Box Score CULLOWHEE, N.C. - UNCG women's tennis remains unbeaten after clinching a second straight win to start the 2021 season this Saturday. The Spartans defeated hosts Western Carolina by a count of 4-3 in the team's SoCon opener, beating the Catamounts for a third straight meeting.

The day didn't start well for UNCG, who conceded the doubles point in three straight losses. Hanna Giddings and Emily Ory lost to WCU's top pairing by a score of 6-2, while the Spartan duo of Brianna Gomez and Juliana Craft lost by the same count in the No. 3.

The Spartans fell behind by two with a straight-set loss in the fifth seed, but responded with a win at the No. 6. Craft collected the Spartans' first point of the day after beating the Catamounts sixth by scores of 6-2 and 6-1, giving her back-to-back singles victories to start her UNCG career.

Ory earned a straight set victory in the fourth seed, winning the tiebreaker in the first frame 7-3, before taking the final decision 6-2. Both Gomez' and Giddings' matches would go to three sets. Gomez grabbed a 6-4 victory in set one, allowing her opponent to tie things up at a set apiece before delivering her team's third point on another 6-4 decision in the third.

All eyes were on the No. 3 match where Giddings was forced to win two tiebreakers. The Georgia-native won the first, which required extra points, by a count of 9-7 before WCU's Jacy Smith evened things with a 6-4 victory in the second frame. Giddings fought through another tiebreaker in the third set by a count of 7-3, with her final point of the evening clinching the 4-3 win for coach Ale Guerra's side. 

The Spartans kick off their home schedule this next Thursday with Radford coming to town. That will be the first of a two-match home stand for UNCG, who will host UNC Asheville on Sunday later that week.

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