WCU vs. The Citadel Final Stats
WCU vs. Chattanooga Final Stats

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Western Carolina volleyball team opened up the 2015 Southern Conference Championship with a win over The Citadel in the First Round of the tournament before falling to top-seed Chattanooga in the quarterfinals. The Catamounts and Bulldogs kicked things off at 9:30 am Saturday morning with WCU taking a 3-1 victory. The Catamounts returned to action at 2:30 to face the Mocs who showed why they were the top seed as they swept WCU 3-0.

The Catamounts were led by sophomore middle blocker Katie O'Connor against the Bulldogs. She posted 12 kills on .429 hitting percentage in addition to six blocks.

Jo-Leigh Vervelde, a sophomore setter, was active for the Catamounts offensively and defensively. She tallied 26 assists and 18 digs in the victory. Senior middle blocker Nicole Ford added 10 kills and three blocks.

The Citadel's Bailey Kernodle, a senior outside hitter, notched a match-high 19 kills on a .390 hitting percentage in a losing effort. Sophomore outside hitter Moriah Smith was also a big contributor offensively, putting down 17 kills for the Bulldogs, and senior setter Rachel Keefer dished out 51 assists.

In the first set, the Catamounts pushed out to an early 9-4 lead, but Smith and Kernodle prevented the Catamounts from running away with the set, as they helped the Bulldogs tie the match at 16-all. A timeout from WCU head coach Karen Glover sparked the Catamounts, who rattled off four points in a row to take a 20-16 lead. WCU was then able to hold off a late rally from The Citadel to take the first set, 25-22, courtesy a kill from Vervelde and a Megan Sowell attack error.

Both teams exchanged points early in set two before WCU was able to gain separation with a 4-0 run to go up 13-9. The Citadel countered with a 7-2 run that featured kills from Zuri Fenderson and Smith, giving the Bulldogs a 16-15 advantage. The set was neck-and-neck until the very end. The Citadel was able to save set point and pull within two points at 24-22, but a tip from Vervelde on the next point split three Bulldogs players and gave the Catamounts the second set, 25-23.

The third set looked like it might turn into a one-sided affair after WCU took a 13-8 lead, but The Citadel battled back with a kill from Fenderson, two consecutive blocks and then an attack error from Ford. The Bulldogs continued to hang tough, pulling ahead 19-18 before Vervelde found room for another tip-winner. A kill from O'Connor then tied the match at 20-all, but The Citadel forced a WCU timeout after running off two consecutive points. The Citadel closed out the third set, 25-21, with a kill from Sowell sandwiched between two kills from Kernodle.

In the fourth set, The Citadel was able to rally to gain a 13-12 advantage, which was quickly erased by an O'Connor kill and a Ford block. WCU was able to push ahead late, 24-21, and freshman Alyssa Zupan teamed with Nicole Ford for the match-winning block.

Top-seeded Chattanooga swept eighth-seeded Western Carolina (25-22, 29-27, 25-19) in the quarterfinal round.

Junior outside hitter Allie Davenport had a match-high 19 kills for the Mocs, and senior outside hitter Briana Reid joined her in double-figure kills with 12. Sophomore setter Madison Bergren tallied 44 assists, while senior libero Catherine Chason posted 30 digs. The Alpharetta, Ga., native was one of four UTC players with double-digit digs.

The Mocs hit .209 for the match on 153 total attempts.

Western Carolina featured a balanced attack with no player registering more than eight kills. Sophomore setter Jo-Leigh Vervelde had 19 assists and 15 digs for WCU, but the Catamounts were limited to just a .136 hitting percentage for the match.

WCU was the first to create separation in the first set, putting together a 3-0 run to take a 19-16 lead. Davenport and senior middle blocker Lauren Gainer responded for the Mocs will two kills to knot the set at 21-21. It was Davenport and senior right side hitter Sarah Batterton who closed out the set for UTC, posting kills between a block from WCU's Nicole Ford to take the set, 25-22.

In set two, the Catamounts were able to again jump out to a lead on the strength of a 5-0 run, which included kills from sophomore Katie O'Connor, Ford and freshman Alyssa Zupan, along with a service ace from senior libero Elyssa Mulheron. UTC climbed back into the set, however, with a 5-1 run to pull within 20-19. Gainer punched home a kill to cut the WCU lead to 22-21, and then back-to-back attack errors from both side left the Catamounts with a 23-22 lead. Wieser helped UTC rally and take a 25-24 lead, but WCU stayed alive courtesy a Vervelde kill. The set continued to swing back and forth until Davenport and Batterton ended the set, 29-27, with consecutive kills to give UTC a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Mocs cruised for most of set three, opening up an early 8-4 lead. They extended the lead to six points at 13-7 behind a kill from Davenport, a block from Gainer and then a kill from Batterton. UTC kept going, pushing its lead to 21-12, but the Catamounts did not go quietly. O'Connor recorded a kill and a block, and Vervelde found room for an ace to trim the Mocs' lead to 22-16. The two teams swapped points until a Gainer block clinched the set, 25-19, and the match, 3-0.