Oct. 14, 2011

Final Stats

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - In a match that saw 21 tie scores and 11 lead changes, Wofford came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the match at two sets apiece. Western Carolina pulled away with a 15-8 fifth set victory to take the match 3-2 at the Ramsey Center Friday night. The win improved the Catamounts to 9-14 and 4-3 in the SoCon. The win also marks the first time since 2007 that WCU has won nine games in a season, also the last time the Purple and Gold reached four conference wins. Wofford fell to 13-10 (2-5 SoCon).

"Our back row defense really stepped it up tonight," said head coach Karen Glover.

"We had four people over 20 digs tonight which was huge. Becky [Stoltz] had an outstanding match leading the team offensively. Both Becky and Carrie [Minogue] had big matches for us tonight. Our middles really came through for us offensively."

Senior Rebecca Stoltz set a career-high 14 kills and tied her career-high in aces with four. Classmate Carrie Minogue also tied a career-high with five aces. Minogue added 10 kills and five digs in the winning effort. The third senior in the 2011 class - setter Brittany Lysik - dished out a career-high 42 assists, besting her previous high of 41 against Davidson a week ago. Her 23 digs were also a career-high.

After falling behind 4-0 in the first set, Western Carolina would tie the match at five. A 5-0 run behind the serve of Caitlin Piechota would give the Catamounts a lead that would last the duration of the first set as the Catamounts picked up the first set, 25-15. Winning the first set has been huge for the Catamounts as WCU is 4-0 when winning the first set, including Friday's match.

Both teams played evenly throughout the beginning of the second set. With both teams knotted at 14, senior Rebecca Stoltz would serve her way to a 7-0 run to put WCU ahead 21-14. Western would take set two 25-18, snagging the set with a Carrie Minogue kill from the set of Brittany Lysik.

Coming out of the break with a 2-0 lead, the Catamounts would let Wofford pick up momentum and enthusiasm, following an 8-0 run by the Terriers with Amanda Liguori at the serve. Wofford would take the third 25-22. Another long run by Wofford would be the difference in the fourth set as well. Rachel Woodlee would begin her servewith the Terriers down 10-12. A 7-0 run would give the Terriers the lead they would need to push the match into a deciding fifth set, winning the fourth 25-20.

Set No. 5 would turn out to be the Rebecca Stoltz Show. Stoltz and the Catamounts picked up the first point with a Stoltz kill off the dish from setter Brittany Lysik. A 5-0 run behind the serve would give the Catamounts a 6-0 lead before the Terriers could even get on the board. In that run, Stoltz added three service aces. Stoltz would add another point - making her point total five for the fifth set - on a kill that would set up match point for the Catamounts. An Abbey Scroggins kill would seal the match for WCU, taking set five, 15-9.

Western Carolina's 113 digs were a season-high for the Catamounts by a long shot. The next closest digs total were 87 back on Sept. 13 against UNC Asheville. Sophomore libero Morgan Cochran posted a season-high 25 digs.

The freshmen outside hitter duo of Caitlin Piechota and Jordan Timmermann continued with their great freshmen season as both again posted double-doubles. Piechota picked up her fifth with 10 kills and 23 digs while Timmermann's was her third double-double having 14 kills and 21 digs - both career-highs for TImmermann. Piechota's 23 digs were a career-high as well.

"I'm proud of the way the girls came out in game five and regrouped," added Glover.

Western Carolina will face SoCon South Division leader Furman on Sunday as Parents Weekend continues. The volleyball team will host a cookout prior to Sunday's match at 11 a.m. in the Creek Lot across from the truck tunnel at the Ramsey Center. Sunday's match will be streamed on CatamountSports.com along with GameTracker available for free.