WCU vs. UT-Martin Final Stats

WCU vs. Drake Final Stats

Martin, Tenn. - Senior Caitlin Piechota turned in a pair of double-doubles on the final day of the Skyhawk Invitational as the Western Carolina volleyball team went 1-1 during Saturday's action. The Catamounts lost a 3-1 match to host Tennessee-Martin before they downed Drake University 3-0.

The loss for Drake was just the third suffered by the Bulldogs this season. The Bulldogs are now 8-3 on the year while the Catamounts improved to 4-5 and Tennessee-martin moved to 5-4.

Following the completion of the tournament, Western Carolina landed two players on the all-tournament team. Piechota was joined by Addy George among those recognized for their play over the two-day event.

Piechota was the engine that pushed the Catamounts Saturday afternoon as she turned in 18 kills and 17 digs against the Skyhawks before dishing out 13 kills and 10 digs in the three-set victory over the Bulldogs. Piechota now has 1,048 career digs which rank her 14th all-time at Western. She also has 944 kills which is 16th best in Catamount history.

Classmate Jordan Timmermann nearly had a pair of double-doubles as well as she came up with 12 kills and eight digs against the Skyhawks and nine kills and 12 digs against the Bulldogs. With her 21 kills on Saturday, Timmermann moved into the top-10 in WCU history with 1,048 kills. She will need 94 more to tie Cathrine Sawyers (1992-96) for ninth on the list.

Other notable performances included WCU's pair of setters, freshman Jo-Leigh Vervelde and junior Cristina Nazario, who each had outstanding performances against Tennessee-Martin and Drake. Vervelde had six kills, 22 assists, 11 digs and a block against UT-Martin while Nazario notched six kills, 26 assists, three service aces, six digs and a block in the match. Vervelde had another double-double against Drake with three kills, 20 assists and 12 digs while Nazario added a double-double with three kills, 22 assists and 13 digs.

Junior libero Elyssa Mulheron led the team in digs during both matches. She had 21 digs and a pair of service aces against UT-Martin while turning in 18 digs and one service ace against Drake.

Senior Addy George had double-digit kills against Drake with 11 while also putting up a pair of blocks. She had nine kills against the Skyhawks and one block.

Western won the opening set against host UT-Martin 25-22 before the Skyhawks rattled off three-straight sets, 32-30, 25-21 and 25-17. In the Drake match it was all Western as the Catamounts took the first set 25-12, the second 25-22 and the third 25-23.

The Catamounts will return to action this Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. as they travel up the road to UNC Asheville.