Cullowhee, N.C. -- For the first time since Jan. 18, the Western Carolina women's tennis team is back in action as the Catamounts face archrival Appalachian State on Saturday afternoon. First serve in Boone, N.C., is set for 2 p.m. on the indoor courts at the Deer Valley Athletic Club.
Western Carolina saw three matches postponed since it last took the court, as the road trip to Blacksburg, Va., and Virginia Tech (Jan. 30), as well as home matches against both Young Harris (Feb. 1 and rescheduled Feb. 3) and Furman (Feb. 4), due to winter weather.
The two longtime rivals meet for the 45th time in series history and for the third consecutive season. App State holds a 36-8 record over the Catamounts all-time. WCU's last win over the Mountaineers came in 2022, with the Catamounts taking the 5-1 victory in Cullowhee. The last Catamount win in Boone came back in 1997.
Saturday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (0-3) vs App State (1-2)
Feb. 7, 2026 | 2 p.m. | Deer Valley Athletic Club | Boone, N.C.
Live Results: https://tinyurl.com/mrxt7vr6
Players to Watch:
The Catamounts are still looking to iron out the lineup on all six courts, though sophomore transfer Mariya Dobreva and freshman Jenelle Roberts have competed on the top and second courts in the three matches so far this season. Dobreva has WCU's sole point so far this season, earning a singles win against Liberty, while Roberts has pushed to extra points in two of her three matches.
In WCU's most recent matchup, junior transfer Mia Miranda, Belgium-born freshman Axelle van Beurden, and returning sophomore Hokualohi Lui filled in on courts No. 3 through No. 5, with freshman Kelly Coetzee making her collegiate debut in a three-set battle with Clemson on the sixth court. Sophomore transfer Keira Stewart played on the third court against fourth-ranked Auburn and Liberty.
Appalachian State is led by Savannah Dada-Mascoll – the sixth-ranked player in the nation – on the top court. Mascoll is 2-1 this season, with her only loss coming in straight sets against #3 North Carolina when she faced the 23rd-ranked Oby Kajuru. The Mountaineers also rolled to an unblemished 7-0 win over UNC Asheville, with Taya Powell, Naledi Manyube, Ruby Broadbent, and Sreenidhi Balaji picking up their first singles wins of the season.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU is set to return home to host Young Harris on Feb. 10, in a rescheduled match from the initial meeting on Feb. 1 and Feb. 3. The Catamounts will then hit the road for three straight matches, facing Gardner-Webb (Feb. 11) and Presbyterian (Feb. 14), before opening Southern Conference play against ETSU on Feb. 24. WCU then returns home on Feb. 28 to host NC A&T.
