Oct. 13, 2007
Box Score
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - In an afternoon filled with history and stat-stuffing score sheets, the Western Carolina volleyball team (7-17, 2-7 SoCon) was involved in one of the most heart-pounding matches of the season. The Catamounts battled the Phoenix of Elon (13-2, 7-2 SoCon) in their old stomping grounds, Reid Gym, and went to five games with the Southern Conference rival only to fall 3-2 (30-20, 30-26, 24-30, 32-34, 13-15), Saturday afternoon in a true gut-wrencher.
Sophomore setter Katie Hennessey had one of her strongest outings of the season recording the third triple double of her career. She had 10 kills, 11 digs and a season-high 54 assists.
Freshman Jelena Jakovljevic had a breakout performance notching a season-high 24 kills. It was also the most kills by a Catamount player in a match this season.
Jakovljevic was one of five Catamount players to record double figure kills. Senior Meredith Harmon and freshman Kara Lynzee Brooks each had 14 kills in the match and freshman Ali Rook notched her fifth double-double of the season with 12 kills and 13 digs.
The Catamounts came into the match and opened game one with authority. The club hit a scorching .400 in game one only committing four errors. Knotted at 10 early in the game, Western Carolina went on a 20-10 run to put the Phoenix on their heels.
Western Carolina took a 2-0 lead heading into the locker room thanks to the strong play of Hennessey and Jakovljevic. The Catamounts bettered their attack percentage in the second game hitting .436 with 22 kills and got the exclamation kill by Jakovljevic to end game two off an assist by libero Liz Rondone.
Elon wouldn't go down without a fight and proved their tenacious nature in the ensuing games. Western Carolina found itself in a hole, 10-5 early in game three, and never could seem to climb out of it. The Catamounts did claw back to 20-24 but the Phoenix went on a 6-4 run to close out the game.
There were 11 ties in game four as each team battled for the win. Western Carolina was down 16-19 and came back to tie the game finally at 24 off a kill by Hennessey. Elon took the lead again and was going for game point, 29-28, when freshman LaTonia Cunningham got a huge kill to tie the game at 29. The Catamounts would enjoy game point twice before Elon would tie the game at 32 and go on to win the last two points of the game.
In the deciding game five, Western Carolina built an early 3-0 lead but the Catamounts would suffer from some key attack errors and Elon crept back into the game to tie it at five. The Catamounts and Phoenix would again tie the game at nine and Western Carolina would even enjoy a brief 10-9 lead, thanks to a kill by Hennessey, before relinquishing the lead and the match when Elon went on a 6-3 run to secure the win.
Western Carolina returns to action at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Ramsey Center taking on UNC Greensboro.
