Cullowhee, N.C. -- The 2024 home slate is nearly over as the Western Carolina tennis team hosts the Furman Paladins for their penultimate home conference matchup scheduled for Sunday, March 24 at the Catamount Athletic Complex.
Sunday's Matchup
Western Carolina (8-9, 0-3 SoCon) vs Furman (6-10, 2-0 SoCon)
March 24 | 1:00 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex | Cullowhee, N.C.
Live stats: https://tinyurl.com/2zbb5kdt
Last Time Out
Despite straight-set wins by Jade Groen and Angela Perez, the Catamounts fell at home to the UNC Asheville Bulldogs to close out the nonconference portion of its 2023-24 schedule. Andrea Redondo and Dasha Osadova both forced seven-point tiebreakers, but the Bulldogs ultimately claimed the 4-2 decision.
The Paladins most recently took their second win in conference play, downing the Wofford Terriers 6-1. Furman has rattled off three straight wins against Wofford, Samford, and Quinnipiac after starting the season 3-10.
Players to Watch
Madison Schwarz and Jade Groen have found their footing on the doubles courts as the duo is currently on a three-match win streak with their most recent outing resulting in a dominant 6-0 win over the UNC Asheville pairing. In addition, Groen has picked up three consecutive straight-set wins on the second court and holds an 11-5 record on the season.
Furman's Macy Hitchcock is the only Paladin to hold a positive record on the singles courts so far this season. The freshman is currently 9-6 in solo play and has done most of her damage on the fifth court where she has racked up eight of her nine wins. She is, however, undefeated as the fourth seed on the season after taking a straight set victory against Quinnipiac to help jumpstart the Paladin winning streak.
Common Opponents
The Catamounts and Paladins have played against two common opponents this year, UNC Asheville and Wake Forest. Furman picked up a 5-2 win against the Bulldogs for their first victory of the season, but the Catamounts were the only one of the two to pick up a point off of at the time No. 35 ranked Demon Deacons, as Andrea Redondo retired her opponent in straight sets.
Series History
Western Carolina is still searching for its first win against Furman in program history, though the Catamounts snapped a run of scoreless outings with the Paladins last season. Angela Perez picked up a win in straight sets on the fifth court while Jade Groen battled to a three-set, tiebreaker finish as the Catamounts recorded their first two-point contest with Furman.
For the latest information on Catamount women's tennis, follow @catamounts or @catamountTennis on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com. In-match updates are on the Catamount women's tennis official tennis Twitter page.
