Cullowhee, N.C. - NCAA bids are up for grabs as the Western Carolina women's tennis team returns to action against a loaded field at the ITA Carolina Regional Championship. The five-day regional championship is scheduled for Oct. 15-20 in Columbia, S.C., at the Carolina Tennis Center.
Play begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning, as the singles round of 64 gets underway. Admission is free.
Western Carolina will have an opportunity to test its mettle against a loaded field featuring some of the top programs in the region, including nationally recognized competition from North Carolina, Duke, NC State, South Carolina, Clemson and Wake Forest.
The ITA Regional Championships provide players with another opportunity to qualify for the 2026 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. Each regional advances the top two singles finishers and the winning doubles pair to the NCAA Championships in November.
WCU enters the regional championship following a successful weekend at the Mercer Gridiron Classic, where the Catamounts captured a doubles flight title and added a runner-up finish.
This Weekend's Tournament:
ITA Carolinas Regional in Columbia, S.C. at the Carolina Tennis Center
Tournament Information (link)
Teams (22): Appalachian State, Charleston Southern, Charlotte, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, College Of Charleston, Davidson, Duke, East Carolina, Elon, Furman, NC State, North Carolina A&T, Presbyterian, Queens Univ. of Charlotte, South Carolina State, North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, South Carolina, Wake Forest, and Western Carolina
Results Link: https://tinyurl.com/5y7eapvs
Players to Watch:
Western Carolina looks to sophomore Thalia Smith and senior Mia Miranda to lead the way in singles competition. Smith is coming off strong performances at the Mercer Gridiron Classic, where she advanced to the singles semifinals. Miranda also had a successful weekend, partnering with Mariya Dobreva to finish as the Flight A doubles runner-up.
In doubles competition, the Catamounts will feature tandems of Dobreva and Miranda, freshman Chane Steyn and sophomore Kelly Coetzee, as well as sophomore Nathalie Marinovitch and Smith, who won their Flight B doubles championship at Mercer.
Thursday, Oct. 15 - Women's Open Singles Round of 64:
10 am – Mia Miranda (WCU) vs. Brenda Yoris (Charleston Southern)
11 am – Thalia Smith (WCU) vs. Mariana Reding (Elon)
Friday, Oct. 16 – Women's Open Doubles Round of 64:
2:30 pm – Mariya Dobreva/Mia Miranda (WCU) vs. Pimmada Thongkum/Katerina Marsalkova (SC State)
4 pm – Chane Steyn/Kelly Coetzee (WCU) vs. Karina Mohamed/Amalia Widdowson (Charlotte)
4 pm – Nathalie Marinovitch/Thalia Smith (WCU) vs. Simone Bergeron/MarianaReding (Elon)
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts will finish off the fall portion of their schedule as they head to Spartanburg, S.C. for the Wofford Invitational on Oct. 30- Nov. 1.
