Oct. 27, 2010

Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Senior Paloma Alvarez led all players with a match-high 11 kills, but it wasn't enough to overcome a balanced offensive attack by East Tennessee State as they fell in three sets on Wednesday night.

The Buccaneers (21-6) had four players with six or more kills, paced by Lauren Baufield, Megan Devine and Summer Kremer who all chipped in seven kills on their way to the squad's 21st victory on the season. ETSU has now won four consecutive matches without dropping a set.

WCU's Carrie Minogue added six kills with freshman Kelcie Randazzo recorded five kills and nine digs. Freshman Morgan Cochran had a team-high 11 digs. Junior Rebecca Stoltz posted three blocks (one solo, two assists) in the defensive effort.

"Our defensive setup tonight and made the opponent commit more hitting errors than they usually make, so that was encouraging," said Western Carolina head coach Concepcion. "Every set was close and the girls fought from beginning to end, but let them come back by breaking on serve-receive at crucial moments."

The Catamounts had 10 less attacking errors than the Bucs (27-17), but committed 15 miscues between their serving and receiving errors to ETSU's eight.

WCU trailed 9-5 early in set one before scoring five straight points capped by back-to-back kills by Stoltz and Alvarez to take a one-point advantage (10-9). It would be the only lead the Catamounts would have in the first set as ETSU pulled out to a four-point lead (21-17. WCU scored six of the final 10 points and got within one (24-23), but a kill by Devine gave the Bucs set one, 25-23.

The Catamounts jumped out to a 12-3 lead to open set two before letting the Bucs back in the match as they scored seven consecutive points to cut WCU's lead to two (12-10). WCU scored three of the next four points to take a 15-11 advantage, but a 9-1 run by the Bucs put the Catamounts behind (20-16). WCU battled back late as they did in the first set, going on a 7-4 run out of a time out to get the set within one (24-23) before falling in the final point on an attacking error by Minogue.

An Alvarez kill got the Catamounts within three (11-8) early in set three before ETSU rolled out to an eight-point lead (18-10) by using a 7-2 run. WCU trailed by as much as 10 at the 22-12 mark, but continued to fight by scoring nine of the next 10 points to get back within two (23-21). ETSU scored two of the final three points on kills by Kremer and Devine to win, 25-22.

"We have been able to shut down the opponents' most dominant players; now is a matter of stabilizing our mentality and learn to play when we are ahead on the scoreboard," said Concepcion.

"It's a matter of changing the losing culture to an absolute expectation of winning," said Concepcion. "Our program will continue to work on improving both the mental and technical part of the team and get closer to the ultimate positive outcome."

The Catamounts hit the road for their next two matches, playing at The Citadel on Oct. 30 and at Appalachian State on Nov. 3.