Cullowhee, N.C. -- Western Carolina women's tennis head coach Bret Beaver is working on building the 2026-27 roster as Laura Sparnina signed with the Catamounts on National Signing Day.  

A native of Riga, Latvia, Sparnina rose the national ranks, topping out as the second-rated player in the country. She advanced to the Latvian U18 singles championships in back-to-back years from 2022-2023, joining the Latvian U18 national team in 2024 and playing in the European U18 championship.  

Sparnina earned ten ITF doubles titles from 2023-2025, most recently taking the J100 Liepaja doubles finals in a 6-4, 6-1 victory with Anna Azarova. 

She claimed two Latvian U18 Doubles championships in 2022-23 as well and appeared in six International Tennis Federation (ITF) doubles finals from 2023-2024.
 

Sparnina is set to join a relatively young Catamount roster, which currently has five underclassmen and one junior. The Latvian product is the third international product to join the Catamount roster, with Axelle Van Beurden claiming Antwerp, Belgium, as her home and Mariya Dobreva hailing from Montreal, Quebec.  

The 2025-26 Catamounts are now preparing for the 2026 Spring Season, with a full schedule announcement to come.