CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Freshman Bailey Hartsough recorded her second straight double-double with a team-best 13 kills and 13 digs as Western Carolina defeated The Citadel 3-0 in Southern Conference action on Saturday on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. The Catamounts won by scores of 25-19, 25-19, and 25-21.
 
WCU improves to 9-10 overall and 5-3 in league play, snapping a two-match skid. The Citadel drops to 8-6 and 4-4.
 
In addition to Hartsough's double-double, classmate Sarah Janourova tallied her eighth double-double of the year with 16 assists and 10 digs. Senior Merry Gebel finished in double figures with 12 kills. Sophomore Destinee Dorsey also finished with 12 digs for a double-figure performance.
 
Sharlissa de Jesus paced The Citadel with a match-best 16 kills. Kenzie Kellerman tallied 17 digs while Belle Hogan had a match-high 31 assists.
 
Tied at 12 in the opening set, WCU scored four of the next five points for a 16-13 lead. After a kill by de Jesus brought the visitors within two, the Catamounts tallied two straight points to push their lead to four and weren't threatened for the remainder of the set.
 
WCU broke a 5-5 tie in the second set with a 5-0 run capped by a Gebel kill. After the Bulldogs pulled within two, 10-8, WCU answered with four straight points and enjoyed a 19-13 lead after a block by Johnna Robinson and Julia Gardon. The Citadel pulled within one, 20-19, but the Catamounts regrouped out of a timeout and scored the final five points of the set capped by a kill by MaKenzie White.
 
After The Citadel scored the first four points of the third set, the Catamounts battled back and evened the frame at 6 thanks to a Gardon kill. WCU pulled ahead 15-11 following a Hartsough kill but the Bulldogs knotted the set at 18 following consecutive de Jesus kills. WCU tallied five straight points for a 23-18 lead and held off a late rally by the Bulldogs as a Gebel kill clinched the match.
 
The Catamounts remain at home, hosting Chattanooga on Thursday at 4 p.m. followed by a 5 p.m. contest against ETSU on Friday.
 
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