Catamount Tennis loses two in a row, fall to 0&5 in SoCon

After losing their two opening conference matches to Davidson and Wofford, the Catamount women’s tennis team returned to action on March 24 and 25 to battle with conference foes UNC-G and Georgia Southern. The Catamounts would lose the battles to The Spartans and the Eagles. UNC-G defeated WCU 7-0, while Georgia Southern defeated Western 6-1. The losses drop the Catamounts to 0&5 in the Southern Conference and give them a record of 4&8 overall.Arielle VonStrolly of the Spartans defeated the top seeded Catamount junior Trisha Hanson 6-4, 6-0. At the second seed, Catamount junior Susanna Sjokvist lost in two sets 6-2, 6-0. At the third seed, Catamount freshman Amanda Massey put up a fantastic effort but fell in three sets 6-2, 6-7, and 10-6.The Catamounts were swept both in the singles and doubles competitions, and Massey was the only one who won a set for WCU. They hoped to come out and rebound from their slow SoCon start by defeating the Eagles of Georgia Southern. However, the exact opposite happened as the Eagles defeated Western 6-1.The only win in singles competition came from the top seeded Hanson who defeated her opponent Molly Maddox of Georgia Southern 6-4, 6-4. Hanson also won in the double’s competition she and Massey defeated the Eagles’ Maddox and Christine Caforio 8-6.Hanson was the Catamounts’ only winner in the singles competition. However, Massey did not disappoint anyone with the way she played against Georgia Southern. The third seeded Massey and opponent Heather Reynolds of Georgia Southern went neck and neck throughout their entire match up. Massey won the first game 7-4, but she fell in the next game 6-4. The forced tiebreaker also did not fall Massey’s way as she fell 10-7.The Eagles won the doubles competition despite Hanson and Massey’s victory. Reynolds and Kristi Keggereis of Georgia Southern defeated Mariona Jane and Susana Sjokvist of Western 0-0, 8-2. In the third seed match-up, Holly Stocks and Emily Turke of WCU were forced to forfeit after an illness occurred.Now 0&5 in the conference, the Catamounts take a break from conference play as they get prepared to take on the Lady Rams of Winston Salem State. Following their non-conference opponent, the Catamounts get prepared for another conference match against the Phoenix of Elon.