Cullowhee, N.C. – Freshmen Merry Gebel and Sydney Carlson along with junior Abigail Veit each recorded a double-double as the Western Carolina volleyball team defeated Furman 3-1 in a Southern Conference match inside the Ramsey Center on Friday evening. The Catamounts won the match by scores of 25-22, 25-22, 20-25 and 25-17.

Western Carolina improves to 8-8 overall and 2-3 in league play while Furman falls to 6-10 and 2-3.

Gebel led the Catamounts with 13 kills and recorded 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Veit posted 11 kills and 16 digs for her second double-double of 2018. Carlson earned her first career double-double with 14 assists and 13 digs. Hannah Price dished out a team-leading 19 assists. Meagan Sanchez had a team-best 17 digs. Haley Multerer was credited with a match-best four block assists.

Neci Harris, Jordan McNeill, and Carris Campbell each had 13 kills to lead the Paladins. Meg DeMaar led Furman with 25 digs. Campbell had a match-best three solo blocks.

Western Carolina opened the match on an 8-2 run before the Paladins pulled to within one, 16-15, on a McNeill kill. After Furman tied the first set at 18, kills by Veit and MaKenzie White allowed the Catamounts to regain the lead. Furman drew even at 21 thanks to a bad set before a Gebel kill allowed Western Carolina to claim a lead they wouldn't relinquish. A Gebel kill ended the opening stanza.

With Western Carolina holding a 15-14 lead, a Furman attack error started a 5-1 Catamount run for a 20-15 advantage. Western Carolina enjoyed a 23-18 lead before an attack error cut the Catamount lead to two, 24-22. White gave the hosts a 2-0 lead in the match as she ended the set with a kill.

The tightly contested third set featured three lead changes and 10 tie scores. With the set tied at 18, a Harris Kill opened a 3-0 Furman run as the Catamounts got no closer than two points for the rest of the frame.

Furman opened an 8-5 lead in the fourth set before the Catamounts scored five straight points for a 10-8 advantage. Following a Harris kill that brought the Paladins within a point, 12-11, Western Carolina responded with a 9-4 run for a 21-15 edge. Veit closed out the match with a kill.

Western Carolina remains at home, hosting Wofford on Saturday at 6 p.m. The match will be streamed live on the SoCon Digital Network.