April 18, 2010

Results

Cullowhee, N.C. - The Western Carolina women's tennis fell, 6-1, to Samford on Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletic Complex to conclude its' 2010 campaign. Freshman Carolina Lainez picked up her fifth consecutive victory in singles action to collect the Catamounts' lone point. The Catamounts ended the season with a 4-14 overall record and 1-9 in Southern Conference action, while Samford finished with a mark of 17-5 overall and 9-1 in conference play.

Lainez, a native of Zaragoza, Spain, defeated Madelie van Rensburg, 6-1,6-3 in straight-sets to pick up her seventh victory of the season and her third in conference action.

Samford claimed the doubles point and won all three matches as van Rensburg / Stephanie Parkison defeated Izabella Glinska and Emily Turke, 8-2. In the second doubles spot, Andrie Meiring and Rebecca Kirven downed WCU's Amanda Massey and Karen Jiménez Sarmiento, 8-1. Lainez and Ainhoa Iglesias Díaz dropped an, 8-5, decision to the Bulldogs' Taylor Morgan and Lindsey Mallory.

Massey, a senior from Weaverville, N.C., lost her match 3-6, but battled in set two before falling 7-3 in the tie-breaker and losing the set, 7-6. Turke, a graduate student also playing in her last contest, fell in straight-sets to Mallory, 0-6, 0-6.

In the top flight of singles, Glinska fell, 3-6, 0-6, to Samford's Morgan. Parksion defeated WCU's Iglesias Díaz, 6-2, 6-3. Freshman Jiménez Sarmiento battled, but fell 3-6, 1-6 to the Bulldogs' Kirven.

The Catamounts ended a season that saw four victories, including the squad's first conference win since 2003. WCU defeated Wofford, 4-3, at the Catamount Athletic Complex to clinch a SoCon victory. Other victories were over Brevard College (6-1), Presbyterian College (4-3) and North Carolina Central (5-2).

Three underclassmen were leaders in victories this season for WCU.

The freshmen tandem of Jiménez Sarmiento and Lainez combined for 15 wins in singles action. Jiménez Sarmiento was named SoCon Player of the Week for April 7 after going 3-1 during that span. The Colombia native finished with a team-best eight wins in singles play. Lainez finished the year with seven victories including ending the season with a five-match win streak.

Sophomore Iglesias Díaz notched another six wins for the Cats as a solid performer in the fourth slot for singles action.