MACON, Ga. – Seniors Merry Gebel and Sydney Carlson both finished with double-doubles as Western Carolina dropped a 3-0 Southern Conference match at Mercer on Saturday afternoon inside Hawkins Arena. The Bears won by scores of 25-21, 25-20, and 25-21.

Mercer improves to 14-9 overall and 10-2 in league matches while WCU drops to 10-13 and 6-6.

Gebel posted her 14^th double-double of the year with a match-best 17 kills and 10 digs. Carlson dished out a match-high 29 assists and added 10 digs. Sophomore Destinee Dorsey added a team-best 18 digs. Sophomore Eden Punch and senior MaKenzie White both recorded two blocks.

Annie Karle and Rayanne de Oliveira paced the Mercer offense with 11 kills each. Karle logged a double-double with 12 digs while Megan Smith tallied a team-leading 16 digs.

The Catamounts won the first two points of the match and led 9-8 following a Gebel kill. Mercer pulled ahead 17-14 following a service ace before the Catamounts evened the set at 19 thanks to a Punch kill. Tied at 20, Mercer closed out the set on a 5-1 run to claim a 1-0 lead in the match.

Tied at nine in the second set, Mercer went on a 6-1 run for a 15-10 advantage. Mercer took a 22-14 lead following a WCU error but the Catamounts didn't go quietly, using consecutive Gebel kills to pull within four, 23-19. The teams traded the next two points before a kill by de Oliveira ended the set.

Mercer broke a 4-4 tie in the third set with a 4-0 run capped by a Brittany Major kill. After a pair of Johnna Robinson kills brought WCU within two points, Mercer used an 8-3 run for a 16-9 advantage. WCU chipped away at the Mercer lead as a Gebel kill brought WCU within two, 22-20, but Mercer tallied three of the next four points to claim the match.  

WCU is back at home next weekend, hosting Wofford at 6 p.m. on Friday before celebrating Senior Night on Saturday against Furman at 7 p.m.

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