Catamount Tennis shuts out Lady Rams but fall to Elon

The Catamount Women’s Tennis team hit the road on March 29 to battle non-conference opponent Winston Salem State Lady Rams. The Catamounts swept The Rams 7-0, and they earned victories in all five singles matches and all three doubles matches as well.The rout started as the Catamounts’ top two seeds shut out their opponents. The Catamounts top seeded player junior Trisha Hanson defeated WSSU’s Terese Lavan in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. Western’s second seeded player junior Susanna Sjokvist blanked her Winston Salem State opponent Amanda Walker in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.The Rams eventually dropped the third, fourth and fifth singles matches as the Catamounts ended a five-match losing streak and moved to 5&9 overall on the season. Following their rout of the Rams, the Catamounts looked to end another losing streak. After dropping their first five conference games, the Catamounts looked to halt their conference losing streak with their next opponent, the Elon Phoenix. However, the losing streak continued as the Cats fell to the Phoenix 5-2 and dropped to 0&6 in the SoCon.Freshmen Tessie Salame and Amanda Massey each posted victories for the Catamounts, but it would not be enough as the Phoenix won the rest of the games. The Phoenix also won two of the three matches in the doubles competition.The second seeded Salame defeated her opponent Jenn Tucci of Elon in three sets, 6-1, 6-7, 10-8. The fourth seeded Massey defeated her opponent Francine Rudolph of Elon in two sets 7-5, 6-1. The top seeded Hanson fell to her opponent Deanna Bailey in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. The third seeded Sjokvist fell to her opponent 6-2, 6-1. The fourth and fifth seeded Catamounts Mariona Trilla Jane and Holly Stocks fell in straight sets to their opponents. In the doubles competition, The Phoenix took two of three against The Catamounts. Salame and Hanson fell 8-6 to the Phoenix tandem of Bailey and Tucci. Massey and Jane, however, defeated their opponents Kelley Moore and Hayley Wahl 8-6.Despite falling to 0&6 in the conference, the Catamounts have improved overall as a team. The victories posted by Massey and Salame against The Phoenix might be a motivating factor for the Cats in the future.