Sept. 11, 2005

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Behind four double-digit kills performances, the Western Carolina women's volleyball team earned their first win of the 2005 season Saturday afternoon at the Samford Invitational, defeating the host Bulldogs 3-1 (36-34, 14-30, 30-21, 30-21). The Catamounts finished the two-day event 1-2 overall, falling in straight sets to the Fairfield Stags, 3-0 (30-19, 30-25, 30-25) on Saturday evening.

"It feels really good to get our first victory," said first-year head coach Stephanie Dragan, who earned her first win as the Catamount skipper. "Often times, that first win is the toughest to get. As a team, it can begin to weigh on your confidence and you concentrate more on the fact that you're not winning as opposed to simply playing the match, swinging hard, and letting that determine your outcome. This win should help move us forward as we enter conference play."

Against Samford (2-5), Western was led by senior Ellie Talbot, who was the Catamounts' lone representative on the Samford Invitational All-Tournament team. The fourth-year player from Evanston, Ill., recorded a match-high 15 kills while hitting .387 and tallying eight digs.

Juniors Heather Koontz and Krista Neumann each added 11 kills, while sophomore Danielle Spitzer rounded out the double-figure performances with 10. Koontz added nine digs, while classmate Kate Willard had 16 in the win. Setter Meghan Boyle dished out a season-high 42 assists and freshman Elaine Castle led the way at the net, finishing with five total blocks.

The Catamounts (1-8) steadily improved their team hitting percentage against the `Dogs, recording a low of .129 in game two, but following it up with back-to-back performances of .409 (12 k, 3 e, 22 att) and .522 (14 k, 2 e, 23 att) to earn the season's first win. For Dragan, the victory was number 160 in her eight-year career.

In Western's final match of the tournament, Talbot finished with a double-double performance with 10 kills and 11 digs, while Spitzer killed 12 in the 3-0 loss to Fairfield (5-4). Boyle also had a double-double showing, dishing out 33 assists and digging 11. Overall defensively, Willard again led the Cats as she finished with 16, while Neumann added 10 digs, and Castle recorded two total blocks.

The Catamounts open Southern Conference play on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 7:00 pm with a trip to Spartanburg, S.C., to face the Wofford Terriers. Western's next home match is one week later, Tuesday, Sept. 20, as arch-rival Appalachian State visits the Ramsey Center for a 7:00 pm match.