Chattanooga, Tenn. -- For the first time in program history, Western Carolina women's tennis is advancing to the Southern Conference tournament semifinals.

Jade Groen became the all-time doubles leader with the 45th win of her career as the Catamounts earned the doubles point before claiming singles wins on courts one, five, and two to seal the match as the fourth-seeded Western Carolina ousted fifth-seed Mercer, 4-0, on the courts at the Champions Club.
 
WCU trailed in doubles play early with the tandems of Jade Groen & Chloe Schwarz and Isabella Sambola & Andrea Redondo falling behind 1-0 and 5-1 on courts one and two, respectively. Groen and Schwarz powered through the slow start, outscoring Mercer's top duo 6-2 down the stretch for the 6-3 win. Sambola and Redondo also rallied, eventually tying their match at five before play concluded. The pairing of Madison Schwarz & Angela Perez fired on all cylinders out of the gates, taking a 1-0 lead which they never conceded in their 6-4 win as WCU took a 1-0 advantage in the postseason match. 
 
WCU battled in singles play as all six Catamounts claimed their first set in the quarterfinal match in impressive fashion. No court allowed more than three points to the Bears. Freshman Hokualohi Lui took her first set 6-0 while Angela Perez and Madison Schwarz claimed 6-1 and 6-2 first-set advantages to claim leverage for the Catamounts. Jade Groen, Isabella Sambola, and Chloe Schwarz each took their first set in 6-3 decisions.  
 
Groen, the Southern Conference Player of the Year, was the first to reach the finish line for the Catamounts, cruising in her second set for a 6-0 score to put WCU up 2-0 in the match. Angela Perez followed suit with a 6-2 win in her second set to give the Catamounts a 3-0 edge overall.
 
With Lui and Madison Schwarz both pushed to third sets and Chloe Schwarz embattled in a 5-6 second set on court three, Isabella Sambola rose to the occasion by overcoming a 3-2 deficit with four consecutive points to clinch the match for the Catamounts.
 
Thursday's win was the first at the Southern Conference tournament for the Catamounts and gave WCU back-to-back wins over the Bears for the first time in program history. 
 
Heading to the conference semifinals for the first time in program history, Western Carolina faces the top-seeded Furman Paladins at 2 p.m. on Friday. The two chromatic rivals met in the SoCon-opener back in late February with Furman winning in Greenville, 5-2. Groen/Schwarz won their doubles match on court one with a 7-5 win on the third court giving the Paladins the doubles point. In singles play, Groen took a three-set victory with Lui winning on court No. 6. Sambola battled at No. 2 singles, and Chloe Schwarz took the second set before concluding in a tiebreaker after the match was decided.