Final Stats

Greensboro, N.C. - Western Carolina volleyball's five set magic continued Tuesday nights as the Catamounts remained unbeaten in five set matches with an epic 3-2 win over host UNCG. WCU is now 6-0 in five set matches on the year and 16-3 all-time under the direction of head coach Karen Glover in five set affairs. The win is also the fifth-straight conference victory for the Catamounts marking the longest conference win streak in program history since 2002 when the Cats won six-in-a-row.

The Catamounts won the opening two sets of the match, 25-18 and 25-22, before dropping set three and four, 25-22 and 25-18. The fifth and final set was an all-out battle as neither team relinquished control. The Catamounts eventually pulled out the victory 26-24.

Western Carolina improves to 12-11 on the year and 5-4 in SoCon play while the Spartans fall to 12-9 overall and 4-4 in SoCon action.

Senior Addy George led the Cats with 16 kills and nine blocks. The nine blocks tied her season and career-highs. Senior Jordan Timmermann added 11 kills, eight digs and three blocks to the effort. Seniors Caitlin Piechota and Brandi Anderson each had eight kills in the victory while freshmen Katie O'Connor and Jo-Leigh Vervelde added four kills each.

Piechota led the Cats with 25 digs while also putting down five service aces. Anderson added four blocks while O'Connor had five. Vervelde turned in another double-double with 24 assists and 20 digs. She also had three service aces.

Junior setter Cristina Nazario also had a double-double with 19 assists and 15 digs.

The Catamounts never trailed in the opening set but their lead never exceeded four points till late in the period. Leading 21-17 late in the set the Catamounts used a 4-1 run to close out the period. A pair of kills by George and two UNCG errors gave WCU the opening set.

The second set was tight throughout but a late spurt once again pushed the Cats ahead. Leading 20-19 after a timeout the Catamounts scored four-straight points thanks to kills from Timmermann and Piechota and a pair of UNCG errors. With the set on the line the Spartans fought off three set points before a Vervelde kill ended the set, 25-22.

The Spartans never trailed in the third set but the Catamounts kept it close. A late surge by the Cats tied the set at 22 on a solo block by George but the Spartans rattled over three-straight points to close the set, 25-22.

The fourth set saw the Spartans pull away midway through the stanza. A 9-4 run gave UNCG a 18-11 lead and the Spartans never looked back as they cruised to a 25-18 victory.

The fifth set was back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than four points. The Catamounts looked to be in control when they scored five-straight points to take a 14-10 lead in the final set. The Spartans were able to fight off three match points and then took the lead at 15-14. From that point on WCU had six match points and UNCG had three but neither team would fold. With the score knotted at 24, back-to-back attack errors by the Spartans gave WCU the match, 26-24.

UNCG was led by Kelsey Sidney and Ashley Muench who each had 19 kills in the match. Muench added 27 digs as well.

WCU will continue its three-match road swing at the Citadel on Friday, Oct. 24. The Catamounts defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 at home earlier this season.