Cullowhee, N.C. – For the first time in 2026, the Catamount women's tennis team appears on its home courts on Tuesday (Feb. 10) as Western Carolina hosts the Young Harris Mountain Lions at 2 p.m. The first home match of the season is followed by another road match on Feb. 11, as the Catamounts swing down to Boiling Springs, N.C., to take on the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs, also with a 2 p.m. start.
Tuesday's match is a rescheduled contest from Feb. 1, with the Catamounts battling the Mountain Lions for the eighth time in program history and the fourth year in a row. WCU is 6-1 all-time against Young Harris and is currently on a six-match winning streak over the NCAA DII opponent. The Catamounts have notched at least five points in their wins over the Mountain Lions and have three 7-0 shutouts, including last year's straight-set home sweep.
The Catamounts and Runnin' Bulldogs are both looking for their first win of the season, with WCU entering the week with a 0-4 record and Gardner-Webb falling 7-0 to the #3 North Carolina Tar Heels in its lone match of the season. The two teams have faced each other 22 times in series history, with Gardner-Webb leading 12-10, though the Catamounts have won four straight over the Big South foe.
Tuesday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (0-4) vs. Young Harris (0-0)
Feb. 10, 2026 | 2 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex | Cullowhee, N.C.
Live Stats (IonCourt): https://tinyurl.com/294kjv62
Wednesday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (0-4) vs Gardner-Webb (0-1)
Feb. 11, 2026 | 2 p.m. | Webb Tennis Complex | Boiling Springs, N.C.
Players to Watch:
Shorthanded last time out, the Catamounts saw a significant shuffle from their usual court assignments in the road loss at Appalachian State. Mariya Dobreva retained her usual spot on the top court, earning a three-set win and her second singles victory of the season against the Mountaineers. Mia Miranda, Axelle Van Beurden, and Kelly Coetzee all moved up, competing on the second, third, and fourth courts.
Young Harris returns its top three competitors from a year ago in Futaba Saito, Maud Scholten, and Callie Stanfield. The trio combined for 43 singles wins last season, with Saito pacing the team with 17, including an unblemished 11-0 record in Conference Carolinas play. Scholten and Stanfield both went 13-8 on the singles courts last season, competing primarily as the second/third seed and fifth seed, respectively.
With only one match under their belt, the Runnin' Bulldogs are still shaking up the lineup early in the season. Gardner-Webb was swept in straight sets by the third-ranked Tar Heels, with Emma Shasteen, Alizee Poutin, and Arili Boshoff filling in on courts 1-3.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU is back in road action on Feb. 14 as the Catamounts make the trip to Clinton, S.C., to battle the Presbyterian Blue Hose. They are currently scheduled to have a break from competition following the match with Presbyterian, taking on ETSU in Johnson City on Feb. 24.
