March 18, 2007

Final Stats

Asheville, N.C. - After taking the doubles point by winning at both the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds, the Western Carolina Catamounts could not hold off mountain-rival UNC Asheville, dropping four of the six singles matches to fall, 4-3.

Freshman Amanda Massey and junior Mariona Trilla Jane won at the fourth and fifth seeds, respectively, garnering WCU's lone singles points. Massey, a native of Weaverville, N.C., was the only Catamount to win twice on the day, teaming with classmate Emily Turke to win in the third flight of doubles competition.

Aside from the two singles victories, a third rookie, freshman Tessie Salame, was the only other player to take a set in singles play. Falling in the first set tie-breaker, 7-6 (4), the Guayaquil,Equador native won the second set, 6-4. The momentum was short lived, though, as Salame dropped the third set and the match, 6-3.

The loss in tennis, coupled with the baseball team's loss on Wednesday pulls the Parkway Series -- the head-to-head competition between WCU and UNCA -- to within one point at 5-4.

Western returns home for its Southern Conference opener on Sunday, March 18 at 12:00 pm at the Catamount Athletic Complex.

Western Carolina vs UNC Asheville
Mar 15, 2007 at Asheville, N.C.
UNC Asheville 4, Western Carolina 3
Singles competition
1. Leslie Smith (UNCA) def. Trish Hanson (WCU) 6-3, 7-5
2. Louise Bottomley (UNCA) def. Tessie Salame (WCU) 7-6 (6-4), 4-6, 6-3
3. Rachel Rhoney (UNCA) def. Susanna Sjokvist (WCU) 7-6 (8-6), 6-0
4. Amanda Massey (WCU) def. Tania Mateva (UNCA) 7-6 (6-0), 6-0
5. Mariona Trilla Jane (WCU) def. Whitney Abbott (UNCA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
6. Sara Marie Holland (UNCA) def. Emily Turke (WCU) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Trish Hanson/Tessie Salame (WCU) def. Louise Bottomley/Rachel Rhoney (UNCA) 8-3
2. Leslie Smith/Tania Mateva (UNCA) def. Susanna Sjokvist/Mariona Trilla Jane (WCU) 8-5
3. Amanda Massey/Emily Turke (WCU) def. Whitney Abbott/Sara Marie Holland (UNCA) 8-2
Match Notes:
Western Carolina 4-5
UNC Asheville 1-8