Feb. 17, 2006

Cullowhee, N.C. - The Western Carolina women's tennis team dropped its third-straight to open the 2006 spring season, falling on the road at Gardner-Webb Thursday afternoon, 6-1, at the GWU Tennis Complex in Boiling Springs. Sophomore Trish Hanson earned the Catamounts' first singles match win of the spring on the day, defeating the Bulldogs' Jenny Gomez in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.

In doubles action, Western (0-3) fell behind an early point as the team of Hanson and classmate, Susanna Sjokvist, fell 8-4 to the freshman duo of Gomez and Amy Beavers. The No. 2 doubles pair of freshmen Mariona Trilla Jane and Holly Stocks also fell by the same count to GWU's Monica Walser and Krystina Sigmon, with the third seed of doubles won by Gardner-Webb by default.

Hanson earned WCU's lone point of the match in singles competition, playing well for the 6-4, 7-5 victory over Gomez in the first flight. Overall, however, the Lady Bulldogs would take five of the six matches over the shorthanded Catamounts, with the fifth and sixth seed singles matches going to Gardner-Webb by default. Western's Trilla Jane fell to Beavers, which was her first collegiate win, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Also, GWU's Walker defeated Sjokvist, 6-4, 6-0, while Sara Zirnheld would pick up a win at the #3 position over Stocks, 6-4, 6-3, clinching the match for the Lady Bulldogs on the afternoon.

Western returns to action this Saturday, Feb. 18 as it visits Mercer for a 1:00 pm match in Macon, Ga. The Catamounts will play three additional matches away from Cullowhee before returning home to open the new Catamount Athletic Complex tennis facilities on Wednesday, March 1 versus mountain-rival, UNC Asheville, at 2:00 pm.

Gardner-Webb 6, Western Carolina 1
Doubles
#1 - Gomez/Beavers (GWU) d. Hanson/Sjokvist (WCU), 8-4
#2 -  Walser/Sigmon (GWU) d. Trilla Jane/Stocks (WCU), 8-4
#3 -  Pancia/Zirnheld (GWU)  wins by default.
Singles
#1 - Trish Hanson (WCU) d. Jenny Gomez (GWU), 6-4, 7-5
#2 -  Amy Beavers (GWU) d. Mariona Trilla Jane (WCU), 6-2, 6-4
#3 - Sarah Zirnheld (GWU) d. Holly Stocks (WCU), 6-4, 6-3
#4 - Monica Walser (GWU) d. Susanna Sjokvist (WCU), 6-4, 6-0
#5 - Krystina Sigmon (GWU) wins by default.
#6 - Carol Pancia (GWU) wins by default.