Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's tennis returns to action at home for a pair of Southern Conference matches this week on the courts at the on-campus Catamount Athletics Complex. The Catamounts host the Mercer Bears on Thursday and the Wofford Terriers on Friday, with both matchups set for first serve at 2 p.m.
In one of the few opportunities provided around the SoCon, Thursday's match will be live-streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Live stats for both matches are available through the iOnCourt app, linked online at CatamountSports.com.
Western Carolina (2-14, 0-4 SoCon) enters the late-week matches after a seven-day reprieve from competition, last hitting the courts at Chattanooga back on March 26. The Catamounts look to field a healthier lineup with the week away from competition, as they have competed on all six singles courts in only one SoCon match to date this season (at ETSU, Feb. 24).
Mercer (7-10, 0-3 SoCon) enters the week on a six-match losing skid, falling in league play to Samford, Furman, and ETSU in that span. The Bears did recently take two points off of ETSU in a 5-2 loss, posting a three-set top court victory and a third-court straight-set win.
Wofford (9-7, 2-3 SoCon 2-3) comes to Cullowhee as winners in three of their last five matches, though the Terriers most recently fell to the Furman Paladins. The Terriers, who are idle until Friday's matchup with WCU, are 1-6 on the road this season, with their one win coming against Big South foe Longwood.
Thursday and Friday's Matches:
Western Carolina (2-14, SoCon 0-4) vs Mercer (7-10, SoCon 2-3)
Thurs., April 2, 2025 | 2 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex | Cullowhee, N.C.
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/4n6vmvsd
Live Results: https://tinyurl.com/39kzp84r
Western Carolina (2-14, SoCon 0-4) vs Wofford (9-7, SoCon 2-3)
Fri., April 3, 2025 | 2 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex | Cullowhee, N.C.
Live Results: https://tinyurl.com/u5y8nksf
Players to Watch:
Mariya Dobreva put the brakes on a skid in singles play her last time out, rolling to a straight-set 6-0, 6-3 win over Chattanooga's Addison Iacono. The Canadian-born sophomore leads the Catamounts with eight singles wins this season, with her solo victory last week marking her first SoCon win.
Junior transfer Mia Miranda ranks second on the team with five solo victories, with freshman Axelle Van Beurden chipping in two. Miranda, Van Beurden, and Kelly Coetzee are the only Catamounts outside of Dobreva to see action in all of WCU's SoCon matches so far this season.
Mercer is led on the top court by Marina De Diego Quinones, who enters the week with a 6-7 record exclusively as the No. 1 seed. She's 2-1 in SoCon competition and notched a top court win over ETSU's Ksenija Rage her last time out. The pair of De Deigo and Ines Hömberg Fernandez have nine doubles wins in the first flight, while Tea Zivic and Sofiya Tsitavets have eight victories at No. 2.
Wofford's Quinn Bernthal and Katie Godfree are tied for the team lead in singles wins, posting nine each this season. Bernthal has a 3-0 record on the top court, though Terrier mainstay Grace Agster has 13 top-seed results, going 5-8 with a 2-3 mark against SoCon foes.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU hits the road to finish off the 2026 regular season, visiting UNC Greensboro on April 7. The Catamounts then swing to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the 2026 Southern Conference Women's Tennis Championships, which run from April 16-18.
