Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's tennis is back in action as it opens the 2025 fall season at the Emily McNall Classic in Asheville. The UNC Asheville-hosted fall tournament pits the Catamounts against the Bulldogs, the Wofford Terriers, and the Presbyterian Blue Hose.
Play for the weekend tournament is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, before the final day of action begins at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14. All four teams will compete on the courts at The Asheville Raquet Club – Downtown.
The Catamounts face the Terriers first on Saturday, beginning their first round of play at 9:30 a.m. on Courts 14-16 (outdoor) and 3-4 (indoor). They'll close out the day against Presbyterian, battling the Blue Hose on Courts 14-16 (outdoor) and 3-4 (indoor), with play beginning at 3 p.m.
WCU concludes its first weekend of fall action at 10 a.m., squaring off with UNC Asheville on Courts 11-13 (Outdoor) and 1-2 (Indoor).
The Catamounts faced all three teams in the 2025 spring season, going 2-1 against the field in a historic 2025 spring campaign. The sole returner on the Catamount squad, Hokualohi Lui, notched her first singles win against NCAA DI competition in WCU's 6-1 win over Presbyterian, taking her matchup on the sixth court in three sets with scores of 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, and 6-3 for the game-winning point.
Two Catamounts on the 2025-26 roster saw action in WCU's 4-3 win over UNC Asheville in the spring season, though Keira Stewart was competing for the Bulldogs as the fifth seed. Stewart claimed a 7-5, 7-5 straight set win over Andrea Redondo, with Lui earning a straight-set victory of her own on the sixth court, going 6-3, 6-3 vs Valeria Centeno.
WCU fell in a hard-fought 5-2 matchup with the Wofford Terriers to close the 2025 regular season, though several Catamounts were shuffled around in the lineup due to injury. Jade Groen capped off her undefeated Southern Conference singles season with a 7-6 (9-7), 6-0 win over Breda Brennan on the top court for WCU's second point of the match. Hokualohi Lui made her second doubles appearance of the season, pairing with 2025-26 Graduate Assistant Angela Perez for a 6-4 win over Chloe Elliott and Brianna Wilbur.
The Catamount women's tennis team will be back in fall action on Sept. 27-28 as they host the annual Western Carolina Fall Invitational. WCU continues its loaded fall schedule as the team splits for the Clemson-hosted Duckworth Fall Classic and the 49er Invite on Oct. 3-5.
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