Columbia, S.C. – Testing itself with a challenging nonconference early-season schedule, the Western Carolina women's tennis team dropped a pair of hard-fought tilts against Power Four opponents on Saturday against both Wake Forest (8-3) and host South Carolina (5-3) by matching 4-0 counts.

Wake Forest (8-3) and South Carolina (5-3) both won their matches against the Catamounts and the Gamecocks earned a 4-1 win over the Demon Deacons.

WCU's Jade Groen and Chloe Schwarz emerged from the doubleheader relatively unscathed as the two went unfinished in their singles matches. The pairing did fall in doubles play on the top court against South Carolina but held a 4-3 lead over Wake Forest when the Deacs claimed the early point on the other two courts.

Groen was nearing a straight-set victory over WFU's Nevena Carton on the top court, winning the first set 6-4 and held a 4-3 advantage as the Deacons took wins on the back half to clinch the match. Chloe Schwarz claimed a set advantage on the third court for the Catamounts with a 7-6 victory over Kady Tannenbaum. The two were even at three games apiece before the match was called. Additionally, Isabella Sambola was engaged in a close match with #73 Krystal Blanch but fell 7-6 in the first set to the Top 100 player.  

The Catamount results against South Carolina were similar, though Angela Perez, Andrea Redondo, and Zoe Lui all moved up a court as Chloe Schwarz was subbed out of the rotation. Dasha Osadova filled in on the sixth court for the Catamounts, seeing her first singles action since a straight-set victory in the match against Tusculum.  

Groen, Perez, and Lui's singles matches went unfinished though all three trailed in set count as the Gamecocks took the win on courts two, four, and six.  

Up Next for The Catamounts: 

WCU has time to recover and get back in the shop before they host the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs on Feb. 22. The Catamounts then take on the Furman Paladins in Greenville, S.C. to open SoCon play on Feb, 25. 

WCU (4-4) vs Wake Forest (8-3) 

Doubles Results  

1. Krystal Blanch/Makayla Mills (WFU) vs. Chloe Schwarz/Jade Groen (WCU) 3-4, unfinished  

2. #36 Nevena Carton/Kady Tannenbaum (WFU) def. Andrea Redondo/Isabella Sambola (WCU) 6-0  

3. Whitley Pate/Anna Zhang (WFU) def. Dasha Osadova/Angela Perez (WCU) 6-1 

Order of Finish: 2, 3 

Singles Results 

1. Nevena Carton (WFU) vs. Jade Groen (WCU) 4-6, 3-4, unfinished  

2. #73 Krystal Blanch (WFU) vs. Isabella Sambola (WCU) 7-6, 4-1, unfinished  

3. Kady Tannenbaum (WFU) vs. Chloe Schwarz (WCU) 6-7, 3-3, unfinished  

4. Sankavi Gownder (WFU) def. Angela Perez (WCU) 6-1, 6-2  

5. Brianna Baldi (WFU) def. Andrea Redondo (WCU) 6-3, 6-2  

6. Jingyi Li (WFU) def. Zoe Lui (WCU) 6-4, 6-3  

 Order of finish: 4,5,6 

WCU (4-5) vs South Carolina (5-3) 

Doubles Results  

1. Sarah Hamner/Helena Buchwald (SC) def. Chloe Schwarz/Jade Groen (WCU) 6-4  

2. Olympe Lancelot/Kaitlyn Carnicella (SC) vs. Andrea Redondo/Isabella Sambola (WCU) 5-4, unfinished  

3. Lauren Friedman/Jana Stojanova (SC) def. Dasha Osadova/Angela Perez (WCU) 6-1  

Order of finish: 3, 1 

Singles Results

1. #21 Sarah Hamner (SC) vs. Jade Groen (WCU) 6-2, 5-2, unfinished  

2. #61 Kaitlyn Carnicella (SC) def. Isabella Sambola (WCU) 6-0, 6-2  

3. Olympe Lancelot (SC) vs. Angela Perez (WCU) 6-1, 3-0, unfinished  

4. Misa Malkin (SC) def. Andrea Redondo (WCU) 6-2, 6-1  

5. Bella Larsson (SC) vs. Zoe Lui (WCU) 6-0, 4-3, unfinished  

6. Jana Stojanova (SC) def. Dasha Osadova (WCU) 6-1, 6-3 

Order of finish: 2,4,6