CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Western Carolina volleyball team opens the 2020-21 season on Saturday (Jan. 23) with a pair of nonconference matches at Clemson. The Catamounts and Tigers are scheduled to play at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. inside Jervey Gym.
 
Western Carolina junior Merry Gebel earned a spot on the preseason All-Southern Conference team with the Catamounts picked to finish in fourth place in the preseason coaches poll announced on Monday. Last season, WCU went 17-13 overall and finished in third place in the league with an 11-5 record. Head coach Karen Glover was named SoCon Coach of the Year with graduated senior Meagan Sanchez earning Libero of the Year honors while Gebel received a second-team All-SoCon selection.
 
Clemson is 3-3 overall after playing a six-match ACC league schedule in the fall. The Tigers split the season-opening series with Miami before dropping two matches at then-No. 8 Georgia Tech. Clemson closed out the abbreviated fall season with two home wins over Wake Forest.
 
Saturday's matches mark the first meeting between the Catamounts and Tigers since the 2006 season when WCU participated in the Big Orange Bash against Clemson, Charlotte, South Carolina, and Tennessee State. Clemson claimed a 3-0 win over the Catamounts as part of the tournament and leads the all-time series 25-10 with the first meeting coming in 1977.
 
WCU opens the SoCon portion of its schedule on Sunday, Jan. 31 against Wofford.
 
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