Women's Tennis Shuts Out Western Carolina,7-0

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The women's tennis program picked up its third victory of the season when it opened SoCon play against Western Carolina Sunday, Feb. 24 at home.

"It's great to get our first conference win," said head coach Jeff Trivette. "We needed to come out and play with confidence and that's what we did. I challenged the girls to focus on their game and their side of the court. They did a great job."

The Spartans won three out of three doubles matches to earn the doubles point in their match against Western Carolina. 

In doubles play, seniors Niltooli Wilkins (Burnsville, Minn. / Homeschooled) and Alex Whitehead (Victoria, Australia / Star of the Sea College) took down Nicole Nielly and Shannon Bettiol, 8-0. 

Junior Dilara Yurtkuran (Istanbul, Turkey / Gunes Koleji) and sophomore Stephanie Falcon (Marietta, Ga. / Walton) fought to win, 8-6 against Stacia Kissell and Karen Jiménez. 

Freshmen Jamie Grinberg (Chapel Hill, N.C. / East Chapel Hill) and Amy Ellis (Cheshire, Great Britain / Newcastle Under Lyme School) defeated Sara Ruiz Pajares and Erin Maguire, 8-6.

UNCG swept all singles matches against the Catamounts. 

Wilkins beat Kissell, 6-3, 6-1, while Yurkuran won 6-3, 6-3 against Jiménez. 

Whitehead picked up an easy 6-3, 6-2 win against Ruiz. Falcon took down Nielly, 6-0, 6-2. 

Freshman Soumeya Anane (Coventry, Great Britain / Tile Hill Wood School) shut out Bettiol, 6-1, 6-0, while sophomore Kayla Gammie (Port St. Lucie, Fla. / Broward Virtual School) won in an easy 6-0, 6-2 match against Maguire. 

The 3-3 Spartans continue play when they head to Huntington, W.Va. to take on Marshall Friday, March 1, at 4 p.m.

AGATE

UNCG 7, Western Carolina 0 

Doubles

1. Wilkins/Whitehead (UNCG) def. Nielly/Bettiol (WCU), 8-0

2. Yurtkuran/Falcon (UNCG) def. Kissell/Jiménez (WCU), 8-6

3. Grinberg/Ellis (UNCG) def. Ruiz/Maguire (WCU), 8-6 

Singles

1. Niltooli Wilkins (UNCG) def. Stacia Kissell (WCU), 6-3, 6-1

2. Dilara Yurtkuran (UNCG) def. Karen Jiménez (WCU), 6-3, 6-3

3. Alex Whitehead (UNCG) def. Sara Ruiz (WCU), 6-3, 6-2

4. Stephanie Falcon (UNCG) def. Nicole Nielly (WCU), 6-0, 6-2

5. Soumeya Anane (UNCG) def. Shannon Bettiol (WCU), 6-1, 6-0

6. Kayla Gammie (UNCG) def. Erin Maguire (WCU), 6-0, 6-2

- UNCG -