Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Western Carolina volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on the final day of the District of Columbia Invitational. The Catamounts fell in a hard fought match with Penn, 3-2, before falling to host Maryland, 3-0. Sophomore Jo-Leigh Vervelde picked up her third triple-double of the week in the loss to Penn and was the only Catamount with double-figure kills against Maryland.

WCU fell to 3-5 on the season while Penn improved to 1-2 and Maryland remained perfect at 7-0.

The Quakers of Penn took the opening set of the match by the slimmest of margins, 26-24, before WCU battled back to tie with a 25-17 victory in set two. The Catamounts took a lead in the match with a 25-18 third set win but the Quakers would not be denied as they took the final two sets 25-21 and 15-9.

Sophomores Katie O’Connor and Vervelde tied for the team lead in kills with 12 and each had six blocks. Vervelde added 24 assists and 11 digs to complete her triple-double while also picking up four service aces. Freshman Savannah Kohlhagen added 10 kills and seven digs to the team’s total.

Senior setter Cristina Nazario led the team in assists with 22 while picking up a double-double with 11 digs. Senior libero Elyssa Mulheron nearly joined the 30 dig club with 26 while sophomore Lucy Lambert added 12.

Sophomore Kaycey Cermin blocked eight opponent attacks while also picking up six kills.

WCU had a season-high 15.5 blocks in the match and out-hit the Quakers .210 to. .167 but fell in the tight battle.

The Terrapins of Maryland were able to hold all but one Catamount to single-digit kills as Vervelde led the team with 10. Mulheron (15) and Lambert (10) each tallied double-digit digs while Nazario led the team in assists with 20.

The Terrapins hit over 400 in the match and won in straight sets 25-18, 25-19 and 25-16.

The Catamounts will return to action Friday, Sept. 11 at the East Carolina Invitational. WCU will take on William & Mary, Hampton and host East Carolina.