Vernon explained. “Miami of Ohio plays a lot more flat balls and quicker points, while St. John’s kind of grinds and all their players just get balls back and they never give up.”

The script was nearly identical on Saturday. FGCU again secured the doubles point with wins from Bjork and Burillo (6-4) and Kotecha and Svensson (7-5).

A factor Coach Vernon identified as the difference-maker. “To get the doubles really helped us today because it came down to the doubles point through 3-all,” Vernon noted. “It was clutch that the ladies won the doubles point and they fought really hard.”

Kotecha then provided a massive spark in singles, putting the Eagles up 2-0 with a dominant 6-0, 6-3 victory over Nina Chavez. Coming off her high-pressure win the day before, she noted that the 6-0 opening set gave her “a lot of confidence.”

“It was good. I played really well, I’m happy,” Kotecha said. “The teammates were really good with cheering and supporting and everyone was fighting really hard. [I’m] proud of the team how everyone fought really hard, so it was a really good win today.”

Bjork extended the advantage to 3-0 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Evelyn Risner, but the RedHawks’ quick-strike style allowed them to claw back with three consecutive wins to level the match. For the second time in two days, the dual was decided on the final court, where Jaramillo’s three-set victory secured the weekend sweep.

While the wins were hard-earned, Coach Vernon was pleased with the mental toughness. “I told the ladies after the match we’re not playing our best tennis, which we don’t want to be doing in January, but we’re fighting really hard and that’s what matters,” Vernon added.

The back-to-back victories provide a massive boost as the Eagles travel to Coral Gables this Wednesday to face the University of Miami.

“I think it will give us a lot of confidence as a team to show that we can fight and do really well against the school,” Kotecha said. “A lot to look forward to.”

The Eagles head to Coral Gables on Wednesday, Jan. 21, to take on the University of Miami. First serve is set for noon