MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 24) – After claiming the doubles point, the University of Mount Olive women's tennis team was unable to clinch the game-winning point in singles play as it fell by a 4-3 margin versus Catawba in non-conference action on Friday afternoon.

With the loss, the Trojans drop to 2-8 this season despite winning the doubles point in their previous three matches. It marked the first meeting between the sides since the 2019-20 season. Meanwhile, the Indians improve to 1-0 overall as they opened their season in Mount Olive following a pair of cancellations to start the spring season.

UMO claimed the doubles point after winning a pair of matches in the session. In the first position, senior Liza Voloshyna and junior Nele Weber earned a 6-3 win over Vicky Beardsley and Alexandra Parra. Senior Ingrid Montserrat and freshman Oriana Izarra dropped a 6-3 decision in the second slot to Sofia Hernandez and Carolina Correia. In third doubles, freshman Laura Servien and junior Jessica Aylward registered a 6-2 victory over Lena Friedrich and Miya Ami.

Catawba rallied in singles action winning four of the six matches to capture the victory on Saturday. Montserrat was downed by Ami in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 in the first slot. In the second position, Voloshyna suffered a 6-3, 6-3 loss versus Parra, while Izarra dropped a 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) match to Moretti Matilde at third singles. Weber secured a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Vaishnavi Venkatesh in the fourth slot before Servien picked up the straight sets win in the fifth position 6-3, 6-2 against Veronika Poliakova. At sixth singles, Aylward fell by a 6-0, 6-2 margin to Correia.

Mount Olive returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 26, when it faces Coker in a non-conference match in John Neal Walker Tennis Center, at 1 p.m.