CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The UNCG women's tennis team improved to 4-1 in Southern Conference play with a 5-2 win on the road against Western Carolina Sunday.

UNCG improved to 6-9, 4-1 in the SoCon on the season while Western Carolina falls to 1-12-1, 0-4 in the SoCon.

The Spartans took a 1-0 lead after sweeping all three doubles matches. At No. 3 doubles, Stephanie Falcon (Marietta, Ga./Walton) and Soumeya Anane (Coventry, Great Britain/Tile Hill Wood School) defeated Erin Maguire and Sara Ruiz Pajares, 8-0. UNCG clinched the point after freshman Yasmin Franco (Largo, Fla./Indian Rocks Christian) and senior Dilara Yurtkuran (Istanbul, Turkey/Gunes Koleji) took down Megan McLinden and Nicole Nielly, 8-2 at No. 2 doubles. At No. 1 doubles, Devon Sutherland (Lake Wylie, S.C./Clover) and Kayla Gammie (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Broward Virtual School) won against Stacia Kissell and Shannon Bettiol, 8-3.

In singles, Western Carolina tied the match at 1-1 after Kissell won by retirement over Yurtkuran leading 5-0 in the first set. Franco gave UNCG a 2-1 lead after winning in straight sets against Nielly, 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 singles.

Sophomore Jamie Grinberg (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill) made it 3-1 Spartans after winning 6-1, 6-3 against Maguire, at No. 6 singles. Bettiol cut the lead to 3-2 after winning by retirement against Anane, leading 7-5, 3-0 in the second set.

Gammie clinched the match with a straight sets win against Ruiz Pajares, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 singles. In the final match, Falcon defeated McLinden, 6-3, 7-5 at No. 3 singles.

The Spartans return to action at home Wednesday, April 2 against Charlotte at 2 p.m. at the UNCG Tennis Courts.

Follow all the action about the 2014 UNCG Women's tennis team on www.UNCGSpartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports. 

- UNCG -