Final Stats

Greensboro, N.C. - The Western Carolina women's tennis team is off to a perfect start to the 2015 season as the Catamounts swept North Carolina A&T Friday afternoon, 7-0. A pair of freshmen picked up their first collegiate victories while senior leader Megan McLinden fought a tough battle at the No. 1 spot to secure the sweep.

"I'm really happy with our overall performance today in singles and doubles," said head coach Michaela Kissell-Eddins. "It's never easy to play the first match of the season, there are always nerves involved, but I thought our girls looked sharp and ready from the first ball. A&T was not going down without a fight, and our girls had to play complete points to beat them. I was especially happy with how we were finishing points and putting away our approach shots. We have a tough match tomorrow against N.C. State, but each of our girls should be feeling good about their games and proud of the way they competed today."

McLinden and junior Shannon Bettiol picked up the first win of the day as the swept the No. 1 doubles match 6-0 over Saundra Smith and Kayla Jefferson of N.C. A&T. WCU's No.3 doubles team also swept their double match which clinched the doubles point for the Catamounts. Junior Erin Maguire and freshman Montse Mesalles teamed up to blank Nadia Hilton-Adams and Alexus Morgan. The final double match was a tough battle but junior Nicole Nielly and freshman Elizabeth Ansari were able to hold off the Aggies taking the match 6-3.

Bettiol went on to coast in her singles match giving up just one game in the two set affair. She took down Kenya Colbert 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 2 singles match. Nielly finished a short time later as she gave up just two games to Hilton-Adams in the No. 3 singles match. She won the battle 6-0, 6-2. Maguire also cruised in her first singles match of the year as she defeated Jefferson 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 5 slot to clinch the match for the Catamounts.

Despite the match being in hand, the Catamounts continued to battle looking for their first sweep since 2009 when WCU defeated Division II team Mercyhurst 7-0 in Hilton Head, S.C.

Ansari earned her first collegiate singles win at the No. 4 spot taking down Morgan 6-1, 6-2. Mesalles followed suit a few minutes later downing Smith 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 6 spot.

The first sweep in six years came down to senior Megan McLinden who found herself in a battle in the No. 1 spot. McLinden cruised in her first set against Khalia Powell with a 6-1 victory but the second set would be another story. Powell came out swinging and McLinden went toe-to-toe with her Aggie opponent. With the set tied at six, the two went into a tiebreaker. McLinden held the upperhand and defeated Powell 7-2 top earn a 6-1, 7-6 (2) victory.

The Catamounts will not have much time to celebrate their victory as they hit the courts tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 31 at 10 am against ACC opponent N.C. State.