FORT MEYERS, Fla. (1/19/13) - North Texas started 2013 with a bang on Saturday, finishing day one of the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational with a 10-3 overall record.

"Overall, a good first day but we have lots to improve on tomorrow," head coach Sujay Lama said. "What stood out was going 3-0 on 3 set matches. Our conditioning is definitely paying off."

Senior Ilona Serchenko, as well as sophomores Kseniya Bardabush and Fraziska Sprinkmeyer and freshmen Emelia Box and Dané Joubert, went 2-0 on the day, winning in both singles and doubles.

Doubles partners Bardabush and Sprinkmeyer defeated Konop and Krutova, of Northwestern State, 8-3. Bardabush then defeated Tatiana Larina of Northwestern State, 6-2, 7-6 (1) in the single's flight one while Sprinkmeyer defeated Ana Gasparovic, of Iowa State, in dramatic fashion 5-7, 7-6, 10-8.

"Franziska had an outstanding day. She saved a match point in singles to come back and win and also played inspired doubles," Lama added. "We need to step up this year and it is good to see her playing with confidence."

Doubles duo Joubert and Serchenko handed Cassens and Gasparovic, of Iowa State, an 8-3 loss as Box and Valenzuela defeated Simonova and Bogetic, of Northwestern State, 8-0.

Results - Day 1

Singles

Flight 1
Kseniya Bardabush (UNT) def. Tatiana Larina (NSULA) - 6-2, 7-6 (1)
Lorenea Aviles (UNF) def. Barbora Vykydalova (UNT) - 6-4, 6-2
Flight 2
Valentina Starkova (UNT) def. Brittany Yang (LU) - 6-7 (2), 6-2, 10-4
Flight 3
Ilona Serchenko (UNT) def. Morgan Bechtel (FGCU) - 6-3, 4-6, 10-2
Flight 4
Elizabeth Means (FGCU) def. Agustina Valenzuela (UNT) - 7-5, 6-2
Franziska Sprinkmeyer (UNT) def. Ana Gasparovic (ISU) - 5-7, 7-6, 10-8
Flight 5
Emelia Box (UNT) def. Jessie Boda (LU) - 6-4, 6-0
Dane' Joubert (UNT) def. Caroline Anderson (ISU) - 6-3, 6-2
Flight 6
Victoria Parshikova (UNT) def. Annisha Domenech (LU) - 7-6, 6-2

Doubles

Flight 1
Bardabush/Sprinkmeyer (UNT) def. Konop/Krutova (NSULA) - 8-3
Botha/Bechtel (FGCU) def. Starkova/Vykydalova (UNT) - 8-4
Flight 2
Joubert/Serchenko (UNT) def. Cassens/Gasparovic (ISU) - 8-3
Flight 3
Box/Valenzuela (UNT) def. Simonova/Bogetic (NSULA) - 8-0