DURHAM, N.C. — Western Carolina University was able to hold off a rally attempt by the North Carolina Central University women's tennis team to secure a 5-2 non-conference win on Sunday at the NCCU Tennis Courts.
 
Freshmen Josefa Fernandez and Jade Houston both won in singles play for a second straight match to account for NCCU's two team points.
 
The doubles tandem of senior Maru Berghaus and Ivana Dragovic got in the win column for a second time this season for the first of three NCCU wins on the day.
 
The Catamounts moved back over .500 on the season with a record of 6-5. The Eagles were unable to win for a second consecutive dual match to slip to 1-5 on the season.
 
Fernandez (3-3) and Houston (2-4) both had to win a pair of three-set affairs to claim their individual wins. Fernandez held off senior Anna Uljanov by a 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 on court two while Houston rallied past junior Jacy Smith in the third slot in NCCU's lineup by a tally of 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0.
 
The victories for Fernandez and Houston were against a pair of players that both have collegiate all-conference honors to their names. Uljanov was an All-MAC honoree in 2019 at University of Akron while Smith was All-SoCon in 2019 for the Catamounts.
 
Dragovic also went three sets for the Eagles, but she eventually lost to junior No. 4 Hoda Habib by a narrow score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
 
Western Carolina won the other two singles matches contested in straight sets to secure the team triumph. A 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles also gave the Catamounts the doubles point with NCCU forfeiting No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles due to injuries.
 
Berghaus and Dragovic improved to 2-4 on the season with their 6-2 win over the doubles duo of senior Carli Deehr and sophomore Emily Elliott.  
 
NC Central will next host UNCG on Wednesday, March 10 at 2 p.m.