Oct. 23, 2004

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina battled hard, winning game three to force a fourth, but Georgia Southern proved too much as the Eagles continued their dominance at home, beating the Catamounts 3-1 (27-30, 27-30, 30-28, 31-33) Friday night. The victory extended Georgia Southern's home-court winning streak to 28 consecutive matches, while also maintaining the Eagles' hold of first place in the Southern Conference's South Division.

Western (8-13, 4-6 SoCon) had four players register double-digit kills, led by sophomore Kellyn Thaut with 21, while freshman Meredith Harmon totaled a career-high 12 kills and a .429 percentage. Georgia Southern (14-5, 9-1 SoCon) earned the victory without the services of leading hitter Lulia Porumbescu, who sat out nursing a sore back, and instead counted on a quintet of players with double-digit kills. Senior Janice Pressley led the way with 13 kills and a .417 attack percentage, while freshman Bailey Coleman added 13 kills and 12 digs.

In the opening game, the two clubs fought hard early on, building a 9-9 tie at one stretch, only to see the Eagles jump out on a 6-1 tear. The Catamounts were able to bring the Eagle lead within two points at various occasions, but could not inch any further, as Georgia Southern won by a 30-27 margin.

The second game saw Western Carolina build their lead to as much as five points, 23-18, only to see the Eagles tie the score at 27-27 and clinch the game 30-27 following three Kristen Kasprak kills. The Catamounts did not sit idle in game three, however, overcoming a .051 attack percentage to put Georgia Southern away 30-28 and continuing the match.

Game four saw the initial edge go to the Eagles, who built a 27-21 lead late in the action. Following a Catamount timeout, the momentum turned the way of Western Carolina, who scored the next six points, tying the score at 27-27. The Eagles and Catamounts continued to trade point for point before Georgia Southern was able to eke out a 33-31 win off a Melissa Parana attack error and Kasprak kill.

In addition to Thaut and Harmon, senior Stefanie Peters and freshman Melissa Parana each totaled 10 kills, with Peters recording Western's only double-double, finishing with 16 digs. Kate Willard paced the Catamount setters with 29 assists, adding five digs, while Ellie Talbot led the Cats' defensively with a match-high 21 digs.

Western Carolina concludes its two-match road trip as it travels to Davidson on Sunday for a 2:00 pm afternoon match with the Wildcats. The Catamounts win over the Wildcats last year evened the all-time series at 15-all. Western returns home on Tuesday for "Halloween Comes Early" as they host East Tennessee State at the Ramsey Center on October 26.