Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina bounced back in a big way on Saturday as the Catamounts downed Gardner-Webb in a 6-1 rout in women's tennis action on-campus at the Catamount Athletic Complex.
The victory is the fifth of the season for the Catamounts (5-5) and their fourth on their home courts. Gardner-Webb falls to 2-3 on the season and 1-2 against the Southern Conference with losses to WCU and ETSU and a win over UNCG.
Four Catamounts – Jade Groen, Chloe Schwarz, Isabella Sambola, and Andrea Redondo – all started the day strong for the Catamounts in doubles play as the quartet took their respective tandem matches 6-1 and 6-3 to secure the early point. Angela Perez and Dasha Osadova nearly swept the doubles play but fell in a hard-fought 7-5 match with the Runnin Bulldogs' Alizee Poulin and Greta Mursza on court three.
The Catamounts carried that success onto the singles courts as the home squad racked up four, straight-set victories on courts No.1 by Jade Groen; No. 3 with Chloe Swarz swept; No. 4 for Angela Perez; and No. 6. courtesy freshman Zoe Lui. Schwarz improved to 4-0 in singles play this season, while Groen advanced to a strong 5-2 record including a 4-2 mark on Court 1. Perez snapped a three-match singles slide and Lui recorded her first straight-set win over a Division I opponent as the Catamounts strung together a 5-0 lead, securing the win.
The final Catamount point came at the No. 2 seed as Isabella Sambola rallied from down a set to earn her third win of the season in a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 decision over Gardner-Webb's Alizee Poulin. The win is her second in three results and her third home victory of the season. Sambola and Groen made up for fall season losses to their respective singles opponents, going 2-0 on the day.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU women's tennis opens Southern Conference play on the road in Greenville, S.C. to face the Furman Paladins on Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. The Catamounts are then closer to home on Feb. 28 against mountain-rival UNC Asheville on the road at 2 p.m. The squad opens March at Kennesaw State on March 2 at 2 p.m.
