PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Opening the season at the BUBBA Burger Jacksonville Classic for the second year in a row, the defending tournament champion Nova Southeastern women's golf team finds itself in familiar territory, leading the field by eight strokes following the first two rounds of action. The Sharks didn't waste any time making their presence felt once again, firing a blistering (-3) 285 in round one before heading into the clubhouse at eight-over par. Hanna Ahlander paced the lineup on Monday, and currently sits three shots off the pace at one-under par, while Valentina Albertazzi and Sofia Garcia Austt also join the sophomore among the Top-10 overall.

INSIDE THE TOURNAMENT:
Tournament Standing: 1st of 13 teams
Tournament Leader: Nova Southeastern
Location: Marsh Landing Country Club | Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Par/Yardage: 72/6,051
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_WGolf | Instagram - @NSU_WGolf | Facebook - /NSUSharksGolf

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Sharks set the tone by posting the low round of the day to open the tournament. Head coach Heather Wall's team would go on to record a score of (+11) 299 in the afternoon, yet hold an eight-shot edge over second-place High Point (+16).
• Both Seminole State (Fla.) and host Jacksonville sit tied for third at 21-over par, with USC-Upstate and Stetson dead even in fifth with scores of 27-over par.
• Ahlander lit up round one with six birdies en route to a 68, and later holed out for eagle on the Par-4 13^th to close round two with a 75. Along with co-leaders Samantha Brimhall of Jacksonville and Minori Nagano of Seminole State (Fla.), she is one of only three players in red numbers.
• A consistent performance Monday that included a combined 28 pars has Garcia Austt tied for sixth at two-over par.
• In her NSU debut, Albertazzi followed up an opening-round of (+3) 75 with an even-par 72. A birdie on the final hole of the day catapulted the freshman into sole possession of ninth.
• Nicola Fall played bogey-free golf for the first 16 holes Monday before wrapping up round one in red numbers at one-under par. A second-round 78 slid the sophomore down the leaderboard, yet she still remains within striking distance tied for 15^th.
• Mathilde Bertuol paired rounds of 74 and 79 together to conclude Monday tied for 32^nd.

BEYOND THE SCORECARD:

• The Sharks are one of just four non-Division I programs competing in this week's tournament.
• NSU's score of (-3) 285 in round one was eight shots lower than the second-best round by any team on Monday.
• The Sharks are the only team currently with three players in the Top-10 of the leaderboard. Only High Point and Stetson have more than one.

UP NEXT:
Grouped with High Point and Seminole State (Fla.), NSU will go for the tournament win when final-round action tees off Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. For complete coverage of the action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_WGolf.

🔥🔥🔥 Start for the Sharks!

The ladies are out in front by 8⃣ shots, with 3⃣ players among the 🔝🔟.#PrepareToDominate pic.twitter.com/KT9Yh7Ocm5

— NSU Women's Golf (@NSU_WGolf) October 1, 2019