Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's tennis and head coach Bret Beaver have added another new face for the upcoming spring season. Kelly Coetzee, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, is set to join the program for the upcoming 2026 spring season.

A two-time national-level sportsmanship award recipient, Coetzee makes her way to Cullowhee after a strong prep career at Paarl Girls' High School. She climbed the South African charts, consistently ranking within the top 20 and reaching a high of seventh. She made a doubles finals appearance at a junior International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament. She additionally advanced to the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles in the ITF J30 Tournament in Gaborone, Botswana.

Coetzee joins a Catamount team that has plenty of newcomers, including Colorado State sophomore transfer Mariya Dobreva, Western Kentucky junior transfer Mia Miranda, UNC Asheville sophomore transfer Keira Stewart, and true freshmen Jenelle Roberts and Axelle Van Beurden, as well as returner Hokualohi Lui.