Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina women's tennis team returns to home action after a week away from competition, hosting mountain rival, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs, with first serve set for 2 p.m. on Friday, March 6, on the courts at the on-campus Catamount Athletic Complex.  

WCU (1-8, 0-1 SoCon) enters the matchup after most recently falling to NC A&T to close out February. UNC Asheville (6-3, Big South 1-0) enters after recording a 7-0 win on the courts against North Greenville, though the Bulldogs were also given a 7-0 forfeit win over Gardner-Webb, which is conceding their season.  

The Catamounts and Bulldogs meet for the 48th time in series history, with UNC Asheville holding a 27-20 all-time lead. WCU claimed a 4-3 win in Asheville a year ago, with their last win in Cullowhee coming back in the 2018 season by a score of 5-2.  

Friday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (1-8, SoCon 0-1) vs UNC Asheville (6-3, Big South 1-0)
Mar. 6, 2026 | 2 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex | Cullowhee, N.C.
Live Stats (IonCourt): https://tinyurl.com/ks5ku7r6

Players to Watch:
Mariya Dobreva has maintained her team-leading singles record, as the only Catamount to record a victory against NC A&T. Dobreva is 6-3 in solo play on the top court and 2-0 at home with a pair of straight-set victories.  

Mia Miranda ranks second on the team in singles victories with a pair of wins as the second seed. Axelle Van Beurden and Kelly Coetzee are the only other Catamounts with singles wins this season, picking up one each on the third and fourth courts, respectively.  

UNC Asheville is led this season by Angelina Joy Hug, who has compiled a 6-2 record as the top seed. She's currently on a four-match winning streak, with three of those victories coming in straight sets. Sofia Segui also holds a 6-2 record this season, though she's mostly competed on the fifth court.

Up Next For The Catamounts:
WCU swings down to Orlando, Fla., for a pair of spring break matches against Quinnipiac (March 12) and Penn (March 13).

The Catamounts will then return home to host Marshall on March 18.