Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina women's tennis team closed out the nonconference portion of its season on Wednesday, falling to the Marshall Thundering Herd at the Catamount Athletic Complex. The Catamounts dropped the doubles point with losses on courts two and three, with Marshall claiming the win on the top singles court following WCU forfeits on lines five and six.

The Catamounts (2-11, 0-1 SoCon) return to action tomorrow as they host the Furman Paladins for a 1:30 p.m. first serve. Marshall (8-7) finishes off its run in the mountains as they take on Sun Belt Conference foe Appalachian State on March 21.

How it Happened:

WCU fielded a full lineup in doubles play, with Marshall getting a 6-2 win on the second court to take the early advantage. Mariya Dobreva and Mia Miranda battled back as the top doubles pairing, holding a 6-5 lead when Marshall secured the doubles point with a 6-4 win on court three.  

The Catamounts dropped two points on courts five and six due to forfeit, with Marshall only needing one singles win to secure the win. Despite fielding the full doubles lineup, WCU did sit a pair of players on the eve of the return to SoCon play on Thursday.

Axelle Van Beurden and Kelly Coetzee fought in close first sets, falling 7-6 (7-2) and 7-5, respectively. Mia Miranda also fell in a close first set, falling behind 6-4, though the junior held a 2-1 lead in the second when play concluded.  

Mariya Dobreva fell on the top court 6-1, 6-3 as Marshall clinched the 4-0 victory.

Up Next for The Catamounts:

WCU is back in action on Thursday afternoon as the Catamounts return to Southern Conference play, hosting the Furman Paladins (8-4, 0-0 SoCon) at the Catamount Athletics Complex with a 1:30 p.m. start.